Search Icon Search site

Search

Judge Denies Release Request During Hearing

On Oct. 30, a DC Superior Court judge denied an assault defendant’s release request. 

Erik Stewart is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction.

The Oct. 30 court date was scheduled to be a preliminary hearing, which would determine if his case has enough evidence to go to trial.

However, Stewart waived his right for a preliminary hearing. Defense attorney Ferguson Evans went on to arguing for his client’s release. 

“We think that there are conditions that could accommodate the safety of the community,” Evans said. 

Evans requested that Stewart be placed in a halfway house with GPS monitoring. 

During cross examination the prosecution rebutted Evans’ request  by noting Stewarts prior robbery convictions, all of which involved a firearm. He also brought up Stewart’s history with the same complainant, and a previous assault that took place on April 17. 

“The facts of this case are troubling and would warrant detention,”  the prosecution said.

After listening to both arguments Judge Heidi Herrmann found that Stewarts charge along with his previous convictions add to the rebuttable presumptions.

Judge Herrmann decided that  Stewart will remain held at  DC jail. She then scheduled a felony status conference for Dec. 1.

Emily Pengelly wrote this article. 

Defendant Pleads Guilty to Lesser Charge of Negligent Homicide

On Oct. 30, a defendant pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in the aftermath of a fatal motor vehicle collision.

Tyrone Hector was driving recklessly and appeared to be intoxicated on Aug. 28 on the 200 block of 11th Street, NE. The ensuing crash killed Derrick Benson.

The 52 year-old was originally charged with involuntary manslaughter. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of negligent homicide as part of an agreement with the prosecution.

Judge Neal Kravitz scheduled Hector to be sentenced on Jan. 15.

This article was written by Yasmeen McGettrick.

Sex Abuse Defendant Pleads Guilty

A defendant resolved his sex abuse case with a plea deal.

Antoine Peach was originally charged with assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual abuse by use of force. During the Oct. 30 hearing, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of attempted third-degree sexual abuse.

The 45 year-old defendant will remain under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) while he awaits his sentencing, which DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman scheduled for Jan. 8. 


Over Half of Carjacking Cases Heard Since Mid-June Have Defendants Under 21, Data Shows

None of the carjacking defendants who came through the DC Superior Court from June 16 to Oct. 16 were over 31 years-old. In fact, most of them were more than a decade younger, D.C. Witness data shows.

Twenty-two carjacking defendants appeared in court during this time period. Ten of them were arrested between mid-June and mid-October.

Fifty-two percent of the defendants were under 21 years-old. This includes six who were still teenagers.

Ja’Cori Williams was 16 years-old at the time of his alleged offense. He is being tried as an adult.

D.C. Witness could not find one defendant’s date of birth

Williams, who is now 17, is charged with unarmed carjacking and armed robbery for allegedly stealing a motor vehicle, cell phone, wallet, keys and money from a victim on May 9 on the 4600 block of Livingston Road, SE. He is being held in the custody of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS).

52% of carjacking defendants who came through the DC Superior Court from June 16 to Oct. 16 were under 21

According to D.C. Witness

His co-defendant, 20-year-old Keon Smith, is also charged with armed robbery and unarmed carjacking in connection with the incident.

Williams and Smith were two of seven defendants who picked up additional charges in their cases. Others who did so include 19-year-old co-defendants Malik Beverly and Rayrae Stover.

Beverly is charged with robbery, armed robbery and armed carjacking and Stover is charged with unarmed carjacking and robbery for their alleged involvement in incidents on June 22 on the 1700 block of F Street, NE and on June 29 on the 500 block of Oklahoma Avenue, NE.

On July 2, DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna ruled that their cases have enough evidence to go to trial. 

Beverly is being held. Stover is released on his promise to return to court with orders to report to the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA).

Only one of the defendants, 18-year-old Jabari Davis, was charged with armed carjacking. He is accused of stealing a victim’s car during the early morning hours on Aug. 7 on the 1800 block of Newton Street, NE.

Andrea Keckley wrote this article.


2 Defendants Held During Initial Hearings

A DC Superior Court judge released 12 defendants during initial hearings on Oct. 30, while two were held at DC Jail.

