Judge Holds One Domestic Abuse Defendant During Initial Hearings

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During initial hearings on June 3, DC Superior Court Judge Sean Staples held one of five domestic violence defendants.

In total, there were 24 defendants presented for arraignments.

One of the domestic violence defendants is charged with violation of a Civil Protection Order (CPO) and unlawful entry onto private property.

The defendant is on probation in two domestic violence cases, one of them involving the same complaining witness in his new case.

Judge Staples said he finds the defendant to be a danger to the community because he has had his probation revoked in past domestic violence cases.

He will be held until his next hearing, which is scheduled for June 22.

The four remaining domestic violence defendants were all released with orders to report to the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) once a week by phone and to come back to court on Dec. 9.

The charges for these cases include CPO violation, second-degree theft, attempted threats to do bodily harm, simple assault, attempted possession of a prohibited weapon and contempt. 

Three of the defendants were given stay-away orders while the last one was not because Judge Staples did not find probable cause in his case.