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By
Sophie Griggs [former]
- September 26, 2023
Court
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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On Sept. 25, a homicide defendant rejected a plea offer extended by prosecutors and DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt granted two motions from the government.
Niko Hall, 31, one of three co-defendants is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill while armed, and carrying a pistol without a license for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Anthony Lee. The incident occurred on the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE, on Sept. 26, 2020.
Earlier this year, Hall’s co-defendants, 21-year-old Kyrie Wells and 20-year-old Darquise Montgomery accepted plea offers for second-degree murder while armed.
The prosecution offered Hall the option to plead down to second-degree murder while armed, in exchange for dismissing all other charges. Had he accepted, he would have faced a sentence of 12 to 14 years.
In July, Hall rejected a different plea offer from the prosecution.
Prosecutors argued that, because all three defendants fired during the incident, it was not necessary to prove which defendant was the one that caused the fatality. They argued that any of the thirteen shots could have caused Lee’s death.
Judge Brandt agreed saying, “[The prosecutors] don’t have to prove that someone’s specific bullet killed the victim”.
Prosecutors also filed a motion to exclude evidence that a third party committed the crimes. The motion was granted by Judge Brandt.
The trial will begin on Oct. 2.