Judge Schedules Trial for Man Accused of Shooting of 11-Year-Old Boy

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a man accused of shooting an 11-year-old boy to go before a jury in December.

Tony McClam is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of Karon Brown on July 18, 2019, on the 2700 block of Naylor Road, SE.

McClam, 31, is also charged with possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill while armed and carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business in this case.

Judge Juliet McKenna scheduled jury selection to take place on Nov. 29 and 30. The trial is set to begin on Dec. 6 and end on Dec. 20.

Judge McKenna also scheduled a motion hearing for Oct. 4.

Carlin Fisher and Lizzie Brennan wrote this article.

Domestic Violence Defendant Plans to Accept Prosecution’s Plea Deal

On June 7, the defense attorney in a domestic violence case reported that his client plans to accept the prosecution’s plea deal.

Back in March, the defendant was indicted on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury, threat to kidnap or injure a person and possession of a prohibited weapon.

Judge Juliet McKenna scheduled the defendant’s next hearing for June 29, at which time he is expected to plead guilty.

Lizzie Brennan and Carlin Fisher wrote this article.

80 Homicides Happened in First 5 Months of 2021, Data Shows

There were 80 homicides in DC from the beginning of this year through the end of May, according to D.C. Witness data.

As of June 1, 2020, a year with more homicides than any of the four years before it, there were 73.

Eighty percent of the 2021 victims were shot. Twelve-and-a-half percent were stabbed.

Some homicide victims have more than one cause of death. Two victims died in vehicle-related homicides, three died of trauma, two died from assaults and one was strangled.

The cause of death of the youngest victim, two-month-old Kyon Jones, remains unknown. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out a missing persons alert for the infant on May 7. At around 1:10 p.m. that day, officers responded to the 1500 block of Benning Road, NE, for a welfare check, according to a press release. His mother, 37-year-old Ladonia Boggs, reportedly did not know where her son was. The child has yet to be found.

On May 14, Boggs was arrested for felony murder. However, on the day of her initial hearing, she ultimately ended up only being charged with tampering with evidence.

Boggs is currently released on her promise to return to court for her next hearing, which is scheduled for Nov. 19.

The oldest victim was 66-year-old Mohammed Anwar, who was killed on March 23 on the 1200 block of Van Street, SE, after two girls, ages 13 and 15 at the time, were quickly arrested for felony murder.

On June 4, DC Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz sentenced the 15-year-old girl to the maximum sentence allowed for felony murder in juvenile cases. She will be held under the supervision of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) until she is 21.

The 13-year-old girl is expected to be sentenced in July for second-degree murder.

The average age of the victims was 31.

Anwar and Jones are among 70 of the male victims. Ten victims were female.

April had 20 homicides – more than any other month in 2021, but not by much. January had 18 homicides, February and May had 15 and March had 12.

The number of homicides decreased about 16.6 percent from January to February, decreased 20 percent from February to March, increased about 66.6. percent from March to April and decreased 25 percent from April to May.

Congress Heights had 14 homicides – more than any other neighborhood. Randle Heights and Old City each had eight.

Andrea Keckley wrote this article.

Crime Alerts: June 6-7

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out one crime alert between 9:00 p.m. on June 6 and 9:00 a.m. on June 7.

The alert was sent at 2:51 a.m. for a shooting at the intersection of 59th and Dix Street, NE.

Police do not have a description of the suspect(s).

Document: Homicide in Northwest, DC

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a homicide that happened on June 4.

At around 9:45 p.m. that day, officers responded to the 1900 block of 7^th Street, NW, for the sounds of gunshots, according to a press release.

There, they found a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds and took them to a hospital.

The man, 31-year-old Clifton Smith, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

Judge Holds Domestic Violence Defendant During Initial Hearings

During initial hearings on June 4, DC Superior Court Judge Sean Staples held one domestic violence defendant.

There were 21 defendants presented before the court, and three of these defendants had domestic violence charges filed against them.

