‘Her Life Mattered,’ Murder Victim’s Aunt Says at Sentencing

DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced a homicide defendant who fatally shot his romantic partner to 17 years in prison on March 20.

Pernell Sims, 35, pleaded guilty on Jan. 9 to second-degree murder while armed for his involvement in the fatal shooting of Tyshida Williams, 31, on July 30, 2023 on the 4000 block of South Capitol Street, SW. Williams sustained one gunshot wound to her head. Sims and Williams were in a romantic relationship when the offense occurred.

As part of the plea agreement, parties agreed to a sentence range of 15-to-18 years, approved by Judge Edelman.

At the proceeding, the court heard victim impact statements from several of Williams’ family members.

“You killed the person who meant the most to me,” Williams’ daughter said in a letter to the court. She said her mother genuinely cared about Sims and he betrayed her by taking her life. She asked for Sims to receive the maximum sentence.

“I never liked you,” Williams’ brother said toward Sims during his statement. He went on to say Williams was a loving woman and loved Sims’ son like her own.

“My granddaughter was my heart,” said Williams’ grandmother who raised her. She recalled another incident when the police came to her door looking for Sims because he allegedly beat his son’s mother and took his son. “I’m sick and tired of what he’s done to this community and this family.”

Williams’ best friend highlighted her roles as a mother, daughter, and friend. She said that Williams gave her all to every person she came in contact with, including the person that took her life. She asked Judge Edelman to give Sims the justice he deserved with a maximum sentence.

“He’s a manipulator, a coward, and I want him to get the most time ever,” as punishment for taking the life of a loved one, said Williams’ aunt.

She highlighted the effect of Williams’ loss on their family, as they now have to raise her daughter. Williams’ aunt said she previously told Williams not to go back to Sims, due to his history of domestic violence.

“Justice can affirm that her life mattered,” another one of Williams’ aunts said in her plea for the maximum sentence.

The prosecution argued for an 18 year sentence, citing Sims’ significant history of domestic violence with multiple arrests and convictions.

The prosecution told the court that Sims “terrorized” Williams for over an hour before he shot her. According to prosecutors, Sims took Williams phone and keys so she couldn’t get away and, at one point, she ran into the hallway and he dragged her back into the apartment.

The prosecution showed security footage to the court, in which Sims chased Williams and kicked her on the ground. Prosecutors said Williams had a massive contusion on her chest from the injury.

They told Judge Edelman that Sims committed the murder while his son was in the apartment, traumatizing him. Sims told investigators his son lied about hearing his father shoot Williams.

Prosecutors also mentioned that Sims FaceTimed Williams’ daughter from the scene and falsely told her that her mother committed suicide.

Sims’ attorney, Quo Judkins, read a statement from her client in which he said he took accountability for his actions and expressed sincere remorse. Additionally, Sims said he understood the impact Williams’ murder had on the family.

Judkins argued that Sims has the ability to be a productive member of society. Sims earned his GED and HVAC certification, making him employable, noted Judkins, and he continued to work while incarcerated at the DC Jail.

Additionally, Judkins told the court that Sims was shot in the head in 2018, and continues to suffer from the effects.

Sims gave a statement in which he apologized for his actions.

“This was an inexcusable and brutal act of domestic violence,” Judge Edelman said. He acknowledged that Sims looked like a contributing member of society notwithstanding his behavior in intimate relationships.

Judge Edelman accepted the plea deal and sentenced Sims to 17 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Sims will also be required to register as a firearm offender upon his release.

No further dates were set.

Judge Issues Warrant After Shooting Defendant Fails to Appear

DC Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld issued a bench warrant for a defendant in a shooting case who failed to appear in court on March 18.

Adrian Williams, 26, was sentenced on June 12 to a one year prison sentence, all suspended with one year of supervised probation, for carrying a pistol without a license due to his involvement in an incident on April 17, 2023 on the 4000 block of South Capitol Street, SE. Nine gunshots were detected, but no injuries were reported.

According to court documents, a witness captured Williams on video with a firearm.

After Williams failed to appear in court for his probation show cause hearing, Judge Hertzfeld issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

Men’s Shelter Stabbing Suspect Waives Prelim, Released on GPS Monitoring

A stabbing defendant waived his preliminary hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Charmetra Jackson Parker on March 23.

