DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz requested that a defendant have a criminal responsibility exam performed by the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) before concluding a plea deal on July 11.
Kelly Williams, 52, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for her alleged involvement in a stabbing that occurred at the intersection of Independence Avenue and L’Enfant Plaza, SW on Jan. 12. One victim was harmed during the incident. At issue is whether Williams could be held legally responsible for her actions and understands the plea agreement given her state of mind.
Williams agreed to plead guilty to aggravated assault while armed in exchange for the prosecution not seeking an indictment. Defense attorney Darryl Daniels and the prosecution agreed that a sentence of six years with five years of supervised release is appropriate.
If Williams were to plead not guilty she would be facing a maximum sentence of 30 years with years of supervised release.
Before accepting the plea deal, Judge Kravitz asked the defendant if she fully understood the terms of the agreement. Williams said she wrote a letter a week earlier from the DC Jail to Judge Kravitz, requesting more time to speak with her lawyer.
Judge Kravitz said he had not yet received the letter but confirmed that Williams was adequately informed to move forward with the plea. On the record, Daniels asked Williams whether he had recently visited her at the jail to discuss any questions she had. Williams responded, “yes.”
According to the prosecution, if Williams pleads not guilty, they will prove at trial that Williams punched, kicked and stabbed a tourist in the face outside the Smithsonian’s African American History Museum. Williams stated that she felt like she was “hearing things” and thought she was being attacked the day of the incident.
An independent psychiatrist hired by the defense stated that Williams showed clear signs of being in psychosis but never gave an official diagnosis. With this in mind, Judge Kravitz ordered the court to do an evaluation of Williams’ criminal responsibility before accepting a plea deal.
Parties are expected to reconvene Aug. 15.
