Judge Moves Sentencing in Non-fatal Shooting Case

DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan delayed sentencing in a shooting case by a week because the defense needs more time to consider the facts.

Joseph Washington, 23, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a pistol without a license in relation to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on the 5000 block of Astor Place, SE on Oct. 8, 2022.

On April 10, Judge Ryan read the defendant’s statement explaining that after the argument got heated between the defendant’s girlfriend and the complainants Washington stepped in when things turned physical.

“I know where I went wrong and my actions were impulsive,” Judge Ryan said while reading a statement from the defendant.

Prior to this hearing, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a pistol without a license. Both charges were accepted by Judge Ryan. However, after reading out the defendant’s statement Judge Ryan said he believes that the case could be self-defense.

Judge Ryan asked Washington if he shot the gun in self-defense. The defendant didn’t reply and expressed that he needed to have a ready answer. He told the defense that he will give both Washington and defense attorney Nicholas Lauckland time to negotiate and set a new sentencing date.

“I don’t want anyone pleading guilty to something they know they didn’t do”. Judge Ryan said.

According to court documents, an argument between Washington and two female victims that were grazed by gunfire was over trash being left in the hallway of their apartment.

Then the complainant’s husband reportedly stepped in to break up the fight by choking Washington. He reaches for his gun to fight against the husband and ends up shooting the two female victims.

Both parties are set to reconvene on April 20.

Fingerprint Expert Matches Co-Defendants to Car Used to Transport Victim

During a trial on April 10, the prosecution called a finger print expert who match fingerprints from a car to the murder defendants.

Gregory Taylor, 26, Quentin Michals, 25, Qujuan Thomas, 24, Darrise Jeffers, 23, Isaiah Murchison, 22, and Marquell Cobbs, 21, are six of 10 defendants charged with first-degree murder, criminal street gang affiliation, conspiracy, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill, and other charges regarding a fatal drive-by shooting that resulted in Makiyah’s death. The shooting happened on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE on July 16, 2018.

The fingerprints analyzed were retrieved from a Honda that was allegedly used to transport one of the victims of the shooting to a local hospital.

According to a special police officer, a car approached the ambulance entrance at George Washington University Hospital. There was allegedly a person in the car who was injured. The officer told Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers that he went back into the hospital to get medical personnel, but when he returned, the third person was gone.

The prosecutor showed surveillance footage of the incident described by the officer. The officer’s testimony lined up with the footage, although there was one discrepancy.

The surveillance footage shows the third individual placing an object behind a pillar, which was out of sight of the witness.

The fingerprint expert was able to match Michaels, Cobbs, Murchison, and Taylor’s fingerprints to those on the car.

In a photograph of the fingerprints, there were different colored dots which indicated where the witness felt confident there was a match or not confident, with some levels in between.

During cross examination, the defense asked the witness why he did not see a match in one photograph but still made an identification against one of the defendants.

The witness said the inconsistency could result from a number of possibilities and that there were too many other similarities to not make an identification.

However, one of Murchison’s defense attorney said fingerprint experts have made mistakes in the past and are not always 100 percent correct.

The trial is scheduled to continue on April 11.

Defendant Sentenced to Seven Years Incarceration for Sexual Abuse

On April 7, DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan sentenced William Romero to a total of 7 years for sexually abusing his two underaged nieces.

Romero, 24, had originally been charged with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of second-degree sexual abuse in connection to incidents that occurred between December 2019 and December 2020, and an incident that occurred on Nov. 27, 2021.

He accepted an offer from prosecutors and pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of attempted second-degree sexual abuse.

According to court documents, Romero was babysitting his sister’s two daughters, then seven and five years old, when the incident occurred.

He went into the bedroom where the 5-year-old was playing on her phone, got in bed with her, performed oral sex on her, and raped her, according to court documents.

According to the victim’s parents, the girls brought up the issue to them a few days after the 2021 incident. Both girls were taken to receive care from doctors at a hospital, where they both tested positive for chlamydia.

The victims’ parents made impact statements at the sentencing hearing. The father, in an emotional testimony, told the court that the past year has been extremely difficult for him and his family.

He argued that Romero shows no remorse for his actions and asked Judge Raffinan to change things for the community because “people like him [the defendant] don’t belong in our society.”

