Judge Pushes Jury Selection Back for 6 Defendants Charged in 2018 Drive-By

On March 19, a DC Superior Court judge rescheduled the start of a jury selection date for six co-defendants charged in connection with a 2018 drive-by shooting that killed a 10-year-old girl.

Qujuan Thomas, 22, Quentin Michals, 23, Gregory Taylor, 25, Mark Price, 26, Quincy Garvin, 21, and Saquan Williams, 20, are facing charges for first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy, weapon possession, assault the intent to kill, aggravated assault while armed and felony criminal street gang affiliation the death of 10 year-old Makiyah Wilson on July 16, 2018, on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE.

The shooting is alleged to have occurred due to neighborhood rivalry.

“Due to limited space, we have to tighten the gap between jury selection and trial,” said Judge Juliet McKenna.

The jury selection was originally scheduled to begin on April 25, 2022, but has been rescheduled to April 27, 2022.

The trial is scheduled to take place from May 2 to July 1, 2022.

Antonio Murchison, 28, Darrise Jeffers, 21, Marquell Cobbs, 19, and Isaiah Murchison, 21, are also charged with murder in Wilson’s death.

Judge Dayson set aside Jan. 9 through March 10, 2023, for the jury trial. She also scheduled a trial readiness hearing for July 12 of this year.

Quanisha Ramsuer, 27, is charged with obstruction of justice.

Ramsuer’s next hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 3.

Sarah Gebrengus wrote this article.

Document: Victim of March 1 Traffic Accident Dies from Injuries

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a traffic fatality that happened on the afternoon of March 1.

According to preliminary investigation, at around 3:53 p.m., officers responded to the 2400 block Virginia Avenue, NW for the report of a pedestrian struck.

“The preliminary investigation revealed a vehicle was traveling northbound, in the center lane, on the ramp to I-66 under Virginia Avenue, Northwest, when it struck a pedestrian, outside of a marked crosswalk,” the press release states.

The pedestrian, 72 year-old Maryland resident Desrick Cooks, was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. On March 18, he succumbed to those injuries.

Crime Alerts: March 18-19

The Metropolitan Police Department sent out three crime alerts between 9:00 p.m. on March 18 and 10:00 a.m. on March 19.

The most recent alert was sent at 1:56 a.m. for a shooting on the 2000 block of 16th Street, SE. Police do not have a description of the suspect(s).

The second alert was sent at 11:02 p.m. for an armed robbery on the 900 block of Bladensburg Road, NE. Police are looking for a Black male, 5’7″ in height, wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, a face mask and armed with a handgun.

The final alert was sent at 10:08 p.m. for a robbery investigation on the 1000 block of 6th Street, NW. Police are looking for two Black males in a black Mercedes-Benz.

Judge Shortens Time for Jury Selection, Pushes Trial Earlier

A DC Superior Court judge was able to extend trial dates by six days and moved the start date to an early time.

Derek Turner, 29, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of 28-year-old Andrew McPhatter. On March 1, 2017, McPhatter was found on the 3500 block of Wheeler Road, SE suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He succumbed to his injuries four days later.

Turner’s co-defendant, former civillian Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) member Ronnika Jennings, 42, is also charged with first-degree murder while armed in McPhatter’s death. She is accused of disseminating classified MPD information to Turner that helped him evade arrest and hindered investigations.

Turner is also charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 24-year-old Devin Hall on Jan. 7, 2017, on the 3500 block of 6th Street, SE.

During the March 18 hearing, Judge Juliet McKenna vacated one of four jury selection dates and effectively shifted trial dates so that the trial is now projected to take place from Aug. 18 through Oct. 14, 2022, rather than Aug. 6 through Oct. 21.

She also scheduled three consecutive dates for pretrial motions after parties determined the shift created scheduling issues with their previously selected dates.

D.C. Witness previously reported that the prosecution expects to call 90-95 witnesses during the trial,

Turner has 30 additional charges that consist of a third first-degree murder charge, conspiracy, assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Jennings has 31 additional charges that consist of conspiracy, accessory after the fact, assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

The first pretrial motion hearing is scheduled for Oct. 29.

