Judge Orders Competency Exam for Homicide Defendant to Represent Himself

DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan reissued an order during a May 29 hearing for a murder defendant to complete a competency test as a condition to represent himself.

Wonell Jones Jr., 37, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Audora Williams on July 19, 2022, on the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE. The victim had 52 gunshot wounds to her entire body.

According to court documents, Williams and Jones had a history of domestic violence disputes. Williams made multiple statements to police and was granted several protective orders against Jones, the most recent of which was requested less than a month prior to the incident.

The parties previously met on April 25 during which Judge Raffinan ordered Jones undergo two mental competency exams before granting his motion to represent himself–due to a past report that determined Jones was incompetent to stand trial. She also cited this was a requirement of all those wishing to represent themselves.

Jones failed to comply with the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) efforts and he remained silent during screenings and interviews.

On May 29, Judge Raffinan stated she would rule on his motion once a mental competency exam conducted by the DBH.

Parties are set to return June 26.

Despite ‘Racial Disparity’ Argument Judge Denies Defense Motion to Delay Trial

DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo denied a motion to delay a July trial after the defense challenged the DC jury selection process, arguing there are “stark racial disparities” in grand juries and trial panels, during a June 3 hearing.

Kenneth Wayne Stewart, 62, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly stabbing 54-year-old Courtney Jones to death on July 23, 2020 at the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.

According to court documents, the defendant allegedly stabbed the victim in a van after an argument. Stewart was found by police walking on a highway allegedly in possession of bloody knife and with pieces of flesh on his body.

At the hearing, defense attorney Dominique Winters argued Stewart is willing to jeopardize a trial date and remain behind bars based on what’s known as “the fair cross section” jury issue.

“I’m here fighting for a Black man,” said Winters, emphasizing Stewart’s race and desire for a representative jury.

Winters said her client is unwavering in asserting his constitutional rights and sent a letter on Feb. 29 to the Grand Jury Commissioner, requesting information related to the racial composition of his grand jury panel.

Winters complained juries were “severely lacking in African Americans” in the last two trials she litigated adding in one jury pool there were only 11 out of 80 Black jurors.

The case dates back to 2022 when Jason Tulley, the lead Public Defender, filed a motion,“to grant discovery of information relating to the selection of jurors during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that…jurors have been selected from a fair cross-section of the D.C. community.”

Depending on the outcome, dozens of convictions could be overturned on the grounds that the defendants were denied their Sixth Amendment rights to be tried by a jury of their peers.

The DC Superior Court says it has made an unbiased effort to recruit a representative cross-section of jurors and has provided the evidence to the Public Defenders Service.

Winters also addressed Stewart’s trial dates being postponed multiple times, asserting it was “due to no fault at all” of her client. She mentioned Stewart was indicted two years after the alleged incident, and trial has been delayed largely to the 2020 pandemic.

In response the prosecution clarified, “At no point in time, has the [prosecution] had a delay on this case.”

Additionally, although the defense stated that the prosecution has “taken conflicting positions,” the prosecution argued that they have been “updating” their position as more evidence has been discovered.

Ultimately, Judge Demeo was not convinced by the defense argument about alleged defects in the jury system and denied the motion for continuance.

She stated that although the defense could move to the Court of Appeals, she could not find significant prejudice in a grand or trial jury panels.

As well, Judge Demeo argued that delaying the trial again would serve public interest by assuring a timely trial.

The court is “supposed to resolve felony one cases within 24 months and it’s been five years now,” acknowledged Judge Demeo.

The parties are slated to return on June 14.

Prosecution Calls Shooting Defendant a ‘Danger to the Community,’ as Judge Re-sentences Him to Two Years

A defendant, who was on probation for a non-fatal shooting, was re-sentenced on June 3 by DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt following his arrest for violating his probation conditions.

Stephan Harper, 24, was originally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for his involvement in a non-fatal shooting that left one individual with a wound to his foot. The incident occurred on Sept. 15, 2019, on the 3900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SW.

Harper accepted a guilty plea that would reduce his charges to attempted assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a pistol without a license outside home or place of business on July 27, 2020.

He was sentenced to two years, all suspended, under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA), which would have sealed his case after he successfully completed his requirements. However, due to his arrest during probation, the sentencing under the YRA is now moot.