Likewise, the victims’ mother told the court “I’m here to beg [the judge] to please think of my daughters as she makes her decision… He [the defendant], was someone that was supposed to care for them and protect them, and instead damaged them for life.”

Looking into his eyes, the victims’ mother told Romero that she hopes he will feel remorse at some point, and that she prays God will forgive him for his actions.

Prosecutors asked Judge Raffinan to impose a 60 month sentence for the second-degree sexual abuse charge, a 24 month sentence for the attempted second-degree sexual abuse charge, supervised release, and for the defendant to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Julie Swaney, Romero’s defense attorney, argued that the sentence asked for by the prosecutors is excessive for this case, stating that the defendant endured several traumatic experiences that led him to act the way he acted.

Swaney asked Judge Raffinan to leave him on release to be able to receive treatment necessary to become a better person. If the defendant is imprisoned, he will be targeted by other inmates due to the crime he confessed to, she said.

Romero told the court to tell his sister, the victims’ mother, he understood the incident was not an easy thing to deal with. He said he is also a dad and has not been able to be with his son and is worried that he will not be able to be there for the twins he’s expecting.

Romero went on to argue that if he was released, it would be his second chance at being a good father.

Judge Raffinan told the court she appreciated all statements given, and that she took them all into consideration for her imposed sentence.

Judge Raffinan sentenced Romero to a total of 84 months for both charges, with 10 year supervised release and 2 years of probation. He is also expected to register as a sex offender and undergo sex offender evaluation and treatment.

Judge Raffinan also told Romero that he is to staying away from the two victims and their parents, and is not allowed to have any unsupervised interactions with anyone under the age of 18.

The defendant, who was on release before his sentencing, was taken into custody by US Marshals to serve his sentence.

Defendant Enters Not-guilty Plea

On April 10, the defendant in a non-fatal shooting case was arraigned before a DC Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Johnathan Jones, 37 is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, unlawful discharge of a firearm, possession of an unregistered firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition for allegedly firing shots in the air on Feb. 8 on the 800 block of H Street, NW.

The offer included Jones pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm the prosecution would dismiss all other charges and enhancement.

According to court documents, a witness observed Jones saying something out loud before he took out the gun from his waistband and fired multiple shots into the air.

Defense attorney Page Resnick informed the court that a plea offer was rejected in a previous hearing and the defense would like to go to trial

The prosecution asked for the closest trial date possible since Jones is detained

Judge Arthur scheduled a trial date for May 17.

A trial readiness hearing is scheduled for April 27.

Trial Date Set In Double Murder Case

Five years after the murder of Jermaine Bowens and Elijah Henry, a trial date is finally scheduled for 2025.

Twenty-three-year-old James Mayfield is charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed, three counts of robbery while armed, attempt to commit robbery while armed, three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, threat to kidnap or injure a person, assault with dangerous weapon, 11 counts of possession of firearm during a crime of violence, carrying a pistol without a license and possession of unregistered firearm. The charges stemmed from multiple incidents that occurred between Dec. 26 and Dec. 27 of 2017, including the alleged shootings that caused the death of Bowens, 38, and Henry, 21.

Mayfield allegedly committed the crime while he had an arrest warrant issued against him on Oct 25, 2017, in connection with the shooting of Jhamari Sydnor,17, on Aug. 10, 2017, at the intersection of Montana and Saratoga Avenue, NE.

On Dec. 26, 2017, Bowens was found by MPD officers with multiple gunshots to his lower body on the 2000 block of 22nd Street, NE. He was transferred to Medstar/Washington Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The next morning on Dec. 27, 2017, Mayfield allegedly attempted to rob a man while armed on the 3000 block of Berry Street, NE. The male was able to flee and report the robbery to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Mayfield was later arrested after the male identified Mayfield as the individual who tried to rob him.

After Mayfield was searched, MPD officers allegedly found a gun tucked to his pants, according to court documents. The gun was later examined and deemed the same gun that was used in the alleged shooting of Bowens and Henry.

Earlier that day, while hanging out with his friends in a townhouse on the 1800 block of Bryant Street, NE, Mayfield got into an argument with Henry over a coat. The argument resulted in Mayfield reportedly shooting Henry. He was found lifeless with a gunshot wound on his upper right shoulder, according to court documents.

During the investigation, a witness who was in the townhouse where Henry was found told the detective that “Jamo” who shot Henry along with an associate known as “Phill” went up to “Toga” and shot up the area where a girl was shot.