Judge Schedules Hearing to Determine if Key Witnesses Can Testify Via Video

A DC Superior Court judge shifted pre-selected trial dates and continued a hearing to allow time for parties to determine if expert witness testimony would pose an issue at trial.

Nyekemia Everett, 35, and Malik Hewitt, 40, are charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of 37-year-old Christopher Heard. On April 27, 2017, Heard was found unresponsive on the 2300 block of Ainger Place, SE suffering from gunshot wounds to the chest and upper thigh. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

During the March 18 proceeding, Judge Juliet McKenna said she is making an effort to close unnecessary gaps in previously selected trial dates in order to free courts and reduce the risk of infection during the breaks.

Judge McKenna was able to vacate two extra days allotted for jury selection and shifted the trial date to begin on July 6, 2022, and go through July 23, 2022.

The prosecution also said there may be an issue with one of the key witnesses, who lives in San Francisco. The prosecutor said the witness is unwilling to fly to testify in court due to the pandemic.

Judge McKenna told the prosecution the matter would probably need to be litigated to establish if video testimony would stand in court.

Everett has 12 additional charges that consist of an attempt to commit robbery while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, fleeing a law enforcement officer, and obstructing justice.

Hewitt has five additional charges which include conspiracy, attempt to commit a robbery while armed, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Judge McKenna continued the hearing to April 14.

2017 CF1 009418

2017 CF1 008254

Judge Waits to Set Trial Date for Murder Case

A DC Superior Court judge recommended waiting to set a trial date in a homicide case.

Elhadji Ndiaye, 21, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting death of 21-year-old Travis Deyvon Ruth on the 2700 block of Jasper Street, SE on Jan. 18, 2019.

Ndiaye’s newly appointed defense attorney, Nikki Lotze, said she felt unprepared for the trial due to the prosecution’s lack of response to her motion to compel evidence, which she filed last December.

Lotze had requested unredacted grand jury testimony and various police statements and videos.

The prosecution said they are hesitant to turn over the evidence due to the defendant’s alleged history of witness tampering. The prosecution alleges that, while the defendant is being held in jail, he threatened a witness and reached out to a third party asking them to kill a witness for him.

The prosecution also said they would be willing to turn over the evidence to the trial judge rather than directly to the defense, allowing the judge to determine if the defense counsel should have access to the material.

Judge Juliet McKenna said that, although there was an inherent risk to the witnesses in this case, turning over evidence to defense counsel does not appear to increase this risk because the witnesses are known to the defendant.

“Furthermore, the defense needs to be in a position to evaluate the credibility of the witnesses and prepare before a trial,” she said.

Judge Mckenna said she did agree with the prosecution regarding turning evidence over to the trial judge. She did not order the evidence to be turned over to the defense in today’s hearing, instead leaving it to the trial judge to rule on this matter once the evidence has been reviewed.

Another trial readiness hearing is scheduled for Aug. 9.

Alaina Provenza wrote this article.

Judge Sets Trial Dates for a Four Co-Defendant Homicide Case

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a four co-defendants in a homicide case to go to before a jury in 2023.

Alonzo Brown, 23, Naquel Henderson, 23, Tavist Alston, 27, and Stephon Evans, 20, are charged with first-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Michael Taylor on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE on Jan. 12, 2019.

According to court documents, Alston allegedly drove the other three co-defendants to an apartment complex where Taylor was shot and two others sustained non-life threatening injuries.

During the March 18 trial readiness hearing, Judge Juliet McKenna set aide May 3 through June 9, 2023, for the trial. Jury selection will take place on May 1 and 2.

Judge McKenna also scheduled a trial readiness hearing for Sept. 13.

All four co-defendants are also charged with conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault with intent to kill while armed.

Judge Reschedules Jury Selection In 2 First-Degree Murder Cases

A DC Superior Court judge rescheduled jury selection dates for two first-degree murder cases.

