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.

Parties Continue to Pick Apart Instagram Report in Murder Trial

As a six co-defendant murder trial continues, the testimony focused on arguments about months of Instagram messages and posts among the 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 the death of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson. The shooting happened on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE on July 16, 2018.

On April 6, an Instagram expert delivered a lengthy report including all direct message communications and access to all defendants’ accounts. Both the prosecution and the defense have been working to deliver a final report that can be introduced to the jury.

The report is being reviewed page by page and word by word.

This debate began at the trial’s inception a month and a half ago and continues.

In this hearing the parties specifically looked at communications between the defendants in a group direct message after one of the defendants, Michals, had been shot. The messages show threats of alleged retaliation by the group.

Multiple defense attorneys argued to redact clients’ names due to their inactivity in the group chats. DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun denied the redaction.

The report also contains a photo of Cobbs holding a gun, which was sent during the alleged discussion about retaliation.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday April 10.

Document: Homicide on A Street, SE

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating a homicide that occurred on April 8 on the 3400 block of A Street, SE.

According to a press release, shooting victim 65-year-old Wendell Davis was located by officers and transported to a local hospital for treatment where the was pronounced dead.

Document: Police Arrest Suspect in 19th Street Homicide

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) charged 54-year-old Cynthia Battle on April 7 for her alleged connection in the death of 59-year-old Raymond Johnson on the 1500 block of 19th Street, Se.

Battle was apprehended on March 14 an arrest warrant form the Halifax County Sheriff’s office in North Carolina.

Judge Dismisses Defendant’s Murder Charges in Homicide Case

At a status hearing on April 6, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt dismissed five of six charges without prejudice against a defendant in a homicide case. He is no longer charged, but the charges can be re-filed.

Herman Williams was charged with first-degree murder for his alleged role in the shooting of 33-year-old William Boykin on May 28, 2019, on the 2600 block of Birney Place, SE. Williams, 32, has been held at the DC Jail since his arrest on June 5, 2019.

On March 31, the prosecution filed a motion to dismiss Williams’ charges for first-degree murder, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill while armed, and one of his counts for unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence. The prosecution also requested that the charges be dismissed without prejudice.

The motion was filed after the defendant sent a letter to the judge expressing frustration with the lack of a speedy trial, stating that he had yet to see any of the prosecution’s evidence.

However, the prosecution stated that the motion was not filed in response to the letter

The prosecution also stated that they had disclosed all of their evidence to the defense and that it was the attorneys’ responsibility to share that information with the defendant.

This confusion was likely due to the fact that Williams’ counsel has changed four times over the course of his case, the prosecutor said. The defendant’s current attorney was not appointed until March 24.

Defense attorney Thomas Key agreed with the motion, stating that the prosecution was dismissing the case as they had no evidence to prove the guilt of his defendant.

Judge Brandt accepted the prosecution’s motion to dismiss counts one through five and agreed to the defense’s request to sentence Williams for the final charge at the hearing.

Williams was sentenced to time served, which was about four years, and three years on supervised release for his final charge, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence. He is also required to register as a gun offender and pay $100 to the victims of violent crime fund.

Finally, Key requested that the DNA evidence sent to the lab to be tested be returned to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to be preserved for the instance that Williams’ charges are re-filed.

All further hearings scheduled for this case have been vacated.

Defense Argues Against In-Court Identification Due To Change in Witness Testimony

At a resumed motion hearing on April 6, the defense and prosecution discussed whether or not an eyewitness should be allowed to make an in-court identification in a homicide trial due to the inconsistencies in his testimony.

Alphonso Walker is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the deaths of Dalonte Wilson, 23, and Antone Brown, 44, near the 400 block of 61st Street, NE on April 25, 2018. Walker, 45, allegedly killed the two men after attempting to rob them.

During the hearing, defense attorney Prescott Loveland requested that DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt preclude an in-court identification by one of the prosecution’s witnesses.

Loveland explained that the witness had access to and read information regarding the case and Walker’s description. At a later meeting with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the witness identified Walker through a Facebook account that he had found on his own accord.

Because this was almost five years after the initial incident and after the witness read about the defendant, Loveland argued that the witness’ identification through Facebook should also be precluded.

The prosecution objected stating that the information the witness had been reading was all public knowledge and that he had every right to access it.

She also stated that the witness’s identification of the defendant through Facebook was completely voluntary, therefore there was no influencing in the identification.

The prosecution also expressed the importance of the witness testimony in the trial as Judge Brandt had already suppressed other eyewitness testimonies.

In response, Judge Brandt stated that she stood by the decisions she had made prior regarding the witnesses. She also explained that the witnesses’ histories of substance abuse contribute to the lack of credibility in their testimonies.

Loveland made a final request that the court schedule a hearing to bring in the witness and question him in regard to the inconsistencies in his testimony.

Judge Brandt rejected his request, stating that all of the questions regarding the witness’ credibility could be asked in cross-examination during the trial. She concluded by stating that the truth of the witness’s testimony should be left up to the jury to decide.

The motion hearing is scheduled to continue April 11.

