Defendant Pleads Not Guilty to Accessory After the Fact Charges

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A 32-year-old defendant pleaded not guilty to a four-count indictment on April 19 in a hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan.

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers confiscated a handgun associated with a shooting near the 200 block of Bates Street, NW. The shooter allegedly handed the gun to Natalie Stokes after wounding a man on April 12, 2021. The two were said to be involved romantically at the time of the incident.

During Wednesday’s felony arraignment, Stokes pleaded not guilty to one count of accessory after the fact, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, one count of possession of an unregistered firearm, and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition.

In taking Stokes’ plea, Judge Raffinan set a status hearing to allow parties to prepare for trial.

The prosecution requested the court schedule the trial for September. However, Judge Raffinan said she was unable to schedule anything past July and asked attorneys why they were unable to schedule a sooner date.

The prosecutor said two key witnesses plan to spend their summer in Europe and are absent until late August.

A trial date will be discussed during the next status hearing.

Stokes is set to return to court on May 15.