DC Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro issued a bench warrant for a shooting defendant after he failed to appear for a scheduled re-sentencing hearing on Oct. 22.
On Jan. 31, 2023, Joseph Washington, 22, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a pistol without a license for his involvement in a shooting that occurred on Oct. 8, 2022 on the 5000 block of Astor Place, SE.
On April 20, 2023, he was sentenced to 21 months of imprisonment, with all but three months suspended.
However, Washington faced multiple probation violations. In July 2025, a notice of noncompliance and order to show cause were filed, followed by a bench warrant in August that was later quashed after he appeared in court.
Judge Di Toro previously warned Washington about continued probation violations.
Judge Di Toro issued another bench warrant after Washington failed to appear for sentencing in court for his scheduled hearing. The court cited his prior Youth Rehabilitation Act(YRA) sentence– meaning that a conviction will be sealed upon successful completion–repeated probation violations, and prior failure to appear as justification for the warrant.
The judge ordered that sentencing will be rescheduled upon Washington’s arrest.
