DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt revoked release for a jail stabbing defendant on July 28 following his arrest in a new case 48 hours after his release.
Deswon Franklin, 30, pleaded guilty on July 24 to assault with a dangerous weapon for his involvement in a March 25, 2025 stabbing at the DC Jail on the 1900 block of D Street, SE. The victim sustained multiple wounds to the arms, chest, and elbow.
Judge Brandt released Franklin on GPS monitoring when he accepted his plea deal. According to court documents, he was arrested on July 26 for a misdemeanor simple assault charge that stemmed from his alleged involvement in an incident at the Gallery Place Metro Station. As a result, Franklin missed the mandatory orientation and GPS installation required for his release conditions.
“Imagine my surprise,” said Judge Brandt, “He managed to get himself arrested 48 hours after I released him last Friday.”
Franklin addressed Judge Brandt and thanked her for her prior decision to release him, stating that he “had all intentions” to make it to his orientation. Franklin’s defense attorney, Thomas Healy, said that Franklin maintained his innocence in the new misdemeanor case.
Judge Brandt revoked Franklin’s release in his jail stabbing case. The judge added that she would temporarily oversee his new misdemeanor case while Franklin awaits sentencing for the jail stabbing.
Judge Brandt also asked if Healy intended to resolve Franklin’s misdemeanor case before his felony sentencing, advising him that it would likely increase his criminal history score and risk harsher sentencing guidelines. The judge said she could resolve both of Franklin’s cases at his originally scheduled sentencing to mitigate these circumstances.
Parties are slated to reconvene for sentencing on Sept. 25.
