Judge denies request to modify protection order

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DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee denied July 1 the defense’s request to modify a protection order related to a detective’s misconduct in a 2021 homicide case. 

Stanley Brown, 29, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the fatal shooting of Jimmy Beynum on the 1600 block of F Street, NE, on Jan. 23, 2020. Beynum, 36, suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body and succumbed to his injuries six days later. His co-defendant Emanuel Taylor, 38, is also charged with first-degree murder.

According to court documents, the court signed a consent protective order on Feb. 11 related to a detective’s misconduct. It was found that a detective in Brown’s case uploaded case materials to Facebook. As a result, the prosecution turned over information related to the detective’s misconduct on Feb. 18, 2021. 

However, defense attorney Mani Golzari opposed the protection order and argued that it should be Brown’s decision as to whether or not the detective’s post should be shared with the public. 

“As a whole, there is an interest in the public to know the information,” Golzari told the court. . “Transparency is the best way to safeguard abuse.”

Judge Lee and the prosecution opposed making any changes to the protection order because of fear that it would create public mistrust. 

“I do not want jurors tainted by this information before witnesses take the stand,” Judge Lee said. 

 The next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 7.