Mark Price, 23, is charged with the allegedly shooting 47-year-old Andre Hakim Young on the 1500 block of 19th St, SE on July 30, 2018.

Denzel Grandson, 29, is charged with allegedly shooting 36-year-old Simwone Milstead on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE on May 17, 2014.

Judge Juliet McKenna said it was unwise to have a gap in between the jury selection and the start of the trial due to COVID-19 restrictions, which could affect potential travel plans and courtroom availability.

She recommended moving the jury selection to two days before the start of each trial rather than a week prior to the trials.

Counsel for each case agreed.

Jury selection in Price’s case was moved to March 21 and 22, 2022, with the trial scheduled from March 23 to April 6, 2022.

Jury selection in Grandson’s case was moved to March 9 and 10, 2022, with the trial scheduled for March 11 through 31, 2022.

A motion hearing is scheduled for Oct. 22 in Grandson’s case.

A status and motion hearing is scheduled for April 30 in Price’s case.

Judge Hears Arguments Concerning Forcibly Medicating Homicide Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge resumed arguments and a cross examination to determine whether a homicide defendant should be forcibly medicated in order to restore his competency to stand trial.

Daryl Thompson, also known as Darryl Tompkins, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed in the deaths of 29-year-old Edward Roberts Jr. and 23-year-old Tyler McEachern. On July 30, 2016, Roberts was found on the 3500 block of 14th Street, NW suffering from several gunshot wounds. One month later, on Aug. 29, 2016, McEachern was found on the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace, SE also suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Both victims were taken to nearby hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.

During the March 17 proceedings, defense attorney Pierce Suen continued discussion about the alleged misrepresentations the prosecution’s expert witness made at the start of the hearing in December of 2020. Suen asked the record to reflect that the expert doctor misrepresented data and articles regarding competency restoration treatment success rates.

Suen also said it is troubling that the prosecution refuses to concede that its expert witness was wrong.

Judge Neal Kravitz said he believes there isn’t much doubt on record that the doctor misstated the findings of the study, but he does not believe the misrepresentation would make much of a difference in the prosecution’s argument.

“I am being tried twice for the same crime,” Tompkins told the judge, “which is a constitutional fifth amendment violation.” Tompkins explained that his reasoning for his argument was in several letters he mailed to the judge.

Judge Kravitz said he never received any letters and said Tompkins has no basis for a double jeopardy motion.

Counsel also questioned a new expert witness about criteria that constitutes a sound reliable study for drug functionality and treatment to restore competency. The witness, a medical doctor, criticized the articles in question based on a lack of ability to generalize, a skewed population sample, limited applicability to the defendant, limited data and flawed methods.

After both parties cross examined the witness, Judge Kravitz continued the hearing to allow time for parties to file briefings of their arguments.

Tompkins has 12 additional charges that include assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, obstructing justice, and threat to kidnap or injure a person.

His next hearing is scheduled for June 15, at which time Judge Kravitz said he will make an oral ruling on the case.

Judge Holds 3 Domestic Violence Defendants and A Homicide Defendant During Initial Hearings

During initial hearings on March 17, DC Superior Court Judge Heide Herrmann presided over eight domestic violence defendants, one sex abuse defendant and a murder defendant.

Deangelo Glover is charged with first-degree murder while armed for the death of 32-year-old Tyrone Wright on Jan. 19.

According to court documents, Glover, 29, allegedly shot Wright 17 times in the head and body in the parking lot of the Mayfair Mansions apartment complex on the 3800 block of Hayes Street, NE.

An additional victim, who was friends with Wright, was shot once but survived his injury after being treated at a local hospital.

Glover is being held at the DC Jail until his next hearing, which is scheduled for April 7.

Judge Herrmann also held three domestic violence defendants who are all charged with contempt. Some of their additional charges include simple assault, unlawful entry and destruction of property.

All three defendants were on pretrial release in domestic violence cases and allegedly violated their release conditions.

