Judge Denies Shooting Defendant’s Acquittal Motion

DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun denied a shooting defendant’s motion for judgment of acquittal during a trial on Oct. 24.

Juan Peterson, 34, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of accessory after the fact while armed, and second-degree cruelty to children.

The charges stem from his alleged involvement in a mass shooting on May 15, 2021, on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE, that killed 28-year-old Lester Howard and injured three other individuals.

During the hearing, defense attorney, Daniel Kovler, filed two motions for judgment of acquittal on the charges of first-degree murder and cruelty to children. Kovler argued the prosecution has failed to meet their burden of proof that Peterson premeditated Howard’s murder.

The prosecution rebutted explaining that even if Peterson only planned the attack in seconds, he acted with intent to kill. The prosecutor further argued that Peterson was driving the vehicle used in the murder and evidence proves he had clear ties with the shooter.

Kovler also filed a motion for judgment of acquittal on the charge of cruelty to children, arguing that there was no evidence that bullets went near a child.

The prosecution responded that one of the surviving victims was pushing her child on a stroller at the time of the incident, and the shot that injured the mother was in close proximity.

Judge Okun denied a judgment of acquittal, stating the prosecution had met its burden of proof and a reasonable jury could convict Peterson of both charges.

The prosecution called an FBI special agent as an expert witness, who discussed the defendant’s cell phone messages and location on the day of the incident. According to the agent, Peterson’s phone’s location placed him in the general area of the scene at the time of the incident, although it is not possible to pinpoint his exact location.

The agent also testified that a license plate reader caught Peterson’s vehicle in the area of the incident at the time of the shooting.

The defense called on Peterson’s cousin, who testified that he was close with Peterson but had no knowledge of the incident.

The witness, who is incarcerated in connection to an unrelated incident, explained that Peterson was supposed to pick him up on the day of the incident but never did. He added he never figured out why Peterson stood him up.

Parties are set to reconvene on Oct. 28.

Victim, Defendant Offer Conflicting Stories in Stabbing Trial

A stabbing defendant and her victim gave contrasting accounts of the crime in a trial before DC Superior Court Judge Heidi Pasichow on Oct. 24.

Charlotte Norris, 40, is charged with second-degree burglary and assault with a dangerous weapon for her alleged involvement in a stabbing on the 2100 block of 1st Street, SW on Aug. 18, 2023. One person sustained injuries.

In their opening statement, the prosecution stated that Norris stabbed the victim after a hangout in Norris’ apartment, along with a man who was the victim’s romantic interest.

Prosecutors said Norris went back to the victim’s apartment and was “erratic” asking where the man was. Prosecutors said Norris then took out a knife and stabbed the victim three times — which the victim claims she never realized until the man in her apartment told her.

Claudine Harrison, Norris’ attorney, said in her opening statement that Norris was not upset when she went to the victim’s apartment and was just looking for cigarettes.

Harrison added that the victim was angry at Norris out of jealousy and initiated an altercation. As they fought, Norris grabbed a knife from the kitchen and allegedly stabbed the victim in self-defense.

On the other hand, the victim testified that she was awakened by Norris banging on her apartment door and was confused as to what was going on. She said Norris “busted” into the apartment and couldn’t make out what she was saying.

She said Norris pushed past her, so the victim grabbed her to try and get her out of the apartment. The victim testified she didn’t realize she was bleeding until after the attack.

When shown a picture of the knife from the crime scene, the victim said it did not come from her apartment and Norris must have brought it with her. The victim testified that she did not have any weapons on her at the time of the altercation.

Harrison also called on Norris as a witness. According to the defendant, on the night before the incident, Norris was hanging out with the victim, Norris’ ex-girlfriend, and a male individual.

Norris said that once everyone had left, she realized that her cigarettes were missing, which made her believe someone took them by accident. When she went to the victim’s apartment and knocked, the victim opened the door and instantly began arguing with Norris’ getting punched, and dragged into the victim’s home.

Norris claimed that she needed to get out of the victim’s hold, as she had her hands in Norris’ hair. She claimed she got something to hit her with but didn’t realize it was a knife. Once she saw blood, she left in a panic — not knowing if the victim had been injured.

A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer said an investigation uncovered a a pair of bloody pants allegedly belonging to Norris which she wore on the day of the incident.

Trial will resume on Oct. 25.