Renardo Brown is being charged with contempt and unlawful entry to private property.  Brown, 57, was seen inside of a Home Depot that he was previously barred from on the 900 block of Rhode Island Avenue, NE. During his hearing, defense counsel requested he be released due to his lack of a serious criminal history. Brown also had nine outstanding warrants for failing to appear at his hearings for nonviolent, misdemeanor charges.

 Judge Juliet McKenna ordered he be held after saying Brown was given multiple chances to comply with his release conditions but failed to do so.

Cameron Smith, 30, is being charged with assault on a police officer while armed. He is also charged as a fugitive from justice from Maryland in a separate case. 

An officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was flagged down by a citizen on the 1400 block of H Street, NE on Oct. 27. According to court documents, the citizen claimed his vehicle had been hit by another car, and gestured to the alleged vehicle responsible. 

An officer with MPD attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver fled. During the pursuit, the officer’s vehicle was hit twice by the suspect’s vehicle. MPD was able to apprehend the suspect on East Capitol Street NE. The driver was identified as Smith. After running the tags on Smith’s vehicle, MPD discovered he was also wanted for homicide in Maryland.

Judge McKenna ordered Smith be held, due to the nature of his outstanding arrest warrant and the serious allegations in the police assault case.

Of those who were released, three defendants are charged in domestic violence cases. Their charges include destruction of property less than $1,000, attempted threats to do bodily harm, second-degree theft and simple assault. All three defendants were released with stay away orders from the alleged victims.

Four defendants with fugitive charges were also released. Three of the defendants were ordered to turn themselves in to the demanding jurisdictions.

The other defendant, a fugitive from Virginia with a larceny charge, has been in the hospital since Oct. 10 but was released on Oct. 30. He was served with a notice to re-appear in court on Nov. 2.

Judge McKenna released one defendant charged with a felony. The defendant, charged with possession of a firearm with a prior conviction and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, was ordered not to possess any firearms or ammunition in DC while his case is pending.

Two misdemeanor defendants were released. One, charged with second-degree theft, was ordered to report to the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA), and the other, charged with simple assault, was issued a stay away order.

Judge McKenna released two defendants who were brought in on bench warrants for failing to appear at their hearings. One of the defendants had failed to appear at a probation hearing, and the judge decided to terminate his probation successfully.

Additionally, nine defendants did not have charges filed against them by the prosecution.

Judge Sentences Theft Defendant to 18 Months

On Oct. 30, a DC Superior Court judge sentenced a first-degree theft defendant to 18 months.

John Leach was originally charged with robbery and first-degree theft. As part of a plea agreement, the robbery charge was dropped.

On June 25, 2019, Leach stole a pouch containing a wallet passport, credit cards, a driver’s license and a wedding band from someone on the 4800 block of Jay Street, NE. 

The 20-year-old defendant was on probation for robbery in one case and second-degree theft in another. However, the two probations are set for show cause hearings, and could be revoked. 

During the Oct. 30 hearing, Judge Rainey Brandt ordered his first-degree theft sentence to run concurrently with any other re-sentence that may be imposed in those cases. 

In those two cases, Leach, 20, was sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA). The prosecution asked that Leach not get the Youth Act this time. 

However, defense attorney Stephanie Johnson argued that Leach is very young and has done immature things which would be the exact reason why he should be sentenced under the youth act. 

Judge Brandt agreed with the prosecution. She didn’t think that the YRA would be appropriate for this case. 

Leach will receive credit for time served and must pay $100 to the Victims of Violent Crime Compensation fund. 

4 Defendants Held During Initial Hearings Thursday

Judge Juliet McKenna presided over 29 presentment hearings on Oct. 29, and she held four defendants in DC Jail. 

Hugh Rorie, 37, was held for unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. 

On Oct. 28, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) executed a search warrant of Rorie’s residence and found him in bed near a firearm hidden in the wall. Officers also recovered ammunition and other firearm accessories in the room. 

Although Rorie’s three family members were allegedly involved in the crimes, they were all released, and Judge McKenna chose to hold Rorie due to his lengthy criminal record, which includes multiple firearm convictions.

Matthias Onley, 19, is charged with robbery after he allegedly robbed a 7-Eleven, taking cash and tobacco products, on the 300 block of Hawaii Avenue, NE. Onley attempted to flee in a complaining witness’ vehicle, but officers were able to stop him since he had difficulty operating the vehicle. 

Judge McKenna granted the prosecution’s request to hold the defendant since he is on probation for a similar offense that occurred in 2017. 