Andre Towsend, 48, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with significant bodily injury for his alleged involvement in a stabbing that took place at 801 East Men’s Shelter, located at the 2700 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE on March 19. The victim sustained a stab wound to the right side of his neck.

At the hearing, Towsend’s attorney, Edward Joseph, alerted parties that his client intended to give up his right to a preliminary hearing of the evidence against him.

Judge Parker made sure that Towsend’s waiver was knowing, voluntary, and intelligent.

Joseph said he wanted to argue against probable cause in the case, based on the arrest warrant.

Judge Parker explained that because Towsend chose to waive his preliminary hearing, parties could not make arguments on probable cause. After consideration, Joseph decided to keep the waiver in place.

Joseph then argued for his client’s release, explaining Towsend is employed and has his own apartment. In addition, Joseph stated that the incident was not an “out of the blue attack,” and explained the victim stole Towsend’s phone and he was trying to retrieve it.

The prosecution argued against Towsend’s release, noting that Towsend was at a shelter at the time of the offense and they are unsure about his housing status. The prosecution also added that a detective in this case described the victim as “a centimeter from death.”

Judge Parker released Towsend because Joseph said he could provide proof that Towsend has stable housing. Towsend will be released with GPS monitoring, a curfew from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m., and a stay-away order from the victim and the shelter. Judge Parker also ordered Towsend to drug test weekly with the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) and receive a mental health screening.

Parties are slated to reconvene on April 27.

Defense Says Fatal Shooting Was a ‘Tragic Accident’ in Opening Statements

A defense attorney argued a fatal shooting was an accident, not a murder, during a homicide trial before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on March 24.

Jaime Macedo, 24, is charged with first-degree felony murder while armed, attempted robbery while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction less than a year, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Maxwell Emerson. The incident occurred on July 5, 2023 at The Catholic University of America on the 600 block of Alumni Lane, NE. Emerson sustained one gunshot wound to the abdomen.

In the prosecution’s opening statement, they asked jurors to “use common sense” and “believe their eyes.” They said Macedo murdered Emerson when he “pulled out a gun and shot him.”

Prosecutors showed surveillance footage from the Brookland Metro Station, at the 800 block of Michigan Avenue, NE, where Emerson and Macedo allegedly met. They said Macedo flashed the gun he had in his waist band and attempted to rob Emerson. While the gun is not visible, prosecutors claim Macedo lifted his shirt to show Emerson that he was “not in control” of the situation.

In a separate surveillance footage clip, prosecutors showed Emerson walking with his hands up. This is the “universal sign for don’t shoot, I am unarmed,” according to prosecutors.

Emerson sent 300 dollars to Macedo on Cash App, prosecutors said, but sending the money was “not enough” for Macedo. They said Macedo reached for Emerson’s backpack when Emerson took a “last desperate chance” in an attempt to fight off Macedo. The prosecution said Emerson fell and “crumpled” to the ground, because Macedo shot him.

Rachel Cicurel, Macedo’s attorney, said the prosecution’s version of events is false. She said this was not a robbery and was “certainly” not a murder. Emerson caught Macedo by surprise when he was willing to help him, said Cicurel. Macedo did not threaten or attempt to rob Emerson at any point, Cicurel claimed.

The prosecution’s story “defies logic,” according to Cicurel. Cicurel said Macedo was walking with Emerson for 30 minutes. During this time, “not a single person” saw something out of the ordinary. “This is because nothing was out of the ordinary,” said Cicurel. Even with “scores of commuters and cars” passing by, no one stopped to call the police.

“Something changed” for Emerson when he noticed Macedo had a gun, claimed Cicurel. Macedo did not flash his gun when he first met Emerson outside of the train station, Instead, Circurel claimed, Emerson saw the gun immediately before sending a Snapchat message to his mother.

That’s when Cicurel said Emerson “attacks” Macedo out of “nowhere.” Emerson “absolutely panicked” and could not have known that Macedo is known to carry a gun for protection.

Emerson tackled Macedo down to the ground, according to Cicurel. The high school wrestling coach “attacked” Macedo and rendered him “unable to get up.” In the chaos, Cicurel claims that the gun went off.

This was a “tragic, tragic, accident,” said Cicurel. What happened was “awful,” but this was not a robbery or a murder.