Defendant Accepts Plea Deal in Ex-Girlfriend Shooting

A shooting defendant accepted a plea deal before DC Superior Court Judge Erik Christian on Oct. 24.

George Thomas ,30, was originally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for a shooting that occurred on the 600 block of Maryland Avenue, NE on June 23, 2024.

According to court documents, Thomas and the victim, his then-girlfriend, engaged in a verbal altercation and Thomas proceeded to shoot at the victim while their kids were in her car. No one was injured.

During the hearing, Thomas accepted the deal, which required him to plead guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon in exchange for the prosecution’s not seeking an indictment. Through the deal, parties agreed to a 42 month sentence.

Thomas’ defense attorney, Elizabeth Paige White, requested that Thomas be put on release before sentencing so that he can say goodbye to his children.

Judge Christian denied the request for release, but stated he is willing to modify the stay away order so he can have telephone contact with his children.

Parties will reconvene for sentencing on Jan. 7.

Judge Tells Shooting Defendant to Finish Community Service Hours

DC Superior Court Judge Erik Christian gave a shooting defendant two weeks to finish community service hours imposed as part of his sentence in 2020, on Oct. 24.

In 2020, Marquez Fewell, 27, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, for a non-fatal shooting that occurred on July 19, 2019 on the 1800 block of 7th Street, NW.

Since then he has since completed the required time served, taken anger management courses and been compliant with the gun offender registry. In addition, he has been on probation for two years and completed 53 out of 90 community service hours imposed in his sentence, as detailed by a representative from the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA)

“I believe at this time there is not much more to do with Mr. Fewell,” the CSOSA representative stated, before recommending Judge Christian dismiss Fewell’s probation.

In regards to the 37 more hours of community service left, Judge Christian said, “You don’t get rewarded because you don’t want to do it.”

Fewell stated that he could get the community service hours completed in two weeks.

Parties slated to reconvene on Nov. 7.

Judge Denies Release For Shooting Defendant With Prior Charges

DC Superior Court Judge Erik Christian denied a shooting defendant’s request for release and set a trial date during a hearing on Oct. 24.

Theodore Williams II, 52, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting that occurred on the 4000 block of Wahler Court, SE, on April 18. No injuries were reported.

According to court documents, Williams allegedly approached the complainant, his neighbor, with a handgun pointed in his direction. As a result, the complainant yelled obscenities, causing Williams to retreat to his residence. Then the victim saw an individual, who he identified as Williams, point a handgun in his direction, firing a single shot, striking his door. No one was injured.

During the hearing, Williams’ defense attorney, Thomas Healy, reported that the parties were not able to come to a resolution on a plea offer. Healy also requested Williams be placed on release with reasonable conditions, noting that if the court is not willing to do so, they need to set a trial date.

Prosecution opposed Williams’ release, referencing a long list of prior charges.

Judge Christian denied the request for release, citing that Williams is a threat to the safety of the community.

Trial is slated to begin on Jan. 7.

Parties will reconvene on Nov. 15 for a motions hearing.

Defendant Acquitted of Shooting Charges

A jury acquitted a shooting defendant on both pending charges after a week-long trial before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on Oct. 24.

Jamal Coleman, 32, was charged with assault with intent to kill while armed and aggravated assault knowingly while armed for his alleged aiding and abetting role as the driver in a May 4, 2023 shooting on the 4600 block of Polk Street, NE in which one victim was injured.

Over the course of the trial, prosecutors asserted that Coleman was the driver of a vehicle that slowed down next to the victim before shots were fired from the passenger seat.

Coleman’s attorneys, Carrie Weletz and Elizabeth Weller, made note of inferences and “leaps in logic” the jury would be required to make in order to return a guilty verdict. Weletz identified each of those “holes” during her closing statements.

The jury returned from deliberations Oct. 1, the same day they began and delivered a not guilty finding on both of Coleman’s charges.

Shooting Defendant Guilty on All Charges

A jury found a shooting defendant guilty of all charges during an Oct. 24 hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe.

Cornellius Ruffin, 41, was found guilty of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior offense, carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition for his involvement in a non-fatal shooting on April 12, 2021 on the 200 block of Bates Street, NW.

During the three day trial, prosecutors affirmed that, in broad daylight, Ruffin fired, striking one victim, passed the gun off to another suspect, and “casually” rode off on a bicycle.

