Domestic Violence Defendant Enters into Deferred Sentencing Agreement

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A domestic violence defendant accepted a plea deal, allowing him to enter into a Deferred Sentencing Agreement (DSA).

The defendant was initially charged with first-degree cruelty to children, but the charge was later updated to second-degree cruelty to children. During the June 15 hearing, he pleaded down to attempted simple assault. 

According to court documents, the 51-year-old defendant struck a female victim’s face and body, leaving her with bruises.

The agreement will allow the defendant’s guilty plea to be withdrawn and his case dismissed after he completes the requirements imposed on him. 

These requirements include taking parenting and anger management courses, complying with a No Harassment, Assault, Threaten or Stalk (HATS) order and undergoing a mental health screening as well as drug and alcohol testing as deemed necessary by the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA).

DC Superior Court Judge John McCabe gave the defendant until March 15, 2022, to complete these requirements. He is scheduled to return to court for a deferred sentencing review hearing at that time.

Will Lawrence and Mara Osterburg wrote this article.