The prosecution called Emerson’s mother to testify who said that her, Emerson, and Emerson’s twin brother traveled to DC from Kentucky. Emerson planned to attend the Summer Teacher Institute conference at the Library of Congress.

The day of the incident, which was the first day of the conference, Emerson sent his mother a Snapchat photo of him waking up in his bed at Trinity Washington University, where they stayed whenever they came down to DC.

She responded back with a Snapchat that said “I didn’t hear you leave. Have a good day and send pictures.”

A few minutes later, Emerson sent his mother a message saying, “Help. Being ribbed. At ‘cub’ point.” These were “typos born of desperation,” according to prosecutors in their opening statements.

Emerson’s mother said she was unsure of what her son was trying to tell her and went back to sleep. Later she realized her son was telling her that he was being robbed at gunpoint. This was when she and Emerson’s twin brother went to an officer and asked for help. A few hours later, they found out about what happened to Emerson at a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) station.

During cross-examination, Cicurel asked Emerson’s mother about the day prior to his death when Emerson, his mother, and his brother, explored DC. Circurel asked Emerson’s mother whether Emerson left the group to get a Starbucks order that day. Emerson’s mother said she was not aware, but also stated that Emerson never went alone anywhere during their trip before the day of the incident.

The prosecution called a lieutenant from the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services (DC FEMS) on the Battalion Medical Team to testify. The lieutenant responded to a dispatch of a cardiac arrest and when he arrived witnessed someone performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on Emerson.

The lieutenant noticed that Emerson was not breathing, did not have a heart beat, and was facing face up on the ground unconscious. According to the lieutenant, he questioned why Emerson was having a heart attack because he seemed young.

Then, the lieutenant noticed the penetrating injury in Emerson’s abdomen, with a pattern around the wound, which told him it was a close contact gunshot wound. He stated that there was no visible blood because Emerson bled internally.

The lieutenant said he noticed Emerson’s wallet on the ground, found his driver’s license and took a photo. Afterward, the lieutenant left the wallet on the ground for MPD and his team, transferred Emerson to a trauma center down the road because he was in critical critical condition.

Circurel asked if anyone else, who wasn’t MPD, touched the wallet. The lieutenant stated that there was a campus police who picked up the wallet and ignored the lieutenant’s request to leave it so MPD could handle it.

Parties are slated to reconvene on March 25.

Insanity Defense Pending in Homicide Case

The defense in a homicide case said they’re working on gathering records to file an insanity argument before DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman on March 20.

Lamont Stephenson, 51, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and cruelty to animals for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of 40-year-old Natina Kiah, and the killing of her cat on March 6, 2019 at the 5000 block of D Street, SE.

Stephenson’s attorneys, Sara Kopecki and Jonathan Lanyi, initially indicated their intention to file insanity defense in September 2025 before Judge Edelman. However, Kopecki stated they are still gathering documents to support their argument before filing a motion. To be ruled insane, or not criminally responsible, a defendant must be unable to distinguish right from wrong or behave according to the law.

Kopecki stated they have sent in medical records and psychologists’ reports so far, which Judge Edelman received.

Kopecki asked for the trial date in September to be vacated, due to the time required to find Stephenson’s medical records from different jurisdictions and organizations.

Prosecutors argued against the change in trial date, which has already been delayed once. The prosecution also noted while they do not want to push Kopecki and Lanyi to trial in September, they see no reason to delay it.

As a result, Judge Edelman ruled in favor of the prosecution and kept the trial date for Sept. 28. However, he set a deadline for Kopecki and Lanyi to file an insanity motion on May 13. Judge Edelman stated that he would change the trial date if the defense goes through with the insanity defense.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene on April 10.

Robbery, Jail Stabbing Defendant Accepts Plea Deal, Dropping 55 Charges

A defendant who initially faced 58 charges pleaded guilty to two robberies and a stabbing before DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan on March 23.

Rodney Bennett, 20, was initially charged with five counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, eight counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, 21 counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, three counts of carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, three counts of possession of an unregistered firearm, two counts of endangerment with a firearm, three counts of unlawful possession of ammunition, two counts of robbery while armed, three counts of assault with intent to commit robbery while armed, first-degree theft, robbery, and five counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle. All charges faced an aggravating factor of being committed while Bennett was on release for another matter.