A domestic violence defendant was held on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon after he allegedly attacked the victim in broad daylight with scissors. 

The defendant, 26, is currently on pretrial release for other charges and is also on supervision in a 2012 case. The prosecution requested that the defendant be held, saying he is a danger to the community. 

Judge McKenna granted the request and ordered the defendant held. 

Another domestic violence defendant was also held on charges of assault and second-degree theft. 

The 20-year-old defendant was already on probation for another domestic violence matter. The new charges involved the same victim. By picking up these new charges, the defendant also violated his probation conditions. 

Judge McKenna held the defendant because she feared for the safety of the victim. 

Six felony defendants were released. Two of these defendants are co-defendants in Rorie’s case. Another two are charged with carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business. The final two are charged with second-degree burglary, second-degree theft and destruction of property less than $1,000. 

Four domestic violence defendants were also released. They picked up charges of simple assault, attempted threats, attempted possession of a prohibited weapon and second-degree theft. 

A group of four co-defendants were released with charges of unlawful entry of private property, receiving stolen property less than $1,000, fleeing a law enforcement officer and driving without a permit. All four were given orders to stay away from the victim and her residence. 

Two defendants, charged with assault on a police officer, were also released on the condition they comply with pretrial services. 

Three fugitives from justice were released and ordered to return to the jurisdictions in Virginia that issued warrants for their arrests. 

An additional six defendants were released on various misdemeanor and traffic charges. One of these defendants was the final co-defendant in Rorie’s case. 

This article was written by Sierra Robbins. 

Document: Police Arrest Virginia Resident for Second-Degree Burglary

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers  made an arrest in connection to a second-degree burglary offense that took place in the early morning hours of Aug 10. 

At around 9:22 a.m., a suspect forced his way into a garage before taking property and fleeing the scene.

A 31 year-old resident of Newport News, Va. was arrested on Oct. 29.


Document: Suspect Sought for Assault with a Knife

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) seeks a suspect in connection to an assault with a dangerous weapon that occurred on Oct. 29.

At around 9:03 p.m., the suspect approached the victim on the unit block of Florida Avenue, NE and stabbed the victim with a knife. The suspect fled the scene, and the victim was treated by DC Fire and EMS officials for non-life threatening injuries.

The suspect can be seen in the photo and video below.

[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7279108-10-30-20-Suspect-Sought-in-an-Assault-With-a.html” responsive=true]

Document: Suspects Sought for Armed Robbery

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking suspects in connection to an armed robbery that occurred on Oct. 27.

At approximately 11:42 p.m., the suspects approached the victim on the 700 block of 7th Street, SE. The suspects brandished firearms and took property from the victim before fleeing the scene.

The suspects can be seen in the photos below.

[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7279088-10-29-20-Suspects-Sought-in-an-Armed-Robbery-Gun.html” responsive=true]

Document: Police Search for Suspect in Assault Case

The police are searching for a suspect in connection to an assault with a dangerous weapon offense that occurred on Oct. 2.

At around 4:17 p.m., the victim approached the suspect after allegedly seeing him steal property at an establishment on the 2400 block of 14th Street, NW. The suspect then brandished a knife and threatened the victim before fleeing the scene.

The suspect can be seen in the photos below.

[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7279087-10-29-20-Suspect-Sought-in-an-Assault-With-a.html” responsive=true]

Document: Suspects Sought for Assault On a Police Officer and Destruction of Property

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking suspects in connection with an assault that occurred on a police officer and a destruction of property offense on Oct. 27.

At around 7:00 p.m., a crowd gathered outside the MPD Fourth District station on the 6000 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.

According to an MPD press release, the individuals began throwing projectiles, rocks, bricks and improvised explosive devices at MPD officers as well as the police station. MPD vehicles were damaged and four windows of the station were shattered.

The group then left the station and headed south on Georgia Avenue, setting fires, smashing storefront windows and pulling bricks from the sidewalk to use as projectiles.

One of the suspects believed to be responsible for the assault on the police officer can be seen in the photo below.

Suspects in the destruction of property offenses can also be seen in the photos below.

[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7279086-10-29-20-Suspects-Sought-in-Assault-on-a-Police.html” responsive=true]

Crime Alerts: October 29-30

Between 9 p.m. on Oct. 29 and 9 a.m. on Oct. 30, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out one crime alert.

