Judge Sentences Defendant to Supervised Probation

By D.C. Witness Staff - July 9, 2020
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Probation | Suspects |

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a defendant to 18 months of supervised probation.

The defendant was sentenced in four cases. He pleaded guilty to simple assault, attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, contempt, obstruction and destruction of property less than $1,000. 

As part of a plea agreement with the prosecution, his other charges of second-degree theft were dropped. 

The defendant’s conditions include taking a domestic violence intervention program, GPS monitoring and paying $300 to the Victims of Violent Crimes Act fund.

Judge Maribeth Raffinan also issued a stay away order from the victim, her residence and the restaurant where one of his crimes occurred. 

The 20-year-old defendant violated a stay away order he received from a simple assault case by going to the woman’s home on the 5000 block of Hunt Street, NE. He pressed a knife against her neck and said, “shut the f*** up or I will cut your a**.” When she attempted to call the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) for help, he took the cell phone from her hands., according to court documents.

The prosecution read her written victim impact statement during the July 9 sentencing.

“Some days I felt suicidal, some days I’ve cried all day and some days I’ve gone without eating,” the victim wrote.

She said the worst feeling is staring at blank walls while under a 48-hour watch to make sure she does not hurt herself. She now goes to therapy twice a week. 

In two of the three times the woman called DC police on the defendant, her child was present when he assaulted her. In one case, she was holding the child. 

The victim suffered multiple injuries as a result of Wallace’s actions. Her lips have split twice and she has experienced swelling in her eyes.

In another incident, the defendant was unhappy with a slushy he ordered at a restaurant on the 4000 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE. He broke the machine by pushing it off the counter when his request for a refund was denied. He also threw a phone at it, which struck an employee.

The owner of the restaurant said he does not want any money to repair the $2,700 machine. He just asks that the defendant “focus on turning around and being good.”

Defense attorney Winston Yallery-Arthur said his client started acting out when his father got sick a year ago and could no longer influence his actions. 

“He understands that he has messed up and that this is the time for him to make a turn in a different direction,” said Yallery-Arthur.

The defendant wishes to move to Maryland where he can get away from negative influences. He is taking classes and is only a few credits away from earning his GED.