Judge Wishes Domestic Violence Defendant Luck, Sentences Him to 12 Months

By D.C. Witness Staff - January 5, 2021
Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

On Jan. 5, a DC Superior Court Judge sentenced a domestic violence defendant to 12 months of incarceration after the defendant accepted a plea deal from the prosecution.

The defendant, Jesse Boyd, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a pistol without a license and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction on Feb. 11, 2020, after getting into an argument with his then-girlfriend and pulling a gun on her.

According to the prosecutor, Boyd fled from police after his girlfriend asked for aid in a nearby store in Southeast, DC. During the chase, the defendant dropped a pistol, which was recovered by officers.

The defendant agreed to the facts in court and pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm through a plea agreement, which dropped the other charges.

When discussing the proper sentence for Boyd, the prosecution requested 12 months of incarceration with credit for time already served. She said there was no concern with this becoming a pattern as Boyd does not have a history of violence. 

The victim and defendant have completely reconciled and were married since the incident occurred. According to the prosecutor, the victim has repeatedly stated that she does not fear Boyd. 

Defense attorney Matthew Wilson said Boyd has a job waiting for him upon re-entry, and his employer raved about his performance as an employee, always showing up on time and working extremely hard.

Wilson also mentioned that Boyd has had ample time to think about the incident as he has been on lockdown for 23 hours a day with limited access to recreational and common facilities, given the pandemic. He said, in normal circumstances, Boyd would have only been treated this way in a punitive sense, acknowledging how unprecedented everything has been in recent months.

Judge Julie Becker said she was originally concerned about Boyd given the facts of the case, denying three bond review motions in the past year. But after hearing everyone speak about the defendant she said, “I don’t see any reason why this is not a fair resolution of this case.”

Boyd acknowledged his regret, saying, “this is a terrible mistake I have made…I want to move forward.”

Judge Becker agreed with the proposed sentence and sentenced him to 12 months of incarceration with credit for time served. She is also requiring him to register as a gun offender for 2 years in DC, pay $50 to the Victims of Violent Crime compensation fund and ordered him not to harass, assault, threaten or stalk (HATS) his wife.

Boyd has been incarcerated since Feb. 11, 2020, so he will be released in just over a month.

“It is a bit of a different world out here,” Judge Becker said. “I wish you the best of luck.”