The charges stemmed from Bennett’s alleged involvement in the following incidents:

A shooting on the 600 block of Edgewood Street, NE, on Aug. 28, 2024,
An armed robbery on the 1300 block of Neal Place, NE, on Aug. 28, 2024,
An armed robbery on the 1900 block of 8th Street, NW, on Aug. 29, 2024,
An incident on Aug. 26, 2024, at an unknown location.

Bennett was also charged in a separate case with assault with a dangerous weapon for his involvement in a stabbing inside the DC Jail on the 1900 block of D Street, SE, on Nov. 11, 2025.

In court, Bennett accepted an agreement requiring him to plead guilty to armed robbery and robbery in his 2024 case and assault with a dangerous weapon in his 2025 case. In exchange, the prosecutors will dismiss all remaining charges.

Parties agreed on a total sentence from seven-to-10 years in prison for both cases as part of the plea deal. If Judge Ryan rejects the deal’s recommendation, Bennett may rescind his guilty plea.

The prosecutor said if the cases had gone to trial, they would have proven beyond reasonable doubt that on Aug. 28, 2024, Bennett pointed a gun at the victim and demanded his phone and wallet. They said the victim then grabbed his phone back and called the police.

The prosecutor also said they would have proven that on Aug. 29, 2024, Bennett chased two victims and demanded one of the individual’s watch and cash.

Bennett was wearing a GPS monitor at the times of both incidents, with electronic coordinates placing him where the crimes occurred, according to the prosecutor.

The prosecutor said they would have proven that on Nov. 10, 2025, Bennett got in a verbal argument with a victim in the DC Jail, then began to stab him.

When prompted by Judge Ryan, Bennett confirmed he stole another person’s belongings, he was not acting in self-defense, and he understood the rights he was giving up by pleading guilty. Judge Ryan conditionally accepted the plea, pending the sentencing recommendation.

Parties are slated to reconvene on May 22 for sentencing in both cases.

Defense Presents Eyewitnesses Testimony from Grand Jury Transcripts

Two eyewitnesses to a 1997 homicide testified through their Grand Jury transcripts in a trial before DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman on March 23.

Oscar Diaz-Romero, 47, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Jose Noel Coreas-Carcaro, 22, and Jose Molina, 27, in a restaurant on the 2400 block of 18th Street, NW, on Aug. 9, 1997. After the shooting, Diaz-Romero left the United States and traveled to El Salvador, where he was extradited from in January 2025.

The defense called two witnesses, who could not be present, but jurors heard their testimony from a Grand Jury transcript from Sept. 8, 1997. Diaz-Romero’s attorney Julie Swaney, read the prosecutor’s questions from the Grand Jury while her colleague read the witnesses’ answers.

Both were eyewitness testimonies from friends of the Coreas-Carcaro and Molina.

The first eyewitness revealed that he was with Coreas-Carcaro and Molina on the night of the incident. At that time, members of another group were, “looking at us with unfriendly eyes,” said the witness. According to the eyewitness, there was substantial fighting among the groups, and he said the other group “surrounded us.”

The second eyewitness described the shooter as a short, heavyset man with a “little beard.”

The prosecution called a detective from the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who helped obtain a handwriting sample from Diaz-Romero. The detective told the court that they are fluent in Spanish.

The prosecutors showed letters from 1997 and the detective compared them to Diaz-Romero’s handwriting samples from 2025. According to the detective, the letters had similar misspellings to the sample from the defendant.

According to Diaz-Romero’s arrest warrant, MPD found the letters at the defendant’s residence in 1997. In the letters, an inmate at a Virginia correctional institution allegedly told Diaz-Romero to “get rid of the gun” and stated “killing someone is crazy.”

On the cross-examination, Swaney asked the detective if he was a handwriting expert, in which he said no. She also asked him if it is common for words to be misspelled in Spanish, in which he said “ [he] has seen that before.”

The prosecution also called a retired medical examiner to the stand who has performed over 20,000 autopsies and has been an expert witness in court over 700 times.

The medical examiner demonstrated to the jury how Molina’s wounds reflected that he was turning away from the shooter, as indicated by the “wedge shaped injury pointing towards the body.” They also confirmed that the cause of death for both victims was excessive blood loss, due to gunshot, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.

On cross-examination, Diaz-Romero’s other attorney, Destiny Fullwood-Singh confirmed that the medical examiner’s demonstration did not account for the distance between the victim and the shooter.