In July 2022, the court received a violation report which read Harper was in possession of a weapon in Chesapeake, Maryland and in Arlington, Virginia, and had two outstanding warrants for his arrests because of obstruction of justice and failing to appear in court.

Harper’s defense attorney, Sellano Simmons, said the reason Harper failed to appear in court was because he was detained in a District matter.

The prosecution asked Brandt to sentence Harper to the two years remaining in his suspended sentence, with three years of supervised release, as they deemed the defendant “a danger to the community.”

The prosecution also requested this sentence run consecutively with the future sentencing in Maryland.

Judge Brandt denied the request and said she could not rule on whether the terms can run consecutively because the defendant has not yet been sentenced in Maryland.

Simmons requested Judge Brandt sentence Harper to six months.

“He’s been committed of yet another firearms offense,” Judge Brandt said, denying his request.

Judge Brandt resentenced Harper to two years in prison and three years of supervised release.

Harper is also required to register as a gun offender in the District, and pay 200 dollars to the Victims of Violent Crimes Fund (VVCF).

No additional dates were set.

Defendant’s Refusal to be in Court Threatens Delay in Shooting Trial

A June 2 trial in DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo’s courtroom was delayed after the defendant originally refused to attend court due to an illness. However, he was transported back to court by a judge’s order.

Tyrone Astorias Johnson, 43, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault with significant bodily injury while armed for allegedly firing multiple shots at an individual. The shooting occurred on Aug. 30, 2022 at a park on the 1500 block of Maryland Avenue, NE.

According to the victim’s testimony, a Black male, later allegedly identified as Johnson, asked him for a cigarette, but the victim stated he did not have one. Consequently, the individual identified as Johnson began firing at the victim.

At the hearing, prior to jurors entering the courtroom, Judge Demeo addressed the parties with an update concerning the defendant. That morning, Johnson refused to get out of the bus that takes prisoners from the jail to the courthouse.

Judge Demeo ordered Johnson could not return to jail before meeting with his attorneys to discuss a voluntary absence from court. Johnson then cooperated,

Johnson’s defense attorney, Joseph Fay, expressed his surprise about the problem, stating that his client has always been “more pleasant to work with” than many of his other clients.

Fay stated that Johnson had a stomach bug the night before, had reportedly gone to the infirmary and not eaten since the night of May 30. A trash basket was placed next to Johnson and Judge Demeo told him that if he became too ill to continue, court would end for the day.

As the proceedings continued, a services manager for ShotSpotter, which monitors public safety with devices that detect “impulse sounds,” such as gunshots, was called to the stand.

The prosecution played audio recordings from four different sensors catching impulse sounds of what is believed to be gunshots on Aug. 23 and Aug. 30, 2020.

In a previous hearing, the prosecution presented a 911 call from the defendant’s ex-girlfriend that occurred on Aug. 23, 2020. In the call, she’s heard telling a dispatcher that Johnson fired shots at her. However, when the ex-girlfriend testified, she stated she was never injured and never saw Johnson shoot a gun.

Prosecutors also called on a trauma surgeon at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, who testified to the injuries sustained by the victim and the subsequent treatment that followed.

According to the surgeon’s report notes as shown by the prosecution, the victim suffered two gunshot wounds to the genitalia, two to the left groin, two to the outer right thigh, and two to the outer left thigh.

Additionally, the surgeon stated that she was concerned for the possibility of internal injury or bleeding, so the victim underwent chest and pelvic x-rays, as well as a CAT-scan, but no signs of hemorrhaging were found.

When asked about her interaction with the victim, the surgeon stated she had spoken with him while he was awake and discussed his pain scale. She did not recall how he felt, but testified that the victim “must have been in pain” because he was prescribed pain medications.

Parties will reconvene June 3.

Defendant Pleads Not Guilty During Homicide Arraignment

Jaleil Jones pleaded not guilty in front of DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan in a felony arraignment on June 3.

Jones, 19, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy, robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting and robbery of 44-year-old Robert Lavender. The incident took place on the 600 block of Monroe Street, NE on July 17, 2023.

Jones’ attorney, Kevann Gardner, alerted the court he was pleading not guilty and asserted Jones’ constitutional rights, including the right to a speedy trial.

