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D.C. Witness Staff
- August 3, 2020
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On Aug. 3, a DC Superior Court judge sentenced a burglary defendant to more than a year in prison.
Rodney Hart Jr., 21, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree burglary on Feb. 28.
“He’s been given opportunity after opportunity to avoid jail and he’s failed,” said Judge O’Keefe. He sentenced Hart to 28 months of incarceration, 14 of which are suspended, plus three years of probation.
Judge O’Keefe said the defendant needed a harsher sentence, as he has a history of picking up new criminal charges while on probation.
When Hart completes his prison term, he must maintain or seek employment, undergo drug testing and treatment and participate in a mentorship program during his probation. He is also ordered to pay $100 to the Victims of Violent Crime fund.
On Nov. 7, 2019, Hart removed a flat screen television and various packages with an accomplice from the lobby of an apartment building on the 2100 block of L Street, NW, according to court documents.
The prosecution asked that Hart be sentenced to 24 months of incarceration and two years of probation. The prosecutor cited his extensive criminal history, which includes burglaries and forgeries.
“It’s necessary as a wake-up call,” the prosecutor said, noting that Hart has never received a prison sentence for any of his prior convictions.
Defense attorney Todd Baldwin asked Judge O’Keefe to sentence his client to 14 months of incarceration and suspend 12 of them.
Baldwin said his client’s criminal record does not contain any violent incidents. He also said Hart only committed the burglary out of “financial desperation,” and that his behavior was driven by his mental health problems.