Judge Staples held a defendant who was just brought before the court on June 3 for violation of a Civil Protection Order (CPO) and second-degree theft. In his new case, he is also charged with violation of a CPO and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle.

Judge Staples chose to hold the defendant because of his repeated alleged violations of court orders and because he is on probation for several domestic violence cases, as well. The defendant’s next hearing is scheduled for June 22.

Two additional domestic violence cases were heard. The defendants are charged with simple assault, destruction of property, unlawful entry and contempt in those cases.

Both defendants were released with orders to return to court on Dec. 10. They were also ordered to stay away from the alleged victims in each of their cases.

Judge Orders Competency Screening for Convicted Sex Abuse Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge delayed a June 4 sentencing hearing for a sex abuse case at the defense’s request.

In January 2020, Jamar Tillman was convicted in a court trial of third-degree sex abuse, assault with intent to commit third-degree sexual abuse, misdemeanor sex abuse, attempted misdemeanor sex abuse, kidnapping and robbery.

Defense attorney Jonathan Zucker requested a forensic screening to determine if his 37-year-old client is competent both to proceed to sentencing and to get standby counsel to assist him in the case.

Several competency evaluations were conducted since Tillman picked up the case, and he was found competent to stand trial in January 2020. The defense thought it was appropriate to perform another screening.

Though his counsel requested screening before a sentencing could be determined, Tillman sent handwritten letters to Judge Neal Kravitz requesting that he proceed “without any further procrastination.”

Tillman also told Judge Kravitz he has “new defensive evidence” he would like to give the court.

“We have received a number of letters from Mr. Tillman over the last 15-16 months,” Judge Kravitz said. The defendant has filed several pro se motions throughout the trajectory of his case.

The judge did not agree with Tillman’s request. Instead, Judge Kravitz scheduled a mental observation hearing for June 18. The competency evaluation will be conducted from DC Jail.

Mykala Jones and Will Lawrence wrote this article.

Homicide Defendant Pleads Guilty

A defendant charged in connection with an October homicide entered a guilty plea.

Tyrone Brown, 64, was initially charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the shooting death of 45-year-old Orlando Miller on the 1700 Block of Lang Place, NE, on Oct. 1, 2020. During the June 4 hearing, Brown pleaded down to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed.

As part of the plea deal, the prosecution agreed to dismiss another felony case, in which he was charged with distribution of a controlled substance. The prosecution also agreed not to pursue sentencing enhancements.

Judge Milton Lee scheduled Brown to be sentenced on Oct. 26.

Tory Lysik and Mark Lu wrote this article.

Judge Holds One Domestic Abuse Defendant During Initial Hearings

During initial hearings on June 3, DC Superior Court Judge Sean Staples held one of five domestic violence defendants.

In total, there were 24 defendants presented for arraignments.

One of the domestic violence defendants is charged with violation of a Civil Protection Order (CPO) and unlawful entry onto private property.

The defendant is on probation in two domestic violence cases, one of them involving the same complaining witness in his new case.

Judge Staples said he finds the defendant to be a danger to the community because he has had his probation revoked in past domestic violence cases.

He will be held until his next hearing, which is scheduled for June 22.

The four remaining domestic violence defendants were all released with orders to report to the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) once a week by phone and to come back to court on Dec. 9.

The charges for these cases include CPO violation, second-degree theft, attempted threats to do bodily harm, simple assault, attempted possession of a prohibited weapon and contempt.

Three of the defendants were given stay-away orders while the last one was not because Judge Staples did not find probable cause in his case.

Judge Postpones Sentencing Domestic Violence Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge postponed a June 4 sentencing hearing for a domestic violence defendant.

The 27-year-old defendant is charged with simple assault and contempt.

The defense attorney recently learned about new evidence on his client’s social media that he may want to present at sentencing.

Judge John Campbell rescheduled the sentencing to July 1 so parties can have more time to review the evidence.

Lizzie Brennan and Anna Newkirk wrote this article.