Gardner also stated that the prosecution has extended a plea offer, and requested additional time to discuss the motion with Jones.

A status hearing is scheduled for June 27.

Prosecutor Tells Judge Murder Defendants Face Dozens More Charges

A prosecutor said three co-defendants are facing an additional 75-to-100 potential counts during a hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan on June 3.

Steven Metts, 18, Keondre Carroll, 21, and Jovontae Wallace,19, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of robbery while armed and two counts of kidnapping while armed, for their alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 59-year-old Raymond Blanchard on January 23. The incident occurred on the 3000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE.

Metts faces additional charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a rifle or shotgun outside a home or place of business, possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device and an additional count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Carroll is also charged with carrying a pistol outside a home or business, assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device.

According to court documents, Metts, Carroll and Wallace are alleged to have committed other violent crimes in the days surrounding Blanchard’s murder, including an armed robbery on a Metrobus at the intersection of Galveston Street, SW, and South Capitol Street, SE, on January 24.

Video from the Metrobus, as described by arrest documents, shows a man boarding the bus while being pursued by three others and saying to the driver, “They are trying to take my coat.” In the video, the three pursuers stop the bus by driving a vehicle in front of it, then board the bus with handguns and AR-15 style firearms amid the screams of passengers. After seizing the coat, the pursuers shoot at the bus multiple times while fleeing.

The prosecutor reported that she is working to separate the evidence related to the co-defendants’ other alleged offenses from the evidence pertinent to Ballard’s murder, in order to provide discovery information to the defense in a timely manner. She stated she’s unable to provide all discovery at this time, as multiple offenses remain under investigation.

At the prosecutor’s request, Judge Raffinan agreed that at the next hearing, phones would be checked outside the courtroom and WebEx — which is used to stream and record court proceedings — would be closed to the public due to safety concerns.

According to the prosecutor, photos of her and Metts, taken inside the courtroom, were posted online after a previous hearing, even though Marshals deleted photos from phones they confiscated during the hearing.

Parties are slated to meet on August 22 for a detention hearing.

Judge Grants One Shooting Defendant’s Request for Release

DC Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro granted a shooting defendant’s release from detainment during a felony status hearing on June 3.

Natasha Mack, 40, and Stephan Moorer, 42 are charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for their alleged involvement in a non-fatal-shooting that occurred on April 3, on the 400 block of Chesapeake Street, SE.

According to court documents, two individuals, later identified as Mack and Moorer, confronted the victim inside of a residence and shot at her once. The pair can allegedly be seen entering and exiting the apartment building where the victim was staying.

Security camera footage from the apartment revealed that the two individuals were in the apartment when the shooting took place and can be seen leaving the apartment afterwards. The victim was able to identify Mack as one of the alleged perpetrators.

According to prosecutors, Mack acted as an aider and abettor to Moorer during the shooting. An aider and abettor is an individual that helps or encourages an individual to commit a crime.

During the hearing, Judge Di Toro discussed a motion for modification of detention, filed by Mack’s defense attorney, Erin Griffard, on May 31.

Through the motion, Griffard argued that Mack has “absolutely no history of violent contact,” and Mack’s only felony charge was in 2006 was for allegedly passing of bad checks. She also argued that being charged as an aider and abettor does not constitute the individual being detained.

The prosecution argued that Mack’s alleged involvement in the incident was reason enough for her to remain detained.

However, the defense rebutted, “Mere presence is not enough for the ‘aiding and abetting’ theory.”

Judge Di Toro granted the request, ordering Mack to remain in 24-hour home confinement, with an ankle monitor, and a “stay away and no contact order” from the victim.

Moorer will continue to be detained.

All parties are set to return on June 28.

Document: MPD Investigating Fatal Shooting in Northeast

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on June 1 on the 600 block of 18th Street, NE.

According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location for the report of a shooting, where they located a victim suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where the succumbed to his injuries.

The victim was identified as 15-year-old Victor Bolden.

MPD offers a reward to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide in the District.

Document: MPD Investigating Fatal Shooting in Southeast

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on June 1 on the 700 block of Atlantic Street, SE.

According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location for the report of a shooting, where they located an adult male who was unconscious and not breathing suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim was identified as 38-year-old Gary Roberson.

MPD offers a reward to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide in the District.