The detective recognized the description as the murder of Syndor in Saratoga.

The detective then retrieved a flyer that had Mayfield’s picture on it soliciting the public’s help with his arrest for the murder of Syndor. After seeing the flyer the witness immediately pointed at the photo and said “That’s him, right there, that’s “Jamo”, he ain’t got dreads no more”, court document stated.

Jurors found Mayfield guilty of all charges regarding Syndor’s murder on Dec. 8, 2022, however, the case is still pending sentencing after defense filed a motion for a new trial regarding a juror who turned out to have gone to the same school as Mayfield.

During an April 7 court proceeding both parties explained to DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe why this case is taking so long.

Defense attorney Veronica Holt on behalf of Mayfield stated that this trial is trailing the murder trial of Syndor and has been put on hold until Syndor’s trial is over.

Prosecution informed the court that this case has been on the back burner while the Syndor case is ongoing.

Both cases involving Mayfield came at the same time because after he killed Syndor, Mayfield reportedly went on a “ crime spree” that involved nine victims including Henry and Bowens, the prosecution said.

Based on both parties’ availability, trial, in this case, is slated to start on Jan 27, 2025.

“That’s seven and a half years after the fact,” Judge O’Keefe said.

“Given the matters against him that should not be a problem regarding him being detained,” Holt responded.

Holt also asked the prosecution to hand over additional evidence regarding the murder charges.

A status hearing is scheduled for April 21.

Document: Police Search for Vehicle Connected to Homicide on Benning Road, NE

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a vehicle believed to be involved in a homicide on the 4000 block of Benning Road, NE on April 11.

According to a press release, officers located two adult females victims and two adult male victims suffering from gunshot wounds. One of the male victims, 29-year-old Terrell Coghill died on the scene.

Document: Police Arrest Suspect in Anacostia Avenue homicide

On April 11, detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department arrested 58-year-old Terry Charles, Jr. for his alleged involvement in the murder of 39-year-old Lennette Clark.

The incident occurred on the 1500 block of Anacostia Avenue, NE on Jan. 30.

Trial preparations Begin in Co-Defendant Shooting Case

Trial preparations began in an April 11 hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe for a co-defendant non-fatal shooting case.

Tyrone Hawkins, 22 and Clint Broadus, 24 are being held in connection to an incident on the 1300 block of Gallaudet Street, NE on Sept. 23, 2021. Hawkins is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Broadus is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to court documents, the victim said two suspects drove by his residence in a blue SUV. They asked the victim “Where the weed at?” When the victim replied he had no marijuana, the car drove away.

Minutes later, the two suspects approached the victim on the street from different directions. The victim said he was worried he was about to be robbed due to one of the suspects wearing a black ski mask.

The victim then took out a can of mace and sprayed one of the suspects. As a result, the other suspect allegedly pulled out a firearm and began shooting.

The victim sustained a wound to the left arm.

The prosecution and defense discussed pre-trial scheduling, motions and expert notice.

The trial is scheduled for Oct. 16 and the next hearing is slated for Sept. 15.

Defense Begins to Argue Self-Defense in Homicide Case

In an April 10 hearing, a defendant appeared in front of DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt and began setting up a self-defense argument in a homicide case.

Dionte Anderson, 24, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection with the alleged shooting of Adrian Mack on Aug. 7, 2022, on the 300 block of 50th Street, NE.

Mack, 31, was conscious and breathing when Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to the scene, but despite all life-saving efforts, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

The prosecution called the lead detective on the case as a witness.

Anderson’s attorney, Prescott Loveland, through his cross-examination of the detective, revealed that Mack was in possession of a firearm at the time of the incident.

Surveillance camera footage recorded Mack walking up to and pointing his gun directly at the camera. Mack then walks back to a crowd of people and begins pointing his weapon directly at individuals in the crowd.

The footage shows Mack lower his arm and bend down to pick something up as a group of men circled him before they began fighting. Loveland argues this was done in an attempt to disarm Mack.

Mack, as shown in the video, began to chase two of the individuals he was fighting before an additional unidentified suspect and the person alleged to be Anderson began firing in his direction. It is unknown if he was still armed at that time.

After the incident, Anderson was approached by MPD officers at his residence. He was wearing a GPS monitor that tracked his movements that night and was placed at the scene. Officers then searched his residence.

