Court Addresses Omission in Pre-Sentence Report for Homicide Defendant 

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DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan discussed an omission in a pre-sentence report for a homicide defendant during a July 2 hearing.

Oscar Ramos, 34, was convicted of first-degree murder while armed, and assault with intent to kill while armed for his involvement in the fatal shooting of 50-year-old Pedro Alvarado Melendez. The incident occurred on May 28, 2015, on Interstate 295 North at Exit One, in Southwest DC and left another individual suffering from non-life-threatening injuries. 

Ramos was acquitted on two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. 

The prosecution filed a motion to modify Ramos’ pre-sentence report to represent a previous conviction in Massachusetts, in which he was identified by an alias. According to the prosecutor, Ramos’ criminal history score, which was identified by the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) as one point, should be two points due to the conviction in Massachusetts. 

The score is determined by the severity of the offense and whether or not it is drug-related.

Judge Raffinan agreed with the prosecution that the other conviction under the alias should be attributed to Ramos, and granted that request to change the pre-sentence report. 

Ramos’ criminal score will now be two points and the sentencing is set to proceed as scheduled on July 12.