The defendants will be held until their next hearings, which are all scheduled for April 6.

Finally, the judge released six additional defendants.

Five of the defendants are charged in domestic violence cases with for simple assault and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon.

Two of these defendants were brought in on bench warrants for failing to appear at their probation hearings. They were released with orders to return to court on March 23.

The other domestic violence defendants were given stay-away orders and will return to court in August.

Judge Herrmann also released a defendant charged with sex abuse and simple assault. He was released with a stay-away order and told to return to court on Aug. 18.

Judge Grants Defense Attorney’s Motion to Withdraw

A DC Superior Court judge granted a defense attorney’s motion to withdraw as counsel for a convicted murder defendant.

In Febuary 2020, a jury found 34-year-old Mason Binion guilty of first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 21-year-old Michael Francis Taylor on the 600 block of Farragut Street, NW on June 22, 2008.

Defense attorney Kevin Irving filed the motion last month. He says that Binion asked him to withdraw and then refused to continue speaking with him.

Binion is currently being held at DC Jail as he waits to be sentenced. He wishes to exercise his right to be sentenced in person, rather than via video conference. A date for this has yet to be set.

Binion’s next hearing is scheduled for April 8.

Victor Carvajal was also charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with the homicide, but his case was dismissed the day before opening statements.

Joshua Massaquoi pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, carrying a pistol during a crime of violence and accessory to second-degree murder.

Massaquoi was released to home confinement with a GPS monitoring device on March 24, 2020.

In February, a judge removed the device stipulation, but said a Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency officer (CSOSA) could decide to make the defendant wear the device.

Massaquoi is scheduled for another hearing on April 29.

Andrea Keckley wrote this article.

Crime Alerts: March 17-18

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out one crime alert between 7:00 p.m. on March 17 and 9:00 a.m. on March 18.

The alert was sent at 7:17 p.m. for a shooting investigation on I-295 Northbound near Benning Road, NE.

Police are looking for a white Hyundai Elantra.

Murder Case Set for Trial Readiness Hearing

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a trial readiness hearing for a murder case.

Brandon Randall, 34, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with the intent to kill while armed, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for allegedly shooting of 30-year-old David Brandon on Feb. 24, 2019, on the 4300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.

The prosecution returned an indictment in December 2020 and is in the process of extending a plea deal.

Judge Juliet McKenna scheduled the trial readiness hearing for Aug. 2.

In the meantime, Randall will remain held at DC Jail, where he has been since he picked up the charges in July 2019.

Lauren Pelzner wrote this article.

Prosecution Moves Towards Returning an Indictment in Homicide Case

A DC Superior Court judge continued a felony status conference as the prosecution confirmed they were moving towards returning an indictment.

Terrell Poe, 34, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 33-year-old Christopher Washington on Sept. 23, 2020, on the 400 block of Southern Avenue, SE.

During the March 17 proceedings, defense attorney Madalyn Harvey requested an update on when the prosecution thinks there will be an indictment.

“The investigation is continuing… it is proceeding forward at a normal pace,” the prosecution said.

The prosecutor could not provide details or a definite deadline but assured the court, “We’re moving along. We’re doing the best we can.”

The next hearing is scheduled for May 25.

Sasha Ridenour wrote this article.

Judge Continues Hearing for Possible Plea Deal

A DC Superior Court judge granted the defense’s request to continue a March 17 status hearing so the defense could have more time to discuss a plea offer.

Tavon Davis is charged with second-degree murder while armed in the death of 29-year-old Michael Vest on the 1300 block of Trinidad Avenue, NE on Jun. 28, 2017.

Davis, 22, is also charged with obstruction of justice, soliciting murder, and threat to injure or kidnap a person in this case.

In another case filled in July 2020, Davis is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed.

“I believe the plea offer will lead to the resolution of all cases,” said defense attorney Matthew Davies.

Judge Judith Smith scheduled the next hearing for April 21.

Sarah Gebrengus wrote this article.

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