15-Year-Old Girl Gets Maximum Sentence for Murder of UberEats Driver

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a 15-year-old girl to the maximum sentence allowed for felony murder in juvenile cases.

The girl, who was 15 at the time of the crime, is charged in the March 23 murder of 66-year-old Mohammad Anwar.

The juvenile, along with a 13-year-old girl, tried to carjack Anwar on the 1200 block of Van Street, SE. The girls were armed with a stun gun and, when Anwar accelerated the car, it ran into a tree, which flipped the car. Anwar was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

“He might just be a name, a victim, but let me tell you what an angel the world lost that day,” Anwar’s daughter said during the June 4 sentencing hearing.

The 15-year-old girl pleaded guilty to felony murder in May.

At least six members of Anwar’s family were present for the virtual hearing. Three of them gave statements.

“He was more than just an Uber driver,” said Anwar’s niece. “He was a husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and a cousin…he would never cause harm to anyone else.”

Anwar’s niece went on to recount how he was a deeply religious man, and Ramadan was his absolute favorite time of year, which they all had to celebrate without him.

She went on to say that he worked in Kuwait his entire life while his wife and family were in Pakistan. He worked so they could have a better life and one day be together in the U.S. She said that he was only driving for Uber in order to keep himself busy during the pandemic, and he was planning on starting his own business.

“You did not kill one person that day. You killed a whole family.” In closing, she said that she hopes the girl makes something good out of her life.

“We know that no punishment today will bring my uncle back,” she said. “While you may not have seen value in those moments [during Anwar’s death], we see value in yours…your entire life is ahead of you…we hope you choose to do productive things and be a productive member of society.”

All three family members who shared their statements spoke of how the system has failed them and failed Anwar. They mentioned that they often found out about events from the media, and they lamented that carjackings by juveniles are still rising in the city. “[I hope] that my father is given true justice…I hope that justice prevails,” said Anwar’s daughter.

The juvenile’s defense attorney, Edward Shackley, said they were there because people need to learn about making good decisions and some kids learn a little too late. “The purpose of the juvenile system is rehabilitation. The first part of that is learning your mistake,” he said.

Shackley said the girl is extremely remorseful about her mistake, and she knows she needs to do better in the future. He said that they took no position on the sentence the court might impose.

Judge Lynn Leibovitz asked the girl if she wanted to say anything. “I never intended to murder someone. I would never intentionally hurt someone…If I could take it back, I would,” she said, apologizing to the family.

“No sentence can bring Mr. Anwar back,” said Judge Leibovitz. “The respondent committed an unthinkable crime. Mohammad Anwar died in a terrible way.”

The judge sentenced the juvenile to the maximum sentence, and she will be held under the supervision of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) until she is 21.

“This process is rehabilitative so that no one else suffers the fate of Mr. Anwar,” said Judge Leibovitz.

In closing, she said, “I hope you fully appreciate how much pain you have caused people.”

The 13-year-old girl is expected to be sentenced in July for second-degree murder.

This article was written by Krystin Roehl

Judge Sentences Domestic Violence Defendant to 18 Months

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a domestic violence defendant to 18 months for attempted assault with a dangerous weapon.

Keith Kinney was initially charged with assault with intent to kill while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for firing a gun three to four times at his girlfriend in February 2020. No one was harmed.

The defendant pleaded down to the attempted assault with a dangerous weapon charge earlier this year.

Kinney has been held at DC Jail in this case since March 2020. He will receive credit for time served.

Judge Neal Kravitz also sentenced Kinney to three years of supervised release. He said he expects Kinney will serve additional time for a separate case involving a gun possession charge, which is why he sentenced him to less time than he otherwise would have.

“I hope you are able to make the most of your time in prison,” he told the defendant.

During the June 4 hearing, defense attorney Steven Ogilvie said that, since being jailed, Kinney has earned several accreditations and certifications.

I “really want to take this time to better myself, learn a little more so that I can become a better man when I leave,” Kinney said.

