Judge States His Job Is Punishment In Sentencing a Non-Fatal Shooting Defendant

By D.C. Witness Staff - September 25, 2023
Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting |

On Sept. 25, DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan sentenced a non-fatal shooting defendant to 40 months incarceration 

Eric Cisneros, 33, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his involvement in an April 21 shooting that occurred on the 1300 block of 6th Street, NW. During the incident one person was shot in the leg.

On June 8, Cisneros accepted an offer extended by prosecutors to plead guilty to both charges in exchange for dropping the remaining charges.

Before the sentencing, prosecution displayed surveillance video of the incident allegedly depicting Cisneros exiting a gate and shooting the victim in close range. 

No victim impact statement was provided.

Judge Ryan sentenced Cisneros to 40 months for one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, with a concurrent sentence of two years for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. 

Due to these sentences being served concurrently, Cisneros will be incarcerated for a total of 40 months, with credit for time served. 

In addition, Cisneros will be on probation for 18 months and supervised release for three years. 

Cisneros will also have to register as a gun offender and comply with a no contact order for the complaining witness. 

The court recommended Cisneros be sent to a facility that had mental health treatment and evaluation. Additionally, he must maintain or seek employment under his probation, or educational training under the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA). 

Addressing the court, Cisneros said, “I would like to apologize to the person I hurt. I know I need treatment, because I couldn’t do it on my own.” 

While acknowledging the importance of treatment and the difficulty of attaining it in jail, Judge Ryan stated, “My first job has got to be to punish somebody who shoots someone else.”