Document: MPD Investigating Homicide in Southeast

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a homicide that occurred on May 31 on the 1600 block of W Street, SE.

According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location for the report of a shooting, where they located three adult victims suffering from gunshot wounds. The victims were transported to local area hospitals for treatment. One of the victims succumbed to his injuries, while the other two, and adult female and an adult male, were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The victim was identified as 18-year-old Keith White.

MPD offers a reward to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide in the District.

Document: MPD Investigating 2022 Shooting as a Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a shooting, that occurred on the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road, SE, on May 10, 2022, as a homicide after a victim succumbed to his injuries.

According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location for the report of a shooting. There, they located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

On Feb. 7, he succumbed to his injuries.

He was identified as 40-year-old Cesar Barrera.

The Office of the Medical Chief Examiner (OCME) ruled that the cause of death was complications of gunshot wounds, and the manner of death a homicide.

MPD offers a reward to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide in the District.

Document: MPD Arrests Man for Fatal Stabbing in Northwest

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of a man in connection to a fatal stabbing that occurred on May 26 on the 500 block of Harvard Street, NW.

According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location for the report of a stabbing, where they located 58-year-old Tommy Hudson with multiple stab wounds in front of a residence. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died.

The preliminary investigation determined he was stabbed inside of a residence in the same block.

On May 28, MPD arrested and charged 54-year-old Ted Anthony Brown with second-degree murder while armed.

The investigation revealed this offense was domestic in nature.

Document: MPD Investigating Fatal Shooting in Northwest

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a homicide that occurred on May 29 on the unit block of Hanover Place, NW.

According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location for the report of a shooting. There, they located a man in the road with gunshot wounds. He died at the scene.

The victim was identified as 34-year-old Maurice Downing.

MPD offers a reward to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide in the District.

During Closings, Parties Disagree on Defendant’s Claim of Being ‘in the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time’

During the last day of trial for a non-fatal shooting incident, parties challenged whether the defendant demonstrated an intent to kill a victim. That despite a situation “where death could have easily resulted,” according to DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo. Both parties rested their case on June 3 and finished closing arguments.

According to court documents, the victim told a detective that the shooter asked him for a cigarette, but the victim responded he did not have one. The suspect then allegedly removed a firearm from his waistband area and began firing at the victim.

At the hearing, the prosecution called three Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers to the stand. Two of them testified that they responded to reported gunshots on Aug. 23, 2020 and interacted with the suspect.

One of the officers could not “say for certain” if the suspect was in the courtroom or not.

The prosecution played body camera footage of the officers who testified that the suspect was cooperative.

During one video, the prosecution alluded to the fact that Johnson received a phone call from his ex-girlfriend because one of the officers read three out of the ten digits of a phone number that was calling Johnson, which matched that of his ex-girlfriend’s number.

A third MPD officer, who also works in the Firearms Registration Branch, testified that Johnson did not have a valid license and was not registered as the owner of a firearm, according to a MPD database.

Following the officers’ testimony, the defense filed a motion for judgment of acquittal, arguing that the evidence presented by the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Johnson was the perpetrator or had the intent to kill the victim.

Judge Demeo denied the motion, citing the proximity of the shooting, the number of shots fired, and the serious injuries suffered by the victim. She added that a reasonable juror could assume Johnson is guilty on all counts.

”Not once, not twice, but three times,” prosecutors said, Johnson shot at the victim, highlighting the incident originated “over some loose cigarettes.”

Throughout their closing, the prosecution played video surveillance of individuals identified as Johnson and his ex-girlfriend walking to and from Starburst Plaza at the time of the incident, and then going into the Pentacle Apartments. The prosecution narrated the series of events that are portrayed in the surveillance footage.

Furthermore, the prosecution mentioned that the defense would argue the victim never identified Johnson as a shooter, failing to recognize him in a photo array procedure performed about two hours after the shooting.

However, the prosecutor argued that the victim “was not given a position to accurately identify anybody” as he was “suffering grievous injuries” during the time he described two individuals to police immediately after being shot and when he was shown the photo array the morning of the incident at the hospital.

Additionally, the prosecutor asserted that the victim’s injuries were “the very definition of serious bodily injury,” specifying the victim was wheelchair-bound for a month and had to relearn how to walk. They emphasized that the victim was fired at from close range and sustained eight wounds from three gunshots.

