A homicide defendant pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on Feb. 13.
Donald Shields, 47, is charged with second-degree murder while armed and possession of a prohibited weapon for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of 36-year-old Dominique Ratiff at the intersection of Dupont Circle and the 1900 block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW on Dec. 30, 2024.
The court formally arraigned Shields on the indictment charges against him and his attorney, Bernadette Armand, entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. Armand asserted Shields’ right to a jury trial.
Armand also asked to remove Shields from his GPS monitoring, a condition of his release. Judge Kravitz instructed Armand to file a written motion for prosecutors’ response.
Parties are set to reconvene on April 24.