Body-worn camera footage from the search reveals officers saying that this is a self-defense case before Anderson was taken to the station.

Anderson was interviewed voluntarily. He was released after his initial conversation with MPD detectives and later arrested when ballistics evidence revealed that shell casings from his house matched casings found at the scene.

Judge Brandt said she was unable to make a probable cause ruling and scheduled all parties to reconvene on April 13 to finish the hearing.

Judge Sentences Defendant in Non-fatal Shooting Case

During a sentencing hearing on April 7, DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun sentenced a non-fatal shooting defendant to six years in prison.

Emanuel Leyton Picon, 22, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to kill while armed, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, possession of a unregistered firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition.

The incident occurred on July 30, 2021, on the 1400 block of Decatur Street, NW. According to court documents, Picon shot the victim in the chest outside of a restaurant.

During court, the prosecutor explained that Picon was a simple example of what is wrong with America. He continued that Picon shot someone over a petty dispute.

The prosecutor continued saying that a lesser punishment would send a message that you will not get punished as severely for shooting someone, especially when the perpetrator is young.

He asked Judge Okun ro sentence Picon to 15 years in prison.

The defense said the jury understood some of Picon’s reasoning for shooting the victim. The defense requested four years, saying the case was an example of poorly executed self-defense.

Judge Okun explained that Picon has been involved in numerous jail programs, has no prior convictions, and that the jury found Picon innocent of assault with intent to kill, indicating Picon should have a lesser sentence.

Suspect Requests New Defense Attorney

On April 7, a defendant requested a new defense attorney because his previous attorney has “ineffectively counseled” him.

Tavon Owens,30, is charged with unarmed carjacking, assault with a dangerous weapon, and possession of a firearm. The incident occurred on the 1400 block of Newton Street, NW. According to court documents, when officers arrived at the scene, they made contact with the victim who was suffering from a gunshot wound on her left shin.

The victim was then transported to a local hospital where she was treated for her injury and released.

On Friday, Owens requested a new defense attorney from D.C. Superior Court Judge Heidi M. Pasichow.

Judge Pasichow asked the reason for the request.

Defense attorney Clarence Powell said Owens wasn’t acting in his best interest.

Judge Pasichow okayed the request and reminded Owens that even though he has a right to receive a new defense attorney he does not have the right to choose which attorney.

The prosecutor is ready to move forward to trial and is also ready to hand over any new evidence a new defense attorney will need from this case.

Parties are set to reconvene on April 12.

Judge Imposes Additional Time to Convicted Murderer’s Sentence

During a sentencing hearing on April 7, DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun added additional prison time to a defendant in a murder case.

Lamonte MacDonald, 22, was initially charged with second-degree murder while armed for shooting Malachi Yisrael, 43, on July 5, 2017, on the 300 block of 50th Street, NE. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter 2017.

On Friday, the prosecutor said he wanted MacDonald to serve the entirety of his sentence. He said that MacDonald shows no remorse for his actions, did not comply with probation, and still poses a danger to the community.

According to court documents, MacDonald shot at Yisrael eleven times before eventually killing him.

Defense attorney Pierce Suen said that MacDonald was 16 at the time of the murder and that rehabilitation would have been better than jail time due to MacDonald’s drug addiction.

Suen also said a 20 month additional sentence would not help MacDonald and that he has not been arrested for a violent crime since.

MacDonald explained even though he made mistakes while on release, he tried to do everything he was supposed to do.

Judge Okun said that he will not impose the full 20 months, but instead only added six months to MacDonald’s sentence.

Convicted Killer is a ‘Wonderful Person,’ Prosecutor Says

During a sentencing hearing on April 7, the prosecutor described the defendant as a “wonderful person” when giving her sentencing recommendations.

Samuel Davis, 64, was convicted of second-degree murder in 2019 for his involvement in the killing of Mawuli Kocuvie, 53, on Oct. 28, 2017, on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE.

The prosecutor read two statements given by the family of the victim, asking for a harsh penalty against Davis. However, she said she got to know Davis over the course of the case and said he was a wonderful person.

The prosecutor asked for a lighter sentence of nine years including time served because Davis showed remorse and helped throughout the course of the case.

