Judge Reschedules 2016 Murder Trial, Again

By D.C. Witness Staff - August 30, 2018
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

During a hearing Aug. 29, a DC Superior Court judge found a murder defendant competent to stand trial and vacated the trial date, pushing it back nearly a year.

Co-defendants Jeremiah Jordan and Jerrell Powell are charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Antoine McCullough on the 3500 block of 18th Street, SE in 2016.

According to court documents, McCullough, 30, told multiple witnesses that people were trying to jump him. Shortly after speaking with McCullough, witnesses say they heard gunshots and found McCullough suffering from a gunshot wound.

Judge Danya Dayson deemed Powell, 23, incompetent on June 27 and ordered him to undergo treatment at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric hospital.

On Aug. 29, Judge Dayson found Powell competent to stand trial based on a report from St. Elizabeth’s.

While Brandi Harden, Powell’s defense attorney, didn’t formally challenge Judge Dayson’s competency finding, Harden argued that the medical report was conducted by a doctor who has biased intentions. Harden said she has additional questions and is unsure whether or not the report is “fair and objective.”

Subsequently, Judge Dayson rescheduled the trial for a second time. The trial date was pushed back to July 15, 2019, due to the prosecutions’ inability to locate witnesses as well as counsel scheduling conflicts.

The trial was originally scheduled for July 31, but was pushed to Aug. 29 because of Powell’s pending competency determination.

Stephany Reaves, Jordan’s defense attorney, argued that the rescheduling was infringing on her client’s right to a speedy trial. Reaves noted that she and Jordan, 28, were ready to proceed to trial and that she was in favor of severing the co-defendants.

Judge Dayson previously refused to grant severance in July. She denied the motion again on Aug. 29, saying that scheduling conflicts and witness complications aren’t grounds to grant severance.

Powell and Jordan are scheduled for a status hearing on Sept. 25. Harden is expected to decide if she will challenge Powell’s competency finding at that time.