Parties are set to reconvene on March 24.

‘My Son Was Raised Right, Some Can’t Say the Same,’ Shooting Victim’s Mother Says at Sentencing

DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz sentenced a shooting and carjacking defendant to 14 years of imprisonment in a hearing on March 20.

Travis Thomas, 18, pleaded guilty on Aug. 29, 2025 for his involvement in three incidents. Thomas pleaded to assault with intent to kill while armed for his involvement in a playground shooting at C.W. Harris Elementary School on the 5400 block of C Street, SE on April 20, 2025. The victim sustained one gunshot wound to his head.

Thomas also pleaded guilty to two counts of unarmed carjacking for his involvement in carjackings on Oct. 30, 2024 at the 400 block of 14th Street, SE and on Nov. 17, 2024 at the 1300 block of Massachusetts Avenue, SE.

Thomas was 17 at the time of the offenses and charged under Title 16, which allows juveniles to be tried as adults for certain serious offenses.

The prosecutors requested a 24 year sentence, 10 years for assault with intent to kill, and seven years for each carjacking charge. They expressed the seriousness of these charges, furthering their point that Thomas fired a weapon into an elementary school playground.

Prosecutors received two victim impact statements, one from the mother of the shooting victim, and one carjacking victim.

The shooting victim’s mother read a letter written by her son that said he had dreams of being in the military, but those dreams are crushed now because he has titanium plates from the shooting. She told Judge Kravitz that her son has anxiety every time he goes outside, and that he is still recovering emotionally and physically from the shooting.

“I lived every mom’s nightmare,” stated the mother as she read about that horrible Easter Sunday last year. Her body went numb when she got the call that her son had been shot, but it became much worse when she arrived at the hospital and saw that her son had to undergo brain surgery, said the mother.

“My son was raised right, some can’t say the same,” the mother continued. Her family has gone through so much physically and emotionally, but she forgave Thomas because, “God gave me my baby back, which is my greatest blessing, and for that I thank you.”

The next victim impact statement was read by the victim of a carjacking on Nov. 18, 2024 at an unknown location that prosecutors agreed to not charge Thomas with as part of the plea agreement.

“I let the prosecutors drop my charge in the plea agreement just so he could be found guilty,” stated the victim before she talked about the terrible night that “haunts” her. “ I was attacked by a group of boys who were hiding in the dark waiting for me to arrive. I was pulling into my own driveway when these boys put their hands on me and stole my car,” the victim said.

“But taking my car was the smallest thing you took from me, what you gave me was greater, fear,” said the victim. She added that her distrust in society has grown since the incident.

“You’re accountable to your God if you have one,” the victim finished.

Megan Allburn, Thomas’ attorney, said that Thomas is still a child who has experienced trauma himself. He is incredibly remorseful for what he has done, but he is also an insightful and thoughtful kid, said Allburn.

Allburn argued that the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) should be considered, which allows people under 25 who are convicted of certain crimes to have their convictions sealed after they successfully complete their sentence and potentially offers sentencing flexibility.

Allburn noted Thomas’ age at the time of the offenses and his “bright future.” Thomas obtained his high school diploma while he was incarcerated, and he has recently been accepted into six colleges.

Prosecutors strongly opposed the YRA sentence because of concerns it would not protect the community, nor deter Thomas from future crimes.

Thomas addressed Judge Kravitz and indicated he’s reformed since his arrest saying, “the 11 months I served was not my punishment, but my savior, and I hope you all can forgive me.”

Judge Kravitz said he favored the YRA sentence, but he also wanted to focus on protection for the community and punishment for Thomas’ crimes.

Judge Kravitz settled on a term at the bottom of the guidelines, sentencing Thomas to eight years for assault with intent to kill, three years for each carjacking charge, and five years of supervised release. These sentences will run consecutively to each other.

No further dates were set.

Judge Delays Sentencing in Fratricide Case

DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman delayed sentencing for a defendant who killed his brother on March 20, after parties submitted late filings.

Lamar Odoms, 25, accepted a plea deal on Nov. 21, 2025 for voluntary manslaughter while armed for the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Mark Odoms on Dec. 5, 2024 on the 2700 block of Wade Road, SE. Mark sustained one gunshot wound to his abdomen, leading to his death.

As part of the plea deal, the prosecution agreed to limit their sentencing request at the midpoint of the sentencing guidelines.

