On Jan. 21, DC Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond heard a total of 14 cases during initial hearings, four of which were domestic violence-related.
Of the four domestic violence cases she heard, the judge held one at the DC jail.
The defendant that Judge Raymond held was brought in on a bench warrant for failing to appear at his hearing in which he is charged with simple assault. He is also charged with a bail violation.
The defendant will be held at the jail until his next hearing, which is scheduled for Feb. 2.
The three other defendants have charges including simple assault, attempted possession of a prohibited weapon and second-degree theft.
Two of the defendants were placed into the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) with GPS monitoring. All three were given stay-away orders and told to come back to court on June 24.
Daivion, 22 and Dijon, 21 were released under home confinement following their involvement in the fatal shooting of Nurudeen Thomas. The incident occurred on the 4100 block of 14th Street, NW on July, 21 2020. The brothers have been charged with felony murder while armed.
The hearing was continued due COVID -19 restrictions making it difficult for the defendants to appear in court.
The Jan. 21 proceeding also served as a pretrial show cause hearing for Daivion. During the proceeding Judge Dayson addressed three curfew violations for the defendant. She determined that the violations were due to tardiness in checking in with Pretrial Services rather than flagrant noncompliance.
Judge Dayson stressed that Daivion must follow the conditions of his home confinement.
Although the show cause hearing did not pertain to Dijon, the judge verbally warned him for his multiple failures to call and check in with pretrial services.
According to court documents, the brothers conspired with other suspects to rob Thomas, 30, but the altercation ended in homicide. Directly after the incident the group drove to Georgia, where the Williams brothers currently reside. The brothers were detained and a search warrant was executed for their house and vehicle. Forensic evidence revealed that Thomas was shot in the defendants’ vehicle.
The hearing is scheduled to continue on Feb. 26 to give the prosecution time to determine when it would be best to order the defendants to present themselves at the DC Superior Court for booking.
Parties discussed how to proceed with a murder case after a judge rules that a murder defendant is still not mentally competent to stand trial more one year after her first assessment.
She is being held at St. Elizabeths Hospital, DC’s psychiatric institution, even though she has expressed the desire to be transferred to the DC Jail.
However, Judge Neal Kravitz, declined her request, saying the hospital is the best place for her because it’s a more therapeutic environment than the jail.
Randall was first found incompetent to stand trial in August 2019 and has been found incompetent on several occasions since then. However, previous reports have said there is “substantial probability” that her competency will be restored.
In Randall’s most recent report from the DC Department of Behavioral Health, the doctor did not indicate that the defendant was likely to become competent in the foreseeable future, said Ashley Guzman, Randall’s defense attorney.
he most recent report was received on Jan. 19.
During the Jan. 21 hearing that followed, another defense attorney, Dana Page, said Randall is far from having rational understanding, which is needed to assist her attorneys.
She also said she doesn’t think there is a basis for the prosecution to have their own expert evaluate the defendant.
Page said she has concerns with the prosecution’s expert’s evaluation. She said the doctor “illegally interrogated” a previous client of hers and the case judge agreed that the information should not have been solicited.
However, the prosecutor said that Page’s description of the events may not be entirely accurate. She said that the expert warned her ahead of time that Page may bring this up.
“What I want to avoid is having something explode 30 days from now and find out the government’s expert has asked Ms. Randall things the expert is not permitted to ask her about,” Judge Kravitz said. He said the allegations are troubling if they are true.
Page also said she wants the prosecution’s expert to offer an opinion on if Randall’s competency can be restored, not if she’s competent. However, the prosecution saidthe request from the defense doesn’t make sense because the expert couldn’t make an opinion on restorability if that expert thinks the defendant’s competence has already been restored. Judge Kravitz agreed.
The defense also said they aren’t asking to be present during the evaluation, but they are asking for advance notice.
The judge agreed to that without any apparent objection from the prosecution. He also ordered that the evaluation be recorded.
Judge Kravitz ordered parties to engage in negotiations, so that both parties has the documentation needed.
A DC Superior Court judge dismissed the case for one of three co-defendants charged with murder after ruling that there is not enough evidence to go to trial.
Lejeezan Toudle, 36, was charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of Eugene Isaac Jr., who was fatally shot Feb. 15 on the 100 block of N Street, NW.
Toudle was charged under the felony murder rule. He was accused of killing Isaac while perpetrating or attempting to perpetrate the crime of robbery, according to court documents.
Back in August, Judge Danya Dayson found that the case against the three defendants had enough evidence to go to trial.
Toudle’s defense filed a motion for reconsideration.
