Defendant in 1996 Homicide Requests New Attorney

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A defendant charged in connection with a homicide that happened over 20 years ago said he wants to hire his own lawyer.

Rasheed Young is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the 1996 shooting of 26-year-old Cedric Rogers. On June 11 of that year, Rogers and others were allegedly playing basketball on the 300 block of Franklin Street, NE when he was shot four times. Witnesses report Rogers was the only one targeted.

The April 21 hearing was originally scheduled to determine if his case has enough evidence to go to trial.

When defense attorney Bernadette Armand said her client would like to hire his own lawyer, Judge Milton Lee asked the defendant if he had specific people in mind and how much time he thought he would need.

Young said he did have a few people in mind and said he did not think it would take very long.

Judge Lee said he wanted to give Young at least a week to get a new lawyer before parties reconvene to reschedule another preliminary hearing. Judge Lee scheduled an ascertainment of council hearing for April 29.

Young, 43, was arrested in December 2020 in connection with both this homicide and the fatal shooting of 39-year-old Ronald William Richardson, Jr. on May 20, 2018, on the 2300 block of 4th Street, NE.

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