DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan denied a homicide defendant’s motion to dismiss an indictment on Nov. 19.
Michael Sanders, 30, and Darnell Resper, 31, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, attempt to commit robbery while armed, conspiracy, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict. Additionally, Resper is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.
The counts stem from their alleged involvement in a shooting that resulted in the death of 30-year-old Youness Zarouaki and the injury of another individual at a row home on the 1000 block of Thomas Jefferson Street, NW on Feb. 18, 2022.
According to court documents, Sanders and Resper allegedly entered the home while Zarouaki was hosting a “marijuana party” and demanded drugs and personal property from the individuals present while pointing guns at them. Sanders allegedly fired, fatally shooting Zarouaki in the neck and wounding another victim.
The motion, filed on Oct. 1, was based on an alleged violation of Sanders’ rights under the Interstate Agreement of Detainers, which protects prisoners from being shuttled from state to federal authorities. Sanders was in another jurisdiction when he was transferred to the DC Jail for this case. Jude Raffinan ruled that his rights had not been violated because when a detainer was issued for him, it was not a continuation of a sentence he was already serving.
Judge Raffinan also granted Sanders’ request for a new attorney, which would be his third change in counsel in this case.
Parties are set to reconvent on Dec. 2.