During the hearing, the judge ruled that the case against Toudle did not have probable cause. It is now dismissed. The other two defendants’ cases remain open.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a homicide on the unit block of Farragut Place, NW.
Around 9:36 p.m. on Jan. 18, officers located 30 year-old Delonte Wall suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to an area hospital where he died from his injuries on Jan. 19.
The department is offering a reward of up to $25,000to anyone who can provide information that leads to an arrest and conviction for this crime or any other homicide in DC. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line — 50411.
Between 9:00 p.m. on Jan. 19 and 9:00 a.m. on Jan. 20, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out two crime alerts.
The most recent alert was sent at 10:51 p.m. for a robbery investigation on the 4600 block of Livingston Road, SE. Police are looking for a Black male wearing blue jeans, a blue jacket and armed with a handgun.
The second alert was sent at 9:19 p.m. for a shooting investigation on the 5400 block of Georgia Avenue, NW. Police are looking for a white SUV, which was last seen fleeing the scene.
As the DC Superior Court faces the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the suspension of jury trials, a judge set the trajectory for co-defendants charged in murder and kidnapping cases.
Kurt, 21, and Demonte, 19, Hewitt are charged with second-degree murder while armed in the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Tyshon Perry on May 1, 2018, on the 1300 block of 2nd Street, NE. The defendants are cousins.
The two were charged in this case back in 2018. They were also charged in another felony case along with a third defendant, Kevin Sanders, that year.
In that case, the cousins are charged with armed kidnapping and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Demonte is also charged with first-degree burglary while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. Sanders is charged with threats to injure or kidnap a person.
During the Jan. 19 proceedings, Judge Juliet McKenna set the kidnapping case for jury selection and trial in mid-April. One of the prosecutors estimated that the trial would take around three to four days.
The murder case will then trail the kidnapping case, with defense motions due for submission on the first of June.
In that case, the cousins are also charged with conspiracy, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon and simple assault.
Judge McKenna anticipated that, during the kidnapping trial, some jurors would sit in the jury box and others in the pews to ensure social distancing. The trial is also set to happen in a larger courtroom.
Parties in these cases are scheduled to return to court on March 22.
On Jan. 19, a DC Superior Court judge revoked a murder defendant’s pretrial release, holding him at the DC jail.
The defendant, Andre Dubose, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly killing 37-year-old Ahmad Simms on the 1800 block of Q Street, SE.
In addition to the new case, Judge Kravitz said Dubose has a parole warrant for alleged technical violations in which he is convicted of attempted robbery and assault on a police officer.
Dubose’s defense attorney, Joseph Wong, said that prior to his new arrest, Dubose went for a long time with no incidents, citing his enrollment with Community Connections, a mental health clinic in DC.
The prosecution, however, said that Dubose may no longer be eligible for HISP, as he is alleged to have assaulted the individuals who were also living at the place he resided.
Given that Dubose is currently held at the jail in his new assault case, Judge Kravitz said the only way forward that makes sense is to revoke his pretrial release and hold him in the homicide case.
He said that if he gets released in his assault case, he would be willing to hear from defense counsel regarding reinstating release conditions.
Another hearing is scheduled for March 3 in the homicide case.
On Jan. 19, a DC Superior Court judge heard 14 cases during initial hearings, two of which were domestic violence or sexual abuse related.
The first defendant is a 36-year-old male charged with first-degree burglary and fourth-degree sex abuse. The defendant allegedly stroked himself against the victim’s buttocks while she was sleeping without her knowing that he was in her home.
The prosecution requested that the defendant be placed into the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) and ordered to stay away from the victim, her son and her house.
Judge Renee Raymond told the defendant that if the prosecution had requested that he be held at the DC jail, she would have granted it. However, since they did not request a hold, she released him into HISP with GPS monitoring and a stay-away order.
The second defendant is an adult male, who is charged with simple assault and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, which was a chair, in a domestic violence case.
The prosecution was not opposed to his release, so Judge Raymond released the defendant with orders to come back to court on June 22. He was also given a stay-away order from the alleged victim as well as the location of the incident.
A defendant initially charged with second-degree murder while armed pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter as part of an agreement with the prosecution.
That morning, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to the 1900 block of 16th Street, SE for the report of a shooting, according to court documents. There,officers found Cokley on a front porch, unconscious and unresponsive, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. She was taken to a hospital, but ultimately pronounced dead. She was 40 years-old.
The Robinson, who is also 40, was arrested that day.
On Jan. 19, a defense attorney in a murder case requested a forensic psych exam for her client.
Darnell Rackett is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Antonio Gardiner on July 4, 2020, on the 1500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
A 14-year-old juvenile male is also charged with first-degree murder while armed in Gardiner’s death.