At the hearing, Judge Edelman noted that the prosecution sent in a seven-to-eight page letter in support of sentencing, and Lamar’s attorney, Gemma Stevens, sent in a 15-minute video earlier that morning. Judge Edelman stated he was unable to read or watch their materials, and would like to do so before sentencing Lamar.

Both parties agreed to delay sentencing in order for Judge Edelman to review their materials.

Parties set a new sentencing date for March 27.

Prosecutors Offer Plea to Defendant Accused of Fatal Beating

The prosecution offered a defendant who faces charges for the alleged fatal beating of a victim a plea offer on March 20 before DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman.

Charles Lewis, 35, is charged with first-degree muder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal beating of 55-year-old Mark Carter on Oct. 10, 2022 on the 600 block of Southern Avenue, SE. Carter succumbed to his injuries five days later on Oct. 15, 2022..

At the hearing, prosecutors extended a final plea deal to Lewis to which he would have to plead guilty to second-degree murderer while armed and prosecutors would dismiss all remaining charges. As part of the plea, parties would agree on a sentencing range of 12-to-15 years of imprisonment, subject to Judge Edelman’s approval at sentencing.

This plea deal will expire at the next status hearing, prosecutors warned.

The next hearing date is set for April 24.

Judge Allows Triple-Homicide Defendant’s Redacted Medical Records as Evidence in Trial

DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt granted prosecutors’ motion to introduce a triple-homicide defendant’s medical records as evidence in her trial on March 19.

Nakita Walker, 46, is charged with three counts of second-degree murder, fleeing a law enforcement officer, and assault with a dangerous weapon for her alleged involvement in a March 15, 2023 car crash resulting in the deaths of Mohamed Kamara, 43, Jonathan Alberto Cabrera Mendez, 23, and Olvin Josue Torres Velasquez, 22, on Rock Creek Parkway.

Prosecutors filed a motion on Feb. 18 to introduce Walker’s medical records considered a business record during her trial.

When Walker was initially brought to the hospital, nurses diagnosed her with alcohol intoxication according to Albert Amissah, Walker’s attorney, in reference to medical records.

Amissah objected to the motion and asserted the nurse’s initial observations of Walker were influenced by police officers who notified them it was a “DUI Investigation.”

Prosecutors stated that after the nurses diagnosed Walker and the toxicology report was made, a doctor diagnosed her alcohol intoxication. Judge Brandt agreed with the prosecutors saying that, “this is clinical diagnosis 101.”

Judge Brandt partially granted the motion and will allow the prosecutors to present Walker’s medical records, but they will need to be redacted of her personal information, and only certain portions can be shown to the jury.

Judge Brandt also addressed the prosecutors’ motion to introduce out of court statements on video, that was filed on Aug. 5, 2024.

The videos are from a witness’ phone and police body-worn camera footage of the crash, both at different angles of the scene.

Amissah initially objected because he thought that the videos would be shown without the witnesses being there, but prosecutors cleared the confusion that the witnesses are expected to be present in court.

Parties agreed that the footage could be shown to the court, but the video on the phone of the witness needed to be redacted, due to a “prejudicial caption” according to Amissah. The specifics of the caption were not mentioned in court.

Judge Brandt granted the prosecutors motion to introduce the videos to the jury.

Parties are slated to reconvene on March 23 for jury selection.

Defendant Pleads Guilty to Shooting at Police Cruiser, Car With 10-Year-Old Inside

A defendant accepted a plea deal for shooting at a police officer and 10-year-old child in a hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan on March 20.

Delvin Pollard, 31, was originally charged with two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer while armed, four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, eight counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, possession of an unregistered firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or place of business, and destruction of property less than $1,000.

The charges stemmed from his involvement in a shooting on the 300 block of Hawaii Avenue, NE on Dec. 12, 2019. No injuries were reported.

At the hearing, Pollard accepted a deal from prosecutors that required him to plead guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison with three years of supervised release and will require Pollard to register as a gun offender.

As part of the agreement, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining 19 charges against Pollard and not oppose the sentences run concurrently.

The prosecutor said if the case proceeded to trial, evidence would show that Pollard opened fire with an AR Pistol in a parking lot, striking a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) cruiser and a car with a 10-year-old inside.

