Murder Defendant’s Trial Pushed Back Further, Possibly

By D.C. Witness Staff - September 10, 2018
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

More than two years after a fatal shooting, a 20-year-old’s trial date could be delayed even longer. 

Kenneth Adams is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Dante Kinard, 21, on the 1800 block of Benning Road, NE in 2016. 

A trial readiness hearing was continued Sept. 7 because the prosecution did not share information it planned to use as evidence to the defense in a timely manner. 

According to the prosecution, expert testimony is needed to analyze ballistics from the murder scene with ballistics from an unrelated robbery Adams allegedly committed weeks before the murder. However, defense attorney Nikki Lotze said she didn’t receive notice for expert analysis until Sept. 6, the day before the hearing.

“We’ve been meeting for a long time,” DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff said. “If the government provides an expert notice this close to the trial, the defense would normally have the opportunity to review the expert notice. I suspect the government knew about this a while before yesterday.”

Lotze is scheduled to receive the prosecution’s notice by Sept. 10. 

The hearing is scheduled to resume on Sept. 12. Adams is scheduled for an Oct. 1 trial date.