Defendant Waives Preliminary Hearing

A homicide defendant waived his preliminary hearing, sending him into trial preparation.

Anthony Williams, 45, is charged with carrying a pistol without a license after he allegedly shot and killed Brooklyn Michael Lynn. The incident occurred on Dec. 14, 2022, on the 2700 block of Good Hope Road, SE.

During the April 6 hearing, Williams waived his right to a preliminary hearing, allowing defense attorney Prescott Loveland to focus his energy on preparation for trial.

According to court documents, In an incident described as “road rage,” Williams allegedly shot Lynn, 33, when he approached the defendant after a car accident and allegedly punched him. Lynn was not in nor operating either car involved in the accident.

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers arrested Williams on charges of second-degree murder while armed, but prosecutors processing the case are seeking a lesser charge.

All parties are scheduled to return to court on April 21 for a felony status conference.

Defendant Fails to Appear in Court Due to Ongoing Drug Treatment

In an April 6 hearing, a defendant failed to appear in front of DC Superior Court Judge Heidi Pasichow due to his commitment to an in-patient drug treatment program.

Curtis Smith is charged with assault with intent to commit robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection with an alleged shooting that occurred on Aug. 25, 2022, on the 1500 block of Good Hope Road, SE.

Smith, 55, did not appear in court today due to his ongoing in-patient drug treatment. His attorney, Terrence Austin, told Judge Pasichow that he doesn’t even know if Smith was made aware of the hearing or if he could have attended regardless.

According to court documents, Smith, armed with a firearm, allegedly shot at the victim while attempting to rob him. Curtis fled the scene on his bike after the incident.

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to the scene and found the victim sitting on the sidewalk with two sustained gunshot wounds. An ambulance was requested and the victim was transported to the hospital, treated, and released.

During his interview at the hospital, the victim told MPD detectives the man who shot him repeated “gimmie that money” several times while aiming a small handgun that he produced from his pocket at him. The victim had $200 cash on his person at the time.

Smith is expected to complete his drug treatment on or around May 17 but has an additional hearing he is scheduled to appear at on May 2.

Judge Pasichow ruled to vacate the May 2 hearing and reschedule Smith’s arraignment for after his treatment completion date.

All parties are scheduled to reconvene on June 1.

Defendant on Parole Arrested

Kalyl Young was ordered to court April 5 after allegedly violating his probation conditions.

According to court documents, the incident occurred on May 20, 2022, on the 500 block of Irving Street, NW. Young, 20, attempted to rob another man, and in a tussle, shot himself three times in the leg. He was charged with attempted robbery and sentenced by DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan to 18 months probation under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA).

As a result, Young was required to partake in cognitive therapy, seek evaluation for substance abuse, participate in a full-time educational program, and complete 90 hours of community service.

However, Young allegedly violated probation when he was arrested with six others after Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers raided a home, finding marijuana, several firearms, and a machine gun. The prosecution said Young was not found in possession of these items but was arrested on association.

Aside from this incident, Young has been in full compliance with the court.

Young’s probation was extended by 45 days. Within that time, Young will continue his cognitive therapy.

“You’re young enough to change your behavior pattern and the way you look at the world,” Judge Ryan told Young. “You’ve got to step up.”

Parties are scheduled to return to court on May 18.

Murder Defendant Waives Right to DNA Testing Evidence

On April 4, a murder defendant alerted the court that he was waiving his right to independently test DNA evidence produced by prosecutors.

Juan Peterson, 32, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the shooting of four individuals on May 15, 2021, on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE. Lester Howard, 28, succumbed to his injuries from the attack. The other three victims were treated and released from hospitals.

Prosecutors told DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun they had tested the defendant’s car’s driver’s side console and door and had obtained DNA evidence. They also acquired more than 30 other evidence items, which were not tested for DNA.

When asked by the judge what he planned to do, the defendant stated he did not intend to independently test the evidence produced by prosecutors.

All parties are expected back in court for a trial readiness hearing on July 17.

Witnesses Testify to Non-Fatal Injuries Received in Alleged Gang Shooting

As a six co-defendant murder trial continued, witnesses testified on April 5 to other injuries tied to a fatal drive-by shooting.

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 drive-by shooting that killed 10-year-old Makiyah Wilsonon the 300 block of 53rd Street NE on July 16, 2018.

One expert witness, a surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center who told police on July 17, 2018, that a victim arrived with gunshot wounds and a facial fracture. According to court documents, the victim was injured in the shooting that killed Makiyah.

The victim underwent multiple surgeries over several months due to his injuries.

Another witness testified he did not see the shooting but was in the Clay Terrace neighborhood at the time and heard gunshots at the time Makiyah was murdered. Once the gunfire subsided, he went to check the scene and found someone injured.

The witness then drove the injured man to Prince George’s Hospital. The man had gunshot wounds to his left leg and left arm.

A woman who lives in Clay Terrace also testified that multiple shootings had occurred since her moving there 10-years- ago. A stray bullet from the shooting in Makiyah’s case hit her screen door and shattered the glass before lodging itself into her door.

The bullet is still in her door today.

The trial is slated to end in May or early June and is scheduled to resume April 6.

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