Prosecutors said Pollard’s fingerprint was found on a gun discarded near the scene and eyewitnesses identified Pollard as the shooter.

Pollard’s attorney, Mani Golzari, said that the incident resulted from Pollard’s early-stage schizoaffective disorder making him delusional and subject to mood swings, which was undiagnosed at the time.

“It was a clear case where mental health issues were at the root of this incident, and it was not treated because this incident is what triggered a diagnosis,” Golzari said.

Judge Ryan accepted the plea agreement and allowed Pollard to remain on release until sentencing as he did not consider him a danger to the community and had no escape history.

Judge Ryan encouraged Pollard to continue with mental health treatments “which seems to be providing him stability.”

Parties are scheduled to reconvene on June 5 for sentencing.

Prosecutors Offer Homicide Defendant Plea Deal in Lieu of Trial

DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan vacated a homicide trial after prosecutors expressed intention to resolve the case through a plea deal on March 20.

Robert Carpenter, 37, is charged with second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Tremaine Nicholson, 42, on the 3400 block of 25th Street, SE, on May 7, 2024.

According to court documents, Carpenter allegedly shot Nicholson when he arrived at Carpenter’s partner’s house intoxicated, demanding to see his and the partner’s son.

At the hearing, prosecutors extended a plea offer that would require Carpenter to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter. In exchange, prosecutors would dismiss the remaining charges and agree to a sentence of seven-to-12 years of imprisonment. They said Carpenter has until March 26 to make a decision.

Prosecutors requested to vacate the trial as both parties expressed their preference to resolve the case through a plea agreement.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene on March 26.

Judge Says Infanticide Defendant Had ‘Multiple, Multiple Opportunities’ to Improve on Release

A defendant charged with her son’s death requested release before DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman on March 20.

Christen Borden, 37, is charged with first-degree felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children for her alleged involvement in the death of her son, five-month-old Kenneth Walton, on Feb. 11, 2023 at the 4000 block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Walton died from multiple blunt force injuries to the head.

According to court records, Borden was previously on release in this case, but her release was revoked on Dec. 8, 2025 after failing to complete multiple drug treatments and not reporting to the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA). Borden is charged in a separate case for failing to appear in court on Nov. 21, 2025.

At the hearing, Megan Allburn and Steven Kiersh, Borden’s attorneys, asked for her release in this case. They argued that Borden would comply with release conditions this time, including inpatient drug treatment.

The prosecution objected to Borden’s release due to her history of non-compliance and multiple failures to appear before the court, resulting in bench warrants. According to court records, the court ordered a bench warrant after Borden failed to appear three separate times since March 7, 2025.

Borden had “Multiple, multiple opportunities” to comply on release Judge Edelman stated when contemplating releasing her.

Judge Edelman considered releasing Borden, but hesitated due to her history of non-compliance, including failure to successfully complete any drug treatment the judge previously ordered.

The judge told prosecutors to file a motion in the next three weeks responding to the defense request for release.

Parties are set to reconvene on April 24.

Judge Imposes New Restrictions on Carjacking Defendant After Violations

DC Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel ordered a carjacking defendant to undergo inpatient drug treatment on March 20.

Manuel Alvarado, 42, is charged with unarmed carjacking for his alleged involvement in an incident on the 1500 block of 7th Street, NW on April 26, 2023.

According to court documents, the carjacking victim reported that Alvarado was noticeably under the influence of drugs during the incident.

At the hearing, the prosecution highlighted Alvarado’s violations of his pretrial release conditions. According to prosecutors, Alvarado violated his GPS tracking approximately 40 times, failed to remain at his designated residence, and repeatedly breached his 24-hour home confinement.

According to Alvarado’s attorney, Quiana Harris, many of the violations stemmed from misunderstandings of the conditions imposed. Harris explained that Alvarado would stop for food after required check-ins with the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA), which resulted in multiple GPS alerts. Harris argued that the 24-hour home confinement was too restrictive for Alvarado, as he had responsibilities to assist his elderly aunt with whom he lives.

The prosecution emphasized Alvarado’s continued pattern of non-compliance, raising concerns about his ability to adhere to court ordered conditions moving forward.

Judge Israel imposed a modified curfew from 6 a. m. to 3 p. m. and ordered Alvarado to complete a 90-day residential drug treatment and detox program.

Parties are scheduled to return to court on April 24.

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