Acquitted: Murder Defendant Arraigned, Scheduled for Trial

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Editor’s note: On May 30, 2024 a jury acquitted Devonte Brothers of all charges connected to the homicide of Deron Leake. Brothers is still being held on homicide charges in another case.

A DC Superior Court judge arraigned a murder defendant on multiple charges and scheduled him for trial.

Deron Leake was 27-years-old when he was shot to death on Oct. 17, 2019. Following a reported altercation between multiple people that evening, 26-year-old Davonte Brothers allegedly received a handgun from another individual before firing multiple shots, killing Leake and injuring his friend. Brothers was arrested nearly a year later.

The prosecution has since returned an indictment and on Feb. 25 the defendant was arraigned on charges of first-degree murder while armed and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.

During that hearing, Judge Milton Lee scheduled a trial to begin in November 2023.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene for a status hearing on May 13.