One man was killed and two others were injured in a shooting that occurred on Jan. 12.
At approximately 6:54 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to the 1400 block of Good Hope Road, SE, for the sounds of gunshots, according to a press release. There, they found three men suffering from gunshot wounds. They were taken to an area hospital.
One of the men, 24-year-old Nathan Outlaw, succumbed to his injuries.
A DC Superior Court judge agreed to appoint new counsel for a murder defendant who said he was displeased with his lawyer’s work in his case.
Herman Williams is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 36-year-old William Boykin, Jr. on May 28, 2019. He is also charged with assault with intent to kill while armed in the non-fatal shooting of another man during the incident, as well as four firearm possession charges.
According to court documents, surveillance footage shows an individual suspected to be Williams firing at a group of people on the 2600 block of Birney Place, SE.
During a status hearing on Jan. 13, the 30-year-old defendant said he has not spoken to his defense attorney, Roderick Thompson, and did not want him as his lawyer.
“I’ve never spoken to this man. I don’t have any paperwork from any lawyer,” Williams said. “I’ve never met with him, I’ve never talked with him. No use talking about trial dates.”
Williams was indicted on March 3, 2020. His trial was postponed multiple times.
Judge Rainey Brandt paused the hearing for another matter so Thompson and Williams could speak. The hearing was recalled approximately 20 minutes later. Having spoken to Williams, Thompson requested another hearing for the purpose of getting the defendant a new lawyer.
“The communication between Mr. Williams and myself, and his expectations for the work that has been done thus far is not up to par and not effective from his point of view,” Thompson said. “He’s expressed displeasure with my effectiveness.”
Judge Brandt decided to appoint Russell Hairston as Williams’ new lawyer. The defendant is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 23.
After approximately five days of deliberations, a jury returned a partial verdict in a murder trial.
Tony McClam faced multiple charges in reference to the fatal shooting of 11-year-old Karon Brown on July 18, 2019, in Southeast, DC. A jury found the 31-year-old defendant not guilty of first-degree murder while armed. They were unable to reach a verdict on lesser homicide charges of second-degree murder while armed and voluntary manslaughter while armed. The jury was also unable to reach a verdict on the charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and the lesser-included offense of assault with a dangerous weapon as well as possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
McClam was only convicted of carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business.
The verdict was delivered on Jan. 12, more than one month after parties delivered their opening arguments. The trial was delayed for two weeks after the defendant tested positive for COVID-19.
DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz, who presided over the trial, scheduled a status hearing for Jan. 19 to give parties time to decide how they would like to proceed.
An 18-year-old suspect has been arrested for first-degree sexual abuse, armed kidnapping and armed carjacking.
At approximately 5:15 p.m. on Jan. 11, the suspect approached the victim as they sat in their vehicle on the 4500 block of 9th Street, NW, according to a press release. The suspect then allegedly brandished a gun, entered the victim’s vehicle and forced them to drive to the 500 block of Crittenden Street, NW. There, he allegedly engaged in a forced sex act with the victim before feeling the scene in the victim’s vehicle.
An arrest was made the following day.
A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a man for forcing his way into his ex-girlfriend’s home while armed with a pocket knife.
Marlin Reynolds went to his ex-girlfriend’s home and knocked on the door. After not being let in, he managed to kick the door down. He entered, brandishing his knife. But his ex’s significant other quickly fired his gun, shooting Reynolds around his armpit.
But Reynolds gave differing narratives about the incident- when being questioned at the hospital, he told police he was shot while visiting his girlfriend’s apartment. The prosecutor said he later gave a different story to change the trajectory of the blame, saying he was shot on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.
The prosecutor displayed security footage to clarify the narrative. While short, it showed Reynolds entering the area of the apartment complex. He could then be seen leaving while a second bullet was fired in his direction by his ex-girlfriend’s partner.
The prosecutor said Reynolds’ history includes “a terrifying series of assaults and break-ins.” In one of the incidents, his ex-girlfriend’s eardrum was permanently broken. Another ex-girlfriend previously accused him of domestic violence as well. They requested a total of five-and-a-half years in prison for all of the offenses Reynolds pleaded guilty to. This was in the upper half of the sentencing guidelines provided by evaluating a variety of factors, including the defendant’s criminal history score and the incident itself.
Defense attorney Frederick Iverson requested a two-year sentence, which is in the lower half of the guidelines. He said Reynolds was being “unfairly penalized” for his prior cases, many of which he was not convicted in. He provided context not only for Reynolds’ life but for his issues with his ex-girlfriend as well.
