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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- June 25, 2020
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On June 25, a DC Superior Court judge released a defendant despite his history of fleeing to avoid court.
Richard Bennett was charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia on Nov. 23, 2016. Bennett has no prior criminal history except for the possession charge.
Bennett had his first jury trial in July of 2019. He was convicted of the charges, and a sentencing was scheduled for Sept. 27, 2019. Before the sentencing date, Bennett fled to the country of Colombia.
Bennett was deported from Colombia in February and charged for his failure to appear for his sentencing. He has been incarcerated since his return to the United States. D.C. Witness could not confirm why Bennett was deported from Columbia.
Bennett was transported to a jail in Virginia before he was brought back to DC Jail. He tested positive for COVID-19 in Virginia and was transferred back to DC jail despite his results.
Judge Michael Ryan decided to release Bennett after hearing about his lack of a criminal history and his recent health issues.
The prosecution asked that Bennett be released to the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP), but Judge Ryan declined the request, citing a shortage of HISP funds due to COVID-19.
Bennett was then released on his personal recognizance. He is scheduled for a hearing on Aug. 6 to review the status of his case.