Judge Denies Juvenile Murder Defendant’s Request for Release

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DC Superior Court Judge Kendra Briggs denied a juvenile’s request to be transferred to a shelter from the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) in a June 18 hearing for the defendant.

The juvenile, a 13-year-old girl, is one of three children, aged 12 and 13, charged with second-degree murder, assault, and conspiracy for their alleged involvement in the fatal beating of 64-year-old Reggie Brown on Oct. 17, 2023, on the 6200 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.

According to testimony by a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective, Brown was physically handicapped and had no connection to the juveniles.

Howard Margulies, the juvenile’s defense attorney, requested Judge Briggs reduce the juvenile’s detention status from detainment at DYRS to a shelter house, arguing she could thrive there.

However, prosecutors opposed the request, stating the juvenile has a “long history of running away from home,” skipping school, and not telling her parents her whereabouts, adding she “made decisions to not be where she needs to be.” According to the prosecution, the girl’s parents have had to file multiple missing person reports with MPD in the last year.

The prosecution insisted the facts of the case prove the juvenile was not actively supervised by her parents. During the incident, the juvenile was out with her co-defendants at odd hours of the night on a school night.

“There is a different story to be told,” said Margulies, stating that her disappearances stemmed from a lack of communication between her parents.

“[She] needs the structure of a shelter house,” he said, emphasizing that it would help her prove she can do well in the community.

The prosecution reminded the judge that, at the time of her arrest, the girl was unsupervised at home with two other juveniles, one of them a co-defendant, when someone broke in and shot her friend.

Despite Margulies’ arguments, Judge Briggs denied the motion, stating that “detention is required” to guarantee the community’s safety and her return to court.

Parties are slated to reconvene July 12 with all three co-defendants.