Between Nov. 16 and Nov. 30, DC Superior Court judges presided over a total of 281 cases during initial hearings, which is 13 percent more than the previous two weeks.
Of the 281 cases, judges held 65 defendants at DC jail and released 216 defendants on pretrial supervision, parole or probation. Judges held just over 23 percent of all defendants during these hearings and released almost 77 percent. Compared to the first half of November, judges held about one percent more in the second half of November.
Judge Renee Raymond held 44 defendants and released 118. She held the highest percentage of defendants, nearly 37 percent compared to the two other judges who presided over initial hearings.
Judge McKenna held the lowest percentage of defendants, releasing 83 percent of all defendants and only holding around 17 percent. Judge McKenna heard 94 cases during the last two weeks of November.
Judge Errol Arthur was the third judge to preside over initial hearings. He held 20 percent of defendants and released 80 percent. There is only a 3 percent decrease in his releases compared to Judge McKenna.
Judge Arthur heard a total of 25 cases during this time period.
General Statistics
There were 67 felony cases, 63 domestic violence cases, 95 misdemeanor cases, seven traffic cases, 36 fugitive cases and 32 bench warrant matters. The majority of cases heard were misdemeanors, which is almost 32 percent of all cases.
At least 92 defendants were already on some sort of supervision, which includes pretrial, probation or parole. In the first half of the month, only 41 defendants were on supervision, a 124 percent increase in the second half of the month.
Only three percent of the defendants were on parole, while the majority, 64 percent, were on pretrial release.
For all the cases, there were a total of 62 violations mentioned by the parties, which occurred while defendants were on parole, probation or pretrial release. According to D.C. Witness data, this is a 77 percent increase within the past two weeks.
Some of the violations included failure to appear, stay-away violations, loss of contact, GPS tampering, while some were unspecified in court.
Domestic Violence Cases
Of the 63 domestic violence cases, 12 of the defendants were held, 50 were released and one was dismissed by the prosecution.
Domestic violence charges included assault, violating Temporary Protection Orders (TPO) and Civil Protection Orders (CPO), threats to do bodily harm, weapon possession, destruction of property and contempt. The majority of the defendants were charged with simple assault, which consists of almost 51 percent of all domestic violence cases.
Felony Cases
Charges in felony cases included weapons offenses, assault, drug possession and distribution, first-degree murder, sexual offense, robbery, burglary and armed carjacking.
The majority of the felony charges included weapons with drug possession or distribution as a close second.
For the defendants held on felony charges, the largest number of charges also included weapons offenses. Assault charges were the second most common offense for felony holds, and judges did not release any defendants who were charged with murder or armed carjacking during that time.
Additionally at least six of the defendants who were held on felony charges were on probation or pretrial supervision during the time they allegedly committed the new offenses.
This report was written by Emily Pengelly, Caitlyn O’Neil and Krystin Roehl
On Jan. 15, a DC Superior Court Judge accepted a defendant’s guilty plea and sentenced him to three years of incarceration.
On Aug. 28, 2020, Tyrone Hector, 52, was traveling in the wrong direction on a one-way street and collided with 43-year-old Derrick Benson, who was on a motorized scooter, at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and 11th Street, NE.
Benson died from the collision.
Originally, Hector was charged with involuntary manslaughter, but he took a plea agreement on Oct. 30 . He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of negligent homicide.
Judge Neal Kravitz sentenced Hector to three years of incarceration with credit for time served. He has been at the jail since August of last year, so he will get credit for about six months.
Additionally, once released, Hector will be placed on supervised release for three years. He also owes $100 to the Crime Victims Fund, which is due at the end of 2026.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a homicide that occurred on Jan. 18.
At approximately 11:10 a.m., officers responded to the 3000 block of Stanton Road, SE for the sounds of gunshots. Upon arrival, officers located three adult male victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
DC Fire and EMS transported the victims to a local hospital for treatment. Two of the victims were treated for non-life threatening injuries, but one of the victims, 32 year-old Terrence Allen, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
One of the other victims was found with a firearm and was arrested and charged with Carrying a Pistol without a License.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a homicide that occurred on Jan. 16.
At approximately 9:26 p.m., officers responded to the 3600 block of 11th Street, NW for the sounds of gunshots. Upon arrival, the officers were told that an adult male was seeking treatment at a local hospital for a gunshot wound.
The victim, identified as 23 year-old Inmar Edenilson Arias Hernandez of Northwest, DC, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
Investigation by the officers revealed that the victim was shot while inside a vehicle at the response location.
