Judge Lets Defense Push Hearing Back, Again

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With the COVID-19 pandemic changing the way criminal justice procedures are done, a murder hearing for a defendant was pushed back by a week.

MeQuan Carthens is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Lagioria Brinkley on the 1900 block of 16th Street, SE on March 20. Carthens is believed to be involved in two shootings that occurred that day that were only a few streets apart.

Carthens, 19, defense attorney, Kevann Gardner told Judge Michael O’Keefe, who was standing in for Judge Danya Dayson, that he has not been able to review the case’s evidence with his client due to changes from COVID-19.

Gardner said he will be able to review evidence with Carthens in the near future. He told the judge that the defense could be ready to chose a date for a preliminary hearing during a hearing that has been rescheduled.

This is the second time the hearing has been rescheduled to give Gardner time to review evidence with his client. The hearing was first scheduled to occur on June 11, rescheduled to June 18 and now scheduled for June 25.

Carthens is being held at the DC Jail without bail.

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