Ruffin’s attorney, Steven LoGerfo, claimed no one would be able to identify Ruffin as the shooter. Multiple eyewitnesses testified, and while none could provide an in-court identification of Ruffin as the shooter, some provided photos of the suspects taken from their apartment windows, and descriptions of clothing they could see the suspects wearing.

When Ruffin’s apartment was searched, officers found clothing consistent with clothing described by witnesses.

The jury returned from their deliberations on Oct. 24 and delivered a guilty verdict on all charges.

Stabbing Suspect Considers Plea or Deportation

Attorneys continued plea deal negotiations before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno on Oct. 24 that could prevent a defendant’s deportation in a stabbing case

Sebastian Fonseca-Gomez, 26, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in a stabbing on May 15 at the intersection of 7th and A Street, NE. One individual sustained injuries to his buttocks area.

According to court documents, the victim confronted Fonseca-Gomez in his neighborhood regarding an email complaint Fonseca-Gomez sent to victim’s dog-walking company. According to the victim, Fonseca-Gomez allegedly followed him for several blocks, taunting him until he pepper-sprayed him and stabbed him multiple times in the buttocks area.

During the hearing, John Machado, Fonseca-Gomez’s attorney said he made a counter offer to the prosecution to make the terms more acceptable given the defendant’s tenuous immigration status.

The prosecution told Judge Salerno they’d talk to their supervisor to try and arrange a plea deal in time to prevent deportation.

Parties are slated to reconvene Nov. 15.

Judge Denies Defendant’s Release in Glass Bottle Murder

DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein found probable cause and denied release for a homicide defendant on Oct. 23, accused of killing his victim with a glass bottle.

Tommy Whack, 35, is charged with felony murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of 53-year-old Fasil Teklemariam on the 1300 block of Peabody Street, NW on April 5.

According to court documents, video footage reveals two suspects arriving at an apartment complex in a black vehicle. A third suspect opens the door for them at Teklemariam’s apartment and they stay inside. After some time, all suspects were seen exiting the apartment complex and the one appearing to be Whack was carrying a blue Walmart bag.

A medical examiner ruled Teklemariam’s death by bludgeoning with a sharp object, and he suffered from multiple sharp force injuries, according to court documents. A glass bottle neck had been found next to the victim’s body with blood stains on it. Upon further testing, Whack’s fingerprints were allegedly found on the weapon.

During the hearing, prosecutors called on the lead detective from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

The detective confirmed video footage of the main suspect carrying a Walmart bag while fleeing the crime scene. This same Walmart bag was allegedly found in Teklemariam’s apartment during a crime scene investigation.

The detective confirmed many pieces of evidence found that link Whack to the crime scene including fingerprints, a similar looking vehicle seen in video footage and articles of clothing.

Kevin O’Sullivan, Whack’s attorney, argued that the prosecution had not met the burden of proof for probable cause in this case. He cited the description of the suspects by a witness, which he argued did not match Whack’s, the lack of cellular GPS tracking, and the minimal amount of forensic evidence.

O’Sullivan insisted that the fingerprint found on the wine bottle was not sufficient evidence because it could have been there previously..

The prosecution explained there was additional evidence placing Whack at the scene of the crime, including the black car he owned being in the video surveillance footage.

Judge Epstein believed the evidence was enough to meet the low burden of probable cause. He argued that, although the case was based on circumstantial evidence, it was based on “strong circumstantial evidence.”

O’Sullivan requested Whack be released to home confinement and Judge Epstein issue a stay away order from the District of Columbia Whack can focus on this family and his business.

O’Sullivan insisted that Whack did not pose a danger to the community and home confinement was sufficient for the community’s safety.

The prosecution disagreed, and stated that his prior conviction for an unrelated murder in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and the nature of the crime deem him a danger to the community.

Judge Epstein denied release on home confinement for Whack, arguing there is clear and convincing evidence with prior criminal history and the nature of the crime to show that he’s potentially dangerous to the community.

Judge Epstein added that removing him from one jurisdiction and moving him to another does not sufficiently ensure the safety of any individual given the circumstances.

Parties are slated to reconvene Nov. 15.

Judge Orders Unruly Murder Suspect Out of The Court

DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein ordered court US Marshals to take a homicide defendant back to the DC Jail for exhibiting rowdy behavior in court on Oct. 23.

