Judge Releases Assault Defendant

Thank you for reading D.C. Witness.
Help us continue our mission into 2025 by donating to our end of year campaign.

Donate Now

A defendant was released from pretrial detention and put on GPS monitoring on June 25. 

The defendant was charged in a domestic violence case for simple assault on June 8.

District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan granted the defendant’s release, saying he was not a threat to the public or his spouse. 

The prosecution argued that the defendant’s criminal history was grounds for pretrial detention. However, Judge Raffinan said the defendant’s criminal history is dated, so it should not be that large of a factor.

The prosecution also cited the defendant’s violent history with his spouse.

Judge Raffinan granted a stay away order to address possible problems.

The defendant’s next hearing slated to occur on Sept. 8.