Reynolds grew up in a household where he experienced beatings and other forms of abuse throughout his childhood. He also had debilitating ADHD and was in special education programs. The fact that the defendant was able to admit these details about his life was monumental to Iverson, who said this shows his growth and that he should receive treatment for his issues.
“Everyone agrees he should receive treatment,” Judge James Crowell responded. “The problem is he is absolutely a danger to the community.”
Iverson said the prosecutor’s narrative does not make full sense, telling Judge Crowell that Reynolds did not go to the apartment complex to attack but still conceding that his actions were wrong. Reynolds and his ex-girlfriend’s “horribly dysfunctional” relationship was a mitigating factor for Iverson because he said they were not pointing fingers since she was also an aggressor. He said the incident leaned towards self-defense and the whole reason he pulled out the knife was because of the history and feeling he was being threatened after entering her apartment.
“It’s a distinction because it is a different mindset, Your Honor,” he said. “It’s still wrong as the day is long.”
Reynolds’ ex-girlfriend had planned on attending the Jan. 12 hearing but felt sick the morning of. She instead gave a written victim impact statement to the prosecutor, who read it aloud in court.
“I’m afraid to be by myself,” she wrote. “He’s threatened me, he’s threatened my life.” The victim also wrote that she does not wish him any pain, but needs him to understand what he did wrong.
Judge Crowell echoed both the prosecutor and the defense in his conclusion.
“These are incredibly difficult cases and incredibly difficult for those involved,” Judge Crowell said. “Maybe there was violence on both sides.” He noted that the ex-girlfriend had left the situation but Reynolds had been unable to.
However, he disagreed with Iverson’s argument that Reynolds was being unfairly penalized for his prior cases- saying that if he were, his criminal history score would have been much higher.
Reynolds was initially charged with first-degree burglary while armed and simple assault following his arrest in June 2020. Last September, he was indicted on charges of assault with significant bodily injury, stalking, first-degree burglary, first-degree burglary while armed, destruction of property less than $1,000, destruction of property $1,000 or more, simple assault, assault with a dangerous weapon while armed and assaulting a law enforcement officer. Less than one month later, he agreed to plead guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon, destruction of property less than $1,000 and unlawful entry onto private property as part of a deal he made with the prosecution.
Judge Crowell sentenced Reynolds to serve a total of 38 months in prison. The defendant, who has been held at DC Jail since he was arrested, will receive credit for time served.
Reynolds received a fully suspended 180-day sentence with one year of supervised probation for both the unlawful entry charge and the destruction of property charge. He was sentenced to 60 months, 22 of which were suspended, followed by two years of supervised probation for the assault with a dangerous weapon charge.
“This is a classic, serial domestic violence abuse that escalated from beating this woman, beating her again and just not being able to come at her,” Judge Crowell said. “It’s this repetitive escalated domestic violence which in my experience usually ends up with someone dead.” He said it is difficult to believe the idea that Reynolds went to her home without any malice.
A DC Superior Court judge relaxed the pretrial release conditions of a murder defendant after he spent approximately eight-and-a-half months on home confinement.
Quincy Johnson is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 20-year-old Anthony Riley on July 17, 2020. That day, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers found Riley and another man in a vehicle on the 100 block of Walnut Street, NW, according to court documents. The other man survived the shooting.
Johnson was 16-years-old when he was arrested a little more than one month later but is being tried as an adult.
When defense attorney Roderick Thompson filed a motion to take his client off home confinement in the middle of December, he noted that Johnson had no infractions during the seven months he had spent on pretrial release by then.
“Seven months of compliance is a long period of compliance,” Judge Robert Okun agreed during the Jan. 11 proceedings.
Thompson said his client has a job opportunity lined up if he is allowed to leave his home.
The prosecutor in this case opposed the request to modify Johnson’s supervision, pointing to the seriousness of the allegations against him. Still, she said she did not specifically take issue with the defendant working and suggested a middle ground to allow for more flexibility.
Judge Okun called the prosecutor’s suggestion reasonable but ultimately agreed to lift the home confinement order.
Johnson will remain in the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP). While defendants in HISP typically have a 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew, Judge Okun imposed an 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew for Johnson as a precaution to keep him from being out too late.
A DC Superior Court judge rescheduled a hearing to determine if a fatal stabbing case has enough evidence to go to trial after learning that the defendant is requesting new counsel.
Aaron Jackson, 28, is charged with second-degree murder while armed in the death of 27-year-old Damohn Gill. On the evening of June 24, 2021, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers found Gill on the 3600 block of 22nd Street, SE, suffering from multiple stab wounds, according to court documents. He succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.
