Judge Reschedules Homicide Hearing with Teenage Co-Defendants

By D.C. Witness Staff - August 21, 2020
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Juveniles | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

During a status hearing, a DC Superior Court judge rescheduled a hearing for the beginning of October to determine if a homicide case with teenage co-defendants has enough evidence to go to trial.

Michael Mason, 16, and Dajuan Jones, 19, are co-defendants charged with first-degree murder while armed for the death of Brea Moon, 21. Moon was shot and killed on April 7 on the 3900 block of Alabama Avenue SE. Mason is being charged as an adult.

The co-defendants’ attorneys worked with Judge Robert Okun on Aug. 21 to reschedule a preliminary hearing. The hearing was initially set for Sept. 1, but the court had a conflict on that day. 

The prosecution pushed for the days to be consecutive. If the days of the hearing were far apart, the prosecution would be unable to communicate with the lead detectives on the case, one of the prosecuting attorneys said.

After some back and forth about scheduling conflicts between the court, the detectives on the case, the prosecution and the defense, the hearing was set for a Friday and Monday in October, Oct. 2 and 5.

Mason is also charged with first-degree murder while armed for the murder of Antwuan Roach, an 18-year-old resident of Southeast, D.C. who was killed on May 22 on Anacostia Road SE. 

Jones has two other open cases for assault with intent to kill and fugitive from justice. He was also the defendant in a homicide trial from earlier this year in which he was found not guilty.