“How do you judge a person’s intent?” asked the prosecutor when referring to the defendant’s motive to kill the victim. He advised the jurors to use their “life experiences, analytical skills, and common sense” in deciding the verdict of this case.

“Nothing about the defendant’s situation is ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time,’” referring to the defense’s opening statement argument.

“You have the power to hold the defendant accountable,” the prosecutor said to the jury.

As the prosecutor finished his closing arguments, the defendant was seen shaking his head.

Joseph Fay, Johnson’s defense attorney, reminded the jury that Johnson was “in the wrong place at the wrong time,” during the incident.

He stated that a gun from the incident was never found and his client’s ex-girlfriend testified to never having seen him with a gun.

He addressed the testimony of Johnson’s ex-girlfriend, agreeing with the prosecution that “she has a lot going on,” but arguing she told the truth when she was “corroborated by other evidence.”

He affirmed to jurors that she suffers from memory loss, acknowledging her medications for her mental illnesses.

Fay played video surveillance from Starburst Plaza and postulated to jurors, “there’s one person you can see who does not go running” after the shooting. He is referring to an individual who was seen leaving the crime scene by bicycle, but was never found or questioned by the police.

“Who does not run when a shooting starts?” questioned Fay.

Moreover, Fay described the wounds the victim suffered in his legs and genitalia and stated “those wounds just don’t line up,” expressing doubts in the victim’s testimony of how he was shot.

In their rebuttal, the prosecution stated “this is a case about what the evidence proves,” adding it all points to one person — Johnson.

The parties await for the final verdict as the jury begins deliberations.

Judge Refuses to Remove Electronic Monitoring from Murder Defendant

“This is the bare minimum to make sure for people in the community that there’s some assurance of their safety,” stated DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe in denying a motion by Naquel Henderson’s defense attorney to have his electronic monitoring removed.

Henderson, 26, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and five counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Michael Taylor on Jan. 12, 2019, on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE.

Arrest documents report that Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to the report of a shooting and found three victims suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Two of the victims, an adult and a juvenile, survived with serious injuries, but Taylor was pronounced dead after lifesaving efforts failed.

Henderson is one of five co defendants in the case. Two of them–Stephon Evans, 23, and Tavist Alston, 30–have accepted plea deals, while two others–Alonzo Brown, 27, and Carlos Turner, 26–are still awaiting trial.

Lisbeth Sapirstein, Henderson’s attorney, asked Judge O’Keefe to remove Henderson’s electronic monitoring because DC Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) has repeatedly reported Henderson as being in violation of his stay-away order when Uber drivers have taken him through the stay-away zone, despite his requests that they take a different route.

“He called me right after getting out of the Uber. He asked, he begged the guy not to drive by the stay-away location, and the Uber driver didn’t listen,” Sapirstein told Judge O’Keefe regarding Henderson’s most recent reported violation.

“There have never been any allegations in this case, either while Mr. Henderson was incarcerated or after he was released, that he has attempted to make any contact with the complainants or their families,” Sapirstein argued.

“Witnesses are being threatened,” the prosecutor stated in opposition to Sapirstein’s motion. “This information just came to us in the last 24 hours. I haven’t been able to vet it, I haven’t been able to investigate it, but it is of concern.”

“Maybe it’s the two folks who have already been convicted,” Judge O’Keefe responded in his refusal to take the allegations of threats into account in his decision regarding Henderson’s conditions of release.

Judge O’Keefe denied Sapirstein’s motion, pointing out that defendants facing charges like Henderson’s are rarely released from detention under any conditions, let alone freed from electronic monitoring.

“We’re talking about a mandatory minimum of 30 years in jail. That would scare anyone,” Judge O’Keefe countered when Sapirstein argued that Henderson was not a flight risk.

At Sapirstein’s request, Judge O’Keefe agreed to amend Henderson’s stay-away order so that PSA would not report it as a violation if he momentarily passed through the stay-away zone.

Judge O’Keefe also denied a motion for severance from Sapirstein, which would have allowed Henderson to be tried separately from the other co-defendants in this case.

Henderson’s trial readiness hearing is scheduled for April 25, 2025. The parties have agreed to go to trial sooner if an earlier date opens up.

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