Judge Agrees to Grant Defendant New Counsel

By D.C. Witness Staff - April 11, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

During a hearing April 10, a DC Superior Court judge agreed to appoint new counsel for a murder defendant.

Orlando Little, also known as Demetrius Pierce, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the death of 68-year-old Nazir Ahmad on the 900 block of Brentwood Road, NE in November of 2018.

After speaking with Little and his defense attorney, Jeffrey Stein, Judge Todd Edelman said he would grant Stein’s motion to withdraw, which was filed the day prior. Judge Edelman said he would attempt to appoint Little, 33, another lawyer from the Public Defender Service but if that’s not possible he will look outside of the agency.

Judge Edelman is expected to appoint Little new counsel at the next scheduled hearing on April 19.

According to court documents, surveillance footage shows a male suspect enter the Valero Gas Station’s 24-hour Food Mart on Brentwood Road and steal a cash register. Police later found Ahmad locked in the mart’s employee room suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

During the investigation, police also found a trail of coins from the mart to a nearby McDonald’s, where police found a baseball cap with the defendant’s DNA.