At 9:39 p.m., MPD sent an alert for a stabbing that occurred at the intersection of Florida Avenue, NE and North Capitol Street, NE. Police do not have a description of the suspect(s).

Judge Hold 2 Defendants and Issues 3 Bench Warrants During Show Cause Hearings

During show cause hearings on Oct. 29, a DC Superior Court judge continued four hearings, held two defendants, discharged one hearing and issued three bench warrants

Judge Rainey Brandt continued the hearing of Nathan Williams hearing until Feb 10. Williams, 32, was sentenced to two years on probation for a robbery charge in February 2017. One of the conditions was that he finds a stable home with the help of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA.) 

Williams’ current home is located in Maryland. CSOSA filed a probation violation report stating that this is in violation of the Interstate Compact Agreement. According to the CSOSA representative, in order for Williams to live in Maryland, he has to move back to DC for at least 30 days so that his probation officer can submit the proper paperwork to transfer the case to Maryland. 

“It almost seems perverse to pull him from a stable environment where he’s picked up no charges, to send him back to the District [of Colombia] just so the District [of Colombia] can send him back to Maryland,” said Judge Brandt. “Probation does not mean rendering [the defendant] homeless or to a shelter pending approval.” 

Judge Brandt expressed frustration with the administrative process involved with this case, ultimately deciding to amend his sentence to strike court assistance in finding housing. She cited the many defendants who come through the DC Superior Court who do not live in DC as an example. 

The CSOSA representative expressed concern about her authority to bypass the paperwork through Judge Brandt’s ruling.

“CSOSA has some very black and white rules and it needs to learn to relax a little bit,” said Judge Brandt. 

Clifton Clinton was accused of violating his stay-away order. 

Clinton, 50, is charged with robbery. Defense attorney Bryan Bookhard says his client was just in a vehicle that happened to drive past an establishment from which he was supposed to stay away, but he did not intentionally go there. 

The hearing was continued until Dec. 7 so that the prosector could verify the story with the victim.

Judge Brandt continued the hearing for Marquis Ellerbe, who did not show up to court.

Ellerbe is charged with distribution of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful entry, simple assault and assault of a police officer. 

Both Thomas Engle and the CSOSA representative said how Ellerbe had family obligations and could not be present.

The representative said she might have confused him about whether he needed to appear in court when they spoke on the phone the other day.

The hearing was rescheduled for Nov. 16.

Defense attorney Anthony Vivani asked for a continuance because his client, Mecca LeeBey, was being held in Montgomery County, Md. 

LeeBey is charged with distribution of a controlled substance but also has outstanding charges in Maryland and Virginia. 

Judge Brandt granted the defense’s request and continued the hearing for Dec. 11 only if LeeBey has been released to the streets. 

Judge Brandt decided to hold two defendants, Christopher McCrae and Michael Johnson, who had violated the terms of their release. 

McCrae, 25, is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. 

He was released under home confinement. However, he repeatedly left his house. 

Defense attorney John Willmott argued that his client was assisting someone; however, Judge Brandt noted that the times in which he left his house were strange. He had left his house at 2:00 a.m. and did not return until 2:00 p.m. 

McCrae said he takes responsibility for his actions, but Judge Brandt held him anyway. 

Johnson, 22, is charged with carrying a pistol without a license. He was released with a GPS monitor; however, he has been a loss of contact since Sept. 16. PSA received a notification that the GPS device was disconnected. 

Judge Brandt asked Johnson to stand during the hearing and have a Marshall check to see if a GPS device was there. It was not. 

Johnson’s next court date is Nov. 16.

Judge Brandt discharged the hearing of simple assault defendant Arthur Chichester.

She also granted defense attorney Thomas Engle’s verbal motion for a forensic screening. The screening will take place on Nov. 10. 

Judge Brandt issued bench warrants for three defendants who did not show up to their hearings. 

Juanita Jacobs, 36, was charged with simple assault and has been a loss of contact. 

A 27-year-old defendant charged with misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child has also been a loss of contact. 

A supervision representative said she has never met him or had any contact with him or his family despite many attempts to get in contact with him. 

Finally, Spiro Stafilatos, 33, was charged with simple assault but has been detained in Maryland on a separate charge. Judge Brandt issued a Bench warrant as a detainer so that he would be transferred to DC after Maryland is done with him.

Maria Marzullo wrote this article.