Kyle Piunti, 35, is charged with second-degree murder for his alleged involvement in a vehicular accident that led to the death of 54-year-old Michael Hamlin, on Jan. 3 on I-295 southbound.

According to court documents, Hamlin had stopped his vehicle in a weigh station off the highway after being involved in a collision. Piunti was allegedly driving a blue vehicle at a high rate of speed when he hit Hamlin and his vehicle, before allegedly fleeing the scene on foot.

During the hearing, Piunti began to shout aggressively about his prior attorney, Kevin Mosley’s resigning from his case and the court’s appointing Carrie Weletz as his legal representative. That’s when the judge removed Piunti from the courtroom.

Parties are slated to reconvene Nov. 15.

Prosecutors Link Cell Phone Evidence to a Mass Shooting Defendant

A witness who was able to connect a cell phone to a defendant testified before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun on Oct. 23.

The charges stem from his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Lester Howard on May 15, 2021, that left three others injured on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE.

During the hearing, the prosecution called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer who was responsible for reviewing the contents of Peterson’s phone. On direct examination, the officer showed texts sent to multiple people from Peterson’s phone, allegedly inquiring about purchasing firearms, fake license plates, and a car.

While Peterson was inquiring about buying a firearm from another individual, the individual allegedly told Peterson that he had a Generation 5 Glock 23, which, according to a firearms and tool mark expert, is the type of gun that was likely used to kill Howard.

According to the officer, Peterson also spoke with another individual about purchasing fake license plate tags, which were on the suspect vehicle at the time of arrest.

The prosecution also called an officer from MPD who was present at the time the suspect vehicle was detained.

According to the witness, he was two weeks into his training when his mentor saw the suspected vehicle, and after verifying the be on the lookout (BOLO) alert, the two officers stopped the vehicle.

They identified him as Peterson and observed the Delaware temporary license plate on the trunk of the car.

On cross-examination, Peterson’s defense counsel, Daniel Kolver, noted that, when Peterson was apprehended, there was no gun found either on his person or in the vehicle. He also pointed out that the MPD analyst did not personally go through all 49,353 pages of the phone records.

A doctor from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) testified that she performed Howard’s autopsy, and ruled the cause of death multiple gunshot wounds to the back, and the manner of death a homicide.

A forensic scientist who, at the time, was working for the Department of Forensic Science (DFS) was also called to testify.

She collected physical and photographic evidence. She noted there were four spent cartridge casings, and one bullet found at the scene, matching a 40-caliber handgun.

Parties are set to reconvene on Oct. 24.

Shooting Defendant Rejects Plea Deal, Delays Prelim

A shooting defendant rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors before DC Superior Court Judge Heide Herrmann on Oct. 24 pushing back the court calendar.

Delante Glascoe, 41, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in a shooting incident that occurred on the 900 block of Shepherd Street, NW on Oct. 14.

According to court documents, the defendant allegedly shot at a victim in an alleyway near their house using a ghost gun, no injuries were sustained. Later in the day, Glascoe was allegedly making threats with the same firearm to shoot and kill two individuals.

During the hearing, defense attorney Camille Wagner informed the court that the defendant planned to reject a deal, which required him to plead guilty to assault with a deadly weapon, in exchange for the prosecution’s not seeking an indictment. Had Glascoe accepted the deal, parties would have agreed to limit the sentencing to five years.

The defense requested a continuance of the preliminary hearing as they needed more time to review the body-worn camera footage that they recently received.

The parties are set to reconvene on Oct. 29.

Murder Suspect Says She Feared Sexual Abuse in Drug Treatment That ‘Failed Her’

DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan issued an order for a murder defendant to be released to another bed-to-bed drug treatment program after the defendant’s previous experience potentially led to sexual assault allegations, on Oct. 23.

Vanessa Bonaparte, 32, is charged with second-degree murder for her alleged involvement in the death of 31-year-old Dwayne Boyd, which occurred on June 22 on the 3500 block of East Capitol Street, SE.

According to court documents, the defendant was previously put on release to seek treatment with the Regional Addiction Prevention (RAP) program, a mandatory, in-patient, bed-to-bed drug treatment program, but was discharged due to “problematic behavior.”

During Bonaparte’s release in late June, she regularly tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids, according to Judge Raffinan. The most recent report made by a representative from the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) stated that Bonaparte had failed to report and tested positive for amphetamines.