Defense attorney Roderick Thompson continued the sentiments, saying Davis was remorseful and a good person at heart who made a mistake. Thompson reiterated the sentence proposed by the prosecutor.

According to court documents, Kocuvie had been subletting from Davis before he failed to pay his rent. Davis asked Kocuvie to move out, and a witness stated that he planned to.

On the day of the murder, the witness left the apartment and called 911 sometime later reporting possible suspicious acts inside the apartment.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found Kocuvie unconscious with a bungee cord wrapped around his neck.

DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun said he would depart from the guidelines and give Davis a lighter sentence.

Judge Okun sentenced Davis to seven years in prison, but he will get credit for the 66 months he has served.

Judge Finds Probable Cause in Assault With a Dangerous Weapon Case

On April 6, DC Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond found probable cause to charge Nikia Cunningham with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.

Cunningham, 28, is charged in connection to a shooting that occurred on March 28 on the 300 block of Franklin Street, NE.

Judge Raymond stated that based on the evidence provided to the court, she found probable cause that Cunningham was the one to commit the crime.

According to court documents, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers found one injured and one non-injured victim at the scene. Both victims lived in the apartment where the incident occurred.

One of the victims told police that the defendant and her husband had shown up to purchase drugs from the non-injured victim at his apartment. They arrived at his place with their 10-month-old baby and a couple of guns.

At one point during the transaction, Cunningham began to compare guns that he had with the ones the victims’ brought. A gun was even pointed at the baby.

The husband and wife then attempted to rob the dealer, which led him and his roommate to begin a tussling match with the husband. During the tussle, they fell down a flight of stairs, and, with the baby on her hip, Cunningham shot a gun, which injured the roommate’s face.

The victim that endured the gunshot ran away to avoid being shot again, according to court documents. The defendant allegedly told the other victim to let her and her husband go or “she will kill him”.

Officers were able to identify the shooter utilizing the husband’s Facebook page and a MPD database that linked the husband to Cunningham. The non-injured victim was able to identify the suspect with a photo array.

Officers were able to recover the stolen guns from a trash can outside the defendant’s house.

Cunningham was arrested two days after the incident at a hospital where she and her husband were attempting to access care for their baby.

Judge Raymond rejected the defense attorney’s request to release the defendant, stating “no [release] conditions will ensure the safety of the community”.

Parties are expected back in court on April 12.

Defendants File for New Trial Date Following Juror Issue in Homicide Case

On April 7, DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan heard testimony from two witnesses regarding a defendants’ relationship with a juror who found them guilty of all charges.

Robert Moses, 24, and James Mayfield, 23, were found guilty by a jury in December of 2022 of conspiracy while armed, first-degree murder while armed, two counts of assault with intent to kill, and one count of assault with intent to kill while armed when the victim was especially vulnerable due to age, among other charges. These charges were in connection to the shooting that took place on Aug. 10, 2017, on the 1400 block of Montana Avenue, NE and led to the death of 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor.

Defense attorneys for Moses said a witness that grew up with both defendants was a juror for the trial.

The witness stated he knew Moses for a very long time, and was able to identify him in court. He told the court he considered himself a good friend of Moses’ and had been in contact with him for a little while he was being held for this case.

According to the witness, he had been present for a few days of the trial for this case, and had realized he knew one of the jurors that was serving for this trial. He realized she had gone to the same high school as him and both defendants.

The witness told the court that the high school, Washington Math Science Technology (WMST), was a very small school where everyone knew one another. He said he had seen Moses have several conversations with the juror at some point in their high school career, implying that they knew each other as well.

The witness told the court that he hadn’t mentioned the juror being an individual that grew up with them to anyone and was actually contacted by one of the defense attorneys asking if he knew someone by the juror’s name.

Moses’ defense attorney introduced another witness currently jailed for murder who also said he, along with the other witness, went to the defendants’ high school.

The second witness told the court that he considered himself friends with both defendants, and that he had a relationship with the juror after he had graduated from WMST, while she was a senior.

The witness alerted the court that Moses had been arrested for this case when he was in the relationship with the juror and she had stated she wanted justice to be served for the heinous crimes the defendant’s committed.

He told the court that his viewpoint of the justice system is “if someone got arrested for a crime, they definitely did it,” and said this to him several times.

Due to a scheduling conflict, the second witness’ testimony was stopped midway through. Parties are expected back in court to continue the testimony on April 13.