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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- July 3, 2019
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Suspects
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During a status hearing on July 3, a murder defendent expressed his desire to obtain a passport for travel and inquired about whether he could do so.
Demetrius Brandon is charged with accessory after-the-fact to assault with intent to kill for his alleged involvement in the shooting of Marcus Manor, 38, on the 2900 block of Sherman Avenue, NW on Oct. 20, 2015. Brandon, 31, was found not guilty of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a jury on March 8, 2018, but a unanimous decision on his accessory charge was not reached. Consequently, a mistrial was declared on March 12.
Brandon said he is planning to go on vacation out of the country in late July, but was concerned about whether he would be able to apply for a passport given his charges.
Brandon’s defense attorney, James Williams, was sick and not present at trial. Another attorney stood in for Williams.
The defense said that a pending plea agreement would reduce Brandon’s charges to a misdemeanor.
DC Superior Court Judge Ronna Lee Beck called Williams over the phone to ask about the plea offer. Williams was not able to give specifics about the agreement.
As a result, Judge Beck scheduled another status hearing on July 19 to ensure that Williams could be present to sort out the details of the pending plea offer. She said she wanted to give Brandon a solid answer about his ability to obtain a passport, even though she did not think there would be an issue.
Kevin Chase, 30, was sentenced to a total of six and a half years incarceration and 5 years of supervised release for his charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed, unlawful possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a license.