Judge Denies Severance, Continues to Hold Murder Defendant

By D.C. Witness Staff - August 7, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

During a motions hearing Aug. 7, a judge denied the defendant’s motions for release and separation from his co-defendant.

Charles Young, 26, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for allegedly shooting Kenneth Poindexter on the 4700 block of Benning Road, SE in 2018. Young’s co-defendants Sean McKenzie, Steven Robin and Edward Brown are also charged with first-degree murder while armed.  Robin is also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Defense attorney, Ronald Resetarits, argued that evidence presented by the prosecution showed that Young was not a shooter and at most was only driving the car that the shooters got into after committing the murder.

However, DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman said the difference between Young and two of his co-defendants, who were released to a halfway house, was that there was enough evidence to suggest that Young was culpable for the crime.

On July 9, Judge Edelman said he released McKenzie and Brown because he felt as if the defendants earned the privilege through their behavior in the past 18 months.

During a preliminary hearing on the same day, the prosecution revealed that Mckenzie’s DNA was found in the car that was allegedly involved with the crime. Brown’s DNA was not found in the car.

Judge Edelman also said that in regards to the motion for severance he did not believe that court proceedings infringed on Young’s right to a speedy trial or imposed a cruel or unusual punishment.

Young is scheduled for a status hearing alongside his three other co-defendants on Nov. 15.