Homicide Defendant Violates Recently Modified Pretrial Release Conditions

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On Oct. 28, DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan gave a homicide defendant one more chance to comply with the conditions of his house arrest order before deciding to revoke it.

Dohn Harmon, 23, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the fatal drive-by shooting of 18-year-old Kelvin Goggins on July 1, 2021, on the 1800 block of Q Street, NW.

In the Friday hearing, a report from pretrial services (PSA) revealed two incidents in October in which Harmon violated the strict 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. timeframe granted to him for employment-seeking purposes. PSA said he failed to return to his residence before 5 p.m. on those days. Two notices of noncompliance were filed on Oct. 20 and Oct. 25.

The prosecution requested the exception be removed, especially in light of Harmon’s most recent violation when he was located in a residential neighborhood after the 5 p.m. curfew.

In defense of the exception, defense attorney Steven Kiersh said Harmon exclusively travels by bus, has no cell phone, and is unlikely to violate the conditions going forward.

After affirming the defendant’s understanding that the 3-hour exception to his house arrest order is exclusively a window to seek employment, Judge Raffinan maintained the house arrest exception.

Harmon is currently released under the high intensity supervision program (HISP) and has been under the conditions of house arrest since Nov. 23, 2020. The exception was granted this past July.

According to court documents, Harmon allegedly drove a stolen a Honda Pilot from which shots were fired at Goggins. Goggins was mistaken for the intended target. Harmon said he did not know the murder would take place, nor did he know there was a gun in the vehicle until the first shots were fired.

The case is pending an indictment. The next hearing is set for Dec. 16.