A non-fatal stabbing defendant pleaded not guilty to charges from a superseding indictment during his arraignment before DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan on Nov. 21.
Jerrell Smith, 33, is charged with two counts of armed carjacking, assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in a carjacking that occurred on June 7, 2023 at the intersection of South Capitol Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE. One individual was stabbed during the incident.
His defense attorney, Emma Mylniec, told the court that Smith pleaded not guilty and asserted his trial rights. Hannah Claudio, Smith’s other defense attorney, also requested materials from the superseding indictment, including information from the grand jury and information from Prince George’s County, Maryland, where Smith has a prior conviction.
According to court records, the prosecution filed a motion to allow cross-examination of Smith during trial about his prior conviction. Mlyniec argued that the conviction came after a plea Smith entered without a lawyer, so it should not be admissible. The prosecution asked for time to write a written response before Judge Ryan rules on the issue.
Claudio also filed a motion to exclude a photo of Smith in which he is wearing an orange jumpsuit. The prosecution said they do not intend to use it during trial unless it comes up during Smith’s testimony.
Trial is set for Dec. 15.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Dec. 10 to discuss outstanding pretrial motions.
