Judge Orders Prosecution to Turn Over Audio Recording

By D.C. Witness Staff - October 18, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

A DC Superior Court judge ruled that the prosecution must allow a 17-year-old murder defendant to access an audio recording of an interview between Metropolitan Police Department detectives and a key witness.

Dazmine Anderson is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 30-year-old Jean-Claude Jackson on the 1300 block of Good Hope Road, SE on Oct. 7. Anderson, who was 16 at the time of the crime, is being charged as an adult.

The prosecutor said a transcript of the interview was already provided to the defense.

However, Anderson’s defense attorney, Madalyn Harvey, said the transcript was heavily redacted and the prosecution could not transcribe parts of the conversation because they were unintelligible.

She said that without access to the full conversation she can’t determine just how weak the prosecution’s case is. 

Harvey also requested a video of the interview and the witness’s identity. 

She said the prosecution’s case against Anderson is built entirely on the testimony of this witness, who Harvey said she believes could be an alternate suspect.

“We need to investigate this person,” said Harvey. “We need to understand his motivation to lie and how violent he is.”

DC Superior Court Judge Milton C. Lee denied Harvey’s request for the video and the witness’s identity but said the issue would be discussed at Anderson’s next hearing. 

Anderson is scheduled for a status hearing on Nov. 7.