Defense attorney Ronald Resetarits informed Judge Robert Okun that his client wants new counsel during the Jan. 11 proceedings. After speaking with Jackson and Resetarits outside of open court, Judge Okun agreed to appoint the defendant a different lawyer.
An ascertainment of counsel hearing is now set to take place on Feb. 17.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on Jan. 10.
At approximately 8:52 p.m., officers responded to the scene for the sound of gunshots, according to a press release. They found 33-year-old Jerrame Watts seated in a vehicle at 13th and Irving Street NW, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
A defendant accepted a plea agreement in a felony domestic violence case he picked up after publishing explicit material of a victim without her consent.
Carlton Robertson pleaded guilty to first-degree unlawful publication, stalking and threats to do bodily harm on Jan. 11. In exchange for the plea, the prosecutor is dismissing several misdemeanor cases he currently has open.
The defendant admitted to posting lewd and sexual videos of the victim on Facebook and Reddit, as well as threatening to physically hurt the victim and her child.
The defendant is currently on release and attended the hearing remotely. He is required to stay away from the victim and refrain from contacting her. He is also not allowed to post on social media about the victim or any members of her family.
DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 11, which Robertson must attend in person.
A prosecutor informed a DC Superior Court judge that they are seeking a manual reinterpretation of DNA evidence in a murder case.
Larry Brown is charged with second-degree murder, possessing a prohibited weapon and carrying a dangerous weapon. He is scheduled to go to trial in October.
Brown, 35, is accused of stabbing Derrick Wright to death on March 24, 2018. Metropolitan Police Department officers found 31-year-old Wright on a sidewalk in front of the 1300 block of Florida Avenue, NE, suffering from a puncture wound to his chest, according to court documents. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
During the Jan. 10 hearing, one of the prosecutors, in this case, said they reached out to Bode Technology, a private forensic DNA laboratory based out of Virginia, about the reinterpretation. He said the company anticipates having it done by April.
Judge Maribeth Raffinan scheduled parties to reconvene on May 10 for a status hearing.
A defendant pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual abuse and misdemeanor sexual abuse.
On Sept. 14, 2021, a woman was walking her dog in Southeast, DC when Darnell Peoples started following her, according to court documents. He approached her from behind and grabbed her breast and buttocks. The next day Peoples started following another woman. He approached her from behind, grabbed at her clothing and pushed her to the ground before eventually fleeing.
Peoples, 19, was initially charged with assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual abuse, assault with intent to commit third-degree sexual abuse and two counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse. He pleaded guilty to the third-degree and misdemeanor sexual abuse charges during a Jan. 10 hearing after making a deal with the prosecution.
DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered a study to assess if Peoples should be sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act, which would allow his case to be effectively sealed if he completes the requirements imposed on him.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21.
Peoples currently faces probation revocation in two other cases in which he was convicted of misdemeanor sexual abuse. A probation show cause hearing for those cases is scheduled for Jan. 27.
A defense attorney advocated for her client during his sentencing hearing, speaking to the mental health issues he faced for years leading up to the offense.
Peter Banfield was originally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly shooting into his brother’s house while he and his family were sleeping. As part of a deal with the prosecution, he pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license and unlawful discharge of a firearm.
Defense attorney Khadijah Ali went into detail on how 39-year-old Banfield ended up in the place he is now. He was placed in a civil commitment multiple years ago due to being deemed mentally incompetent in another case, which was dismissed. He then received psychological treatment. During this time, he faced multiple hurdles with his mental health.
“None of this is his fault,” Ali said.
Banfield was having a mental breakdown at the time of the incident but has since been put on a different medication that is better for his health. He has been through multiple evaluations and treatment both before and after this incident took place.
Ali said his family was upset by the fact that he was attending a mental health facility at the time of his arrest. Banfield was placed into the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) and strayed with his mother, who was also present for the Jan. 10 proceedings. She said she has had no problems with him while he’s been staying with her.
“He’s not really a violent person- it is his mental condition,” she said, explaining that the only reason he committed the actions was that voices in his head told him to. She asked for Banfield to receive a sentence that is on the lower end of what is suggested for the charges.
“This is a very concerning case,” DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun said during the hearing. He said before this, Banfield had been an engineer and received a bachelor’s degree.
Judge Okun agreed with the prosecutor’s recommendation and sentenced Banfield to 180 days for unlawful discharge of a firearm and two years for carrying a pistol without a license. He suspended both sentences in his entirety and set them to run concurrently. Banfield received three years of supervised probation for each charge, which will also run concurrently.
