Defense Attorney Requests to Withdraw from 2018 Homicide Case

By Beatriz Olivares [former] - August 5, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | stabbing | Suspects | Victims |

During an Aug. 5 hearing, a defense attorney filed a motion to withdraw as counsel in a 2018 homicide case. 

Marquette Jordan, 31, is accused of stabbing 40-year-old Ivan Lynch to death on April 18, 2018, in an apartment on the 900 block of 5th Street, SE. Jordan is charged with first-degree murder while armed, robbery while armed, 2 counts of threat to kidnap or injure a person, assault with a dangerous weapon, simple assault, and carrying a dangerous weapon. 

Jordan was first tried in April and the jury found Jordan not guilty of first-degree murder while armed but were still deliberating over the lesser-included charge of second-degree murder while armed. As a result, the prosecution requested to retry the case. 

During the Friday hearing, defense attorney Elliott Queen explained that he has been experiencing extreme difficulty with Jordan. 

“In spite of all my efforts to represent and protect the interest of the defendant, irreconcilable differences have emerged and continue to exist between counsel and defendant, which preclude the maintenance of trust and confidence and require counsel to withdraw,” Queen wrote to the judge. 

Queen is Jordan’s fourth attorney over the last four years and the prosecution expressed concerns about finding a fifth attorney for Jordan. 

DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt said she will reach out to the Public Defender Service but will not be able to find a lawyer until August. Until then, Queen needs to stay on the case. 

“It may take me a moment to find different counsel,” Judge Brandt said. “It is my intent to grant your motion, but I’m not going to grant it until I speak to one or two other attorneys.”

Judge Brandt scheduled the next hearing on Aug. 22. By then, Judge Brandt said she hopes to have found at least two other lawyers who can take over. 

The retrial was initially scheduled for Aug. 16 but had to be rescheduled to give new counsel more time to prepare. 

Jordan expressed frustration with having the trial pushed back further. 

“I don’t see what the hold up is,” Jordan said. “I’m just ready to go to trial please.”