The prosecution argued that Bonaparte has violated the conditions of her release and, given the magnitude of noncompliance, Bonaparte will likely not comply in the future. They requested her release be revoked.

Defense attorney Kevann Gardner argued that there were unique circumstances that led to the series of events.

According to Gardner, while institutionsalized with RAP, an employee allegedly made inappropriate remarks toward Bonaparte, stating that “she’s never going to make it through the RAP program.” Gardner added that the employee allegedly continued to try to force Bonaparte out of her room while she was naked, and she felt that she was going to be sexually abused in the moment and the future.

Gardner told Judge Raffinan that Bonaparte told other RAP employees and her PSA agent, but no actions, except a suggestion to file a police report, were taken.

While in the program, she was unable to dial 911. After threatening legal action, RAP insisted Bonaparte sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and after her refusal, the defendant was asked to leave, according to Gardner.

Gardner informed the court that this was the reason for her recent illicit substance positive test as well as failure to report to PSA, stating “PSA and RAP failed her.” He asserted that Bonaparte did not feel safe enough to report back to PSA.

The defendant’s pretrial services agent said Bonaparte didn’t go into details with him on the incident, although he did make note of it in his records. He recalled she had said “something sexually inappropriate” happened, but he took no further actions as it was the responsibility of the defense attorney.

According to the agent, RAP claimed she was discharged due to being “very disrespectful to staff and clients.”

The agent told Judge Raffinan that RAP provided no details of the alleged incident, but disclosed that Bonaparte was discharged due to her refusal to sign a behavioral contract that would enable her to continue with the program.

Judge Raffinan concluded that the core issue for all the defendant’s prior actions was her substance abuse, noting that RAP was not successful.

The judge issued an order for Bonaparte to be released to bed-to-bed treatment with another court-adjoined drug program, screening to determine eligibility.

The prosecution assured the court they would be issuing a subpoena to RAP and vowed to investigate the allegations further.

The parties are set to reconvene on Nov. 6.

Data Shows 20 Defendants Were Released from April to October

D.C. Witness data shows that between April 15 and Oct. 15, 20 defendants were released by the DC Superior Court, including those accused of homicide, carjacking, and stabbings.

Many of the release conditions consisted of GPS monitoring or home confinement.

Tyree Bratcher, 17, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the death of 18-year-old Tyreek Moore on Jan. 22 on the 4600 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE.

Bratcher was released on April 26 by DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan, and ordered to be in home confinement and a stay-away order from the 4600 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE.

Likewise, Owen Mendez, 19, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in a shooting that occurred on Dec. 17, 2023, on the 1600 block of L Street, NW. No individuals were injured.

Mendez was granted release on June 17 by DC Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond, under electronic monitoring.

Calvon Brown, 31, faces charges of aggravated assault knowingly while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and carrying a pistol without a license. The charges were linked to a shooting that occurred on March 22 on the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, where one person was injured.

On July 8, DC Superior Court Judge Erik Christian ordered Brown’s release on house arrest. The defense argued that Brown did not pose a flight risk and had significant community ties to ensure compliance with release conditions. They also noted that Brown had maintained a clean record since the incident and would be better positioned to assist in his defense while on house arrest.

Judge Christian accepted the defense’s arguments and imposed house arrest with monitoring requirements as a condition of Brown’s release.

Data Shows 170 Homicides From June of 2023 to June of 2024

According to D.C. Witness data, there were 170 homicide incidents and 183 homicide victims between June 2023 and June 2024.

In regards to those homicides, 83 arrests have been made. The number of convictions is unknown.

Based on the data, the month of August 2023 was considered the deadliest, with 25 homicide incidents, with 26 victims.

On Aug. 5, 2023, David Botchway, 21, fatally shot 19 year-old Andre Baker on the 1200 block of U Street, NW.

Botchway pled guilty to second-degree murder on Dec. 13, 2023 and was sentenced to 18 years of incarceration on May 31.

Likewise, on Feb. 4, Kyree Hairston, 25, fatally shot 51 year-old David Coe on the 1200 block of Southern Avenue, SE.

Hairston pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed on Aug. 9 and will have his sentencing hearing on Nov. 15.

On April 25, Jaylen Suggs, 18, fatally shot 38 year-old Ricky Canty on the 4500 block of Sheriff Road NE.

Suggs is being charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement. His case is still ongoing.

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