Conditions of Banfield’s probation include receiving a mental health screening and treatment as deemed necessary by the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) as well as registering as a gun offender.
A DC Superior Court judge denied a prosecutor’s emergency motion to change the bond conditions of a sex abuse and kidnapping defendant currently on pretrial release.
The 60-year-old defendant is charged with kidnapping and second-degree child sex abuse for allegedly sexually assaulting his 11-year-old neighbor while her mother was not home.
The prosecutor in the case had filed an emergency motion due to becoming aware of a flight to Ethiopia the defendant had planned. During the Jan. 7 hearing, they said the defendant was a flight risk and asked for his release conditions to be altered to specifically state he is not allowed to leave the United States.
Defense attorney Jacqueline Williams rebutted, saying the defendant had a flight back. He said the defendant had gone to the courthouse on his own and told multiple people about the trip, including a detective. She said he plans on visiting his ailing parent while there.
“That does not sound like the type of person who’s trying to flee or hide,” Williams said, adding that the defendant had been in compliance with all his pretrial release conditions.
Judge Robert Okun denied this motion, saying it would not make sense to limit his conditions at this time.
Another hearing is scheduled for Jan. 25 in this case.
A domestic violence defendant filed a pro se motion to represent himself in court.
The defendant is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of ammunition, carrying a pistol without a license and second-degree cruelty to children. He is currently being held at DC Jail.
During a Jan. 7 hearing, the defendant indicated that he wants to continue his case pro se. This is not the first time he has made requests on his own behalf. In May 2021, he asked to have his charges dismissed entirely. How dismissal works was explained to him in detail and in response, his lawyers asked for him to receive a mental evaluation before continuing with the case.
Two months ago, he told the court he planned on doing this and his lawyers took the time to explain to him in court what this would mean for his case, pushing his trial out and receiving a competency evaluation. Yet during the Jan. 7 proceedings, he decided that instead of being defended by attorneys Howard McEachern and Donna Beasley, he only wanted them serving advisory roles.
DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun decided to hold off on ruling to transfer the defendant to St. Elizabeths Hospital, DC’s psychiatric institution, for a criminal responsibility evaluation. From there, they will determine if he is mentally competent to defend himself.
A mental observation hearing is scheduled for March 29.
A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a man to 10 years in prison for a shooting that killed an innocent bystander.
Lagioria Brinkley was 36-years-old when she was struck in the head by gunfire while walking down a sidewalk in Anacostia on the night of March 20, 2020. She was not associated with the defendant, NeQuan Carthens, who says he did not intend for her to die.
“She had no right for her life to be taken away,” 21-year-old Carthens said during the Jan. 7 sentencing.
The prosecutor played video footage of the shooting, which took place on the 1900 block of 16th Street, SE. The footage shows a blue vehicle traveling along a brick east-west alley. Carthens and another individual can be seen exiting the vehicle before firing into the street, getting back into the car and fleeing the scene. Carthens fired his weapon nine times, according to Judge Danya Dayson.
“His actions shattered the calm of that neighborhood,” the prosecutor said, noting that there was another group of people congregating nearby when Carthens opened fire.
Defense attorney Kevann Gardner agreed that the video was troubling but also said it was not representative of who Carthens is as a person. He recalled first meeting his client, who he said was distraught upon learning of Brinkley’s death.
“I have nothing but remorse,” Carthens said, apologizing to the victim’s family. Family members were present at the sentencing but none chose to make a victim impact statement.
Carthens was initially charged with first-degree murder while armed in this case. Last October, parties reached an agreement that he would plead down to voluntary manslaughter while armed. The plea deal includes an agreed-upon sentencing recommendation of 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
This is the defendant’s first adult conviction. He was also never arrested as a juvenile.
Gardner asked Judge Dayson to sentence his client under the Youth Rehabilitation Act, which would allow his case to be effectively sealed if he completes certain requirements. The prosecution opposed this request.
Judge Dayson decided to hold off ruling on the Youth Act, expressing the desire to see how he conducts himself during his incarceration. During the proceedings, she emphasized the dangerousness of firing into an area with bystanders nearby, calling such actions “abhorrent.”
Gardner also asked Judge Dayson to recommend that Carthens be placed at FCI Beckley, a federal prison in West Virginia, so he can participate in their Bureau Rehabilitation and Values Enhancement program. The cognitive-behavioral program often referred to as the “BRAVE” program lasts for six months and is designed to help young inmates adjust to incarceration, according to the Bureau of Prisons. Judge Dayson agreed to Gardner’s request.
