A Judge Holds Off Changing Probation Conditions Without Defendant

By D.C. Witness Staff - June 4, 2020
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

A DC Superior Court judge decided not to decide the status of a defendant’s probation while he was not present.

Anthony Mason was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction in 2019. He is currently serving out his sentence on probation.

The morning of Mason’s hearing he experienced a series of epileptic seizures. His defense attorney, John Armstrong, told Judge Juliet McKenna that his family was concerned and he is getting medical attention.

Armstrong requested a continuance.

Judge McKenna granted the continuance, saying that even though the defendant’s technical violations, including multiple reports of a dead battery in his GPS monitor and curfew violations, were concerning it would not be “fruitful” to make any decisions toward his probation while he was absent.

Mason has not been rearrested during the time he has been on probation.

Judge McKenna set Mason’s next hearing for June 11 to give the defendant time to get back into compliance with his probation conditions.