Judge Pushes Prelim Back for Plea Negotiations

By D.C. Witness Staff - October 15, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Documents | Homicides |

A DC Superior Court judge pushed a preliminary hearing back 15 days to give counsel more time to discuss plea negotiations.

Malik Coles and Duan Garmany are being charged with first-degree murder while armed  for the murder of Christopher Payne on the 1400 block of W Street, NW on June 30.

Defense attorneys Lisabeth Sapierstein and Dominique Winters requested that  Judge Todd Edelman grant more time to negotiate a plea deal instead of proceeding with the scheduled preliminary hearing. The preliminary hearing that was scheduled to take place on Oct. 15 is now scheduled on Nov. 1. 

The prosecution did not object to the extension.

According to court documents, Cole, 22, and Garmany, 21, were seen on surveillance footage fleeing the scene of the crime.