Will Lawrence and Mykala Jones wrote this article.

Judge Gives Prosecution Deadline to Respond to Defense’s Evidence Requests in Murder Case

A DC Superior Court judge set a June 9 deadline for the prosecution in a homicide case to respond to the defense’s discovery request for forensic evidence.

Co-defendants Malik Hewitt and Nyekemia Everett are charged with first-degree murder while armed for their alleged roles in the shooting of 37-year-old Christopher Heard on the 2300 block of Ainger Place, SE, on April 27, 2017.

Last August, a judge declared a mistrial in the case before closing arguments began due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendants are now awaiting retrial, with jury selection scheduled for June 30.

In addition to the results of the pending DNA test, parties also discussed the admissibility of several existing pieces of evidence, including text messages, cell phone records and social media posts.

The prosecution was prepared to agree on several findings without the need to argue them in court, but the defense emphasized the need for discovery concerns to be resolved first. The prosecution said that fingerprint results were given to the defense before this hearing.

The prosecution used a DNA test in the previous trial, which implicated Everett, but not Hewitt, Nikki Lotze, Hewitt’s defense attorney, said.

“If the new DNA results are the same as the government anticipates, that’s not going to generate any requests for continuance for additional testing by Mr. Everett,” Everett’s defense attorney, Michael Madden, said.

Lotze pushed for an expedited response time from the prosecution on her request for forensic evidence.

“It would be far easier to see the government’s position in writing than in conversation,” she said regarding the prosecution. Of the 18 requests Lotze filed a month ago, the prosecution has responded to half of one. Lotze also called the prosecution’s employment of another DNA test “the government farming out to alternative labs.”

The prosecution expects a return on the DNA test by June 25.

“We don’t want to be foreclosed in these stipulations for the lab’s failures and evidence collection and maintenance by having that stipulated away,” Lotze said.

The jury selection is set to take place June 30 and July 1. The trial is set to conclude on July 23. The trial will begin after jury selection and is scheduled to conclude on July 23.

Hewitt is also charged with possession of a firearm during an act of violence, felony murder while armed and conspiracy.

Everett is also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, fleeing a law enforcement officer, attempt to commit robbery while armed, conspiracy, and obstructing justice in this case.

The next hearing in this case is scheduled for June 18.

Tory Lysik and Mark Lu wrote this article.

2019 Murder Case Continues to Await Indictment, Trial Dates

A DC Superior Court judge continued a murder case after realizing the June 4 hearing was scheduled by accident.

Marco Powell, also known as Tyrell Powell, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of 22-year-old Semaj Alsobrooks. Powell, 24, is accused of shooting Alsobrooks on Sept. 4, 2019, on the 3900 block of East Capitol Street, NE.

Defense attorney Jason Tulley asked Judge Danya Dayson for a definitive timeframe of the trial schedule, but Judge Dayson could not give him one.

The case also has yet to be indicted.

Judge Dayson scheduled a status conference for Sept. 8, at which time they plan to schedule a trial readiness hearing. Judge Dayson attributed the delay in setting a trial readiness date to the prioritization of felony cases that opened at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lizzie Brennan and Anna Newkirk wrote this article.

Judge Schedules Sentencing Date, Orders Competency Exam for Convicted Murderer

On June 3, a DC Superior Court judge agreed to order a competency evaluation for a defendant currently waiting to be sentenced for murder.

In February 2020, a jury convicted 50-year-old Herman Lee Cook, Jr. of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for the shooting of 45-year-old Donald Johnson Jr. on the 5700 block of Georgia Avenue, NW, on Aug. 8, 2016.

The prosecution did not oppose defense attorney William R. Buie‘s request for a forensic screening.

The evaluation is expected to be done by the time of the next status hearing on June 1.

Judge John Campbell set a sentencing date for Oct. 18 as a placeholder. “It may or may not be possible to advance the sentencing date,” he said.

Mark Lu wrote this article.

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