Judge Issues Bench Warrant After Defendant Fails to Appear Again

By D.C. Witness Staff - June 20, 2020
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

A DC Superior Court judge issued a bench warrant for a defendant who he failed to appear to court again.

Kenneth Greene was charged with simple assault on Feb. 1, 2019. Greene was also charged with a misdemeanor bail reform act violation on April 8, 2019. 

Greene has a history of failing to appear when summoned. He was released pending his next court date after his simple assault charge was filed.

A notice on non-compliance on Feb. 21, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on Feb. 26. Additional bench warrants were issued in both June and July of 2019. 

Because of Greene’s failures to appear, he was released under the high intensity supervision program (HISP) in July of 2019. Another notice of non-compliance was filed on July 30, two weeks later.

“Essentially, the defendant is a loss of contact,” Judge Sean Staples said. “He has been a loss of contact since July of 2019.”

Greene’s attorney, Michelle Lockard, noted that Greene is homeless and that she has not been able to contact him. Lockard says she is unsure if he knows that he has been summoned to court.

She also said that, even if he was in possession of a GPS monitoring device, which was ordered by the court, he would be unable to charge it since the public library is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Judge Staples dismissed this point, saying that Greene has been out of contact long before the COVID-19 reached the United States. The bench warrant does not have bail.