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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- February 5, 2020
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Suspects
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Victims
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During the continuation of a motion hearing on Feb. 4, defense and prosecution argued about whether or not to exclude testimony from the murder defendant’s daughter.
Keith Archie, 39, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Demond Marcel Rush on the 3600 block of 22nd St., SE in 2017.
The daughter previously testified in front of a grand jury and was set to testify again for the trial. Archie’s lawyers, Sylvia Smith and Jason Tulley, argued that the daughter’s testimony should be excluded because she no longer remembers parts of her previous testimony.
The defense also filed a motion to suppress pictures from the crime scene, which showed Archie’s shoes and pants.
The prosecution asked DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz to permit the use of the nine-year -old daughter’s testimony, explaining that her testimony presented a clear picture of the crime.
Both the defense and prosecution agreed on a select number of pictures of Archie’s pants and shoes that would be used during trial.
Judge Kravitz did not preclude the daughter’s testimony. The judge did strike statements the defendant gave to police on the night of the homicide because the officers were in violation of Archie’s Miranda rights.
The motion hearing continued to Feb. 5 and then jury selection for trial began.
Written by MiriYam Judd and Wyatt Mullins