Judge Issues Bench Warrant for Sex Abuse Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge issued a bench warrant for a defendant charged with misdemeanor sex abuse and simple assault after he failed to appear in court.

During the March 9 hearing, defense attorney Kyle McGonigal said he has not been able to get in touch with his client. The pretrial services agency (PSA) reported that he is a loss of contact with them as well.

Judge Steven Wellner asked if there was anything more that either of them can do to try and reach him.

McGonigal said he can try to contact a relative. However, having limited confidence that this will be a successful effort, Judge Wellner decided to grant the prosecution’s request for a bench warrant.

The warrant won’t be executed at this time due to a moratorium on the execution of certain misdemeanor bench warrants that has been put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Judge Wellner told McGonigal that if he can get his client to court in the meantime, they can try to resolve the bench warrant before it ever has to be executed.

Document: Suspect Sought for First-Degree Sexual Abuse while Armed

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are asking for the public’s help identifying and locating a suspect in connection with a first-degree sexual abuse while armed offense that happened on March 8.

At around 10:02 p.m. that day, the suspect approached the victim on the 2000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE. He then brandished a knife and tried to engage in an unwanted sexual act with the victim, according to a press release. The victim was able to flee and alert police.

“The suspect is described as a Black male armed with a knife,” the press release states. “He is between 5’10” and 6’2” tall with a medium build. He was last seen wearing all black clothing.”

Crime Alerts: March 8-9

Between 9:00 p.m. on March 8 and 9:00 a.m. on March 9, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out two crime alerts.

An alert was sent at 5:44 a.m. for a robbery on the 2700 block of Bruce Place, SE. Police are looking for three suspects. One of the suspects is wearing a red coat, one is wearing a yellow coat and one is wearing a black coat.

The second alert was sent at 2:08 a.m. for a robbery snatch on the 2500 block of 1st Street, NW. Police are looking for a silver or gray Nissan Altima occupied by three Black males. It was last seen headed north.

Judge Continues Hearing for Homicide Case Defense Counsel Time to Withdraw

A DC Superior Court judge continued a status hearing to give defense counsel time to contact the case judge about his motion to withdraw.

In February 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.

Binion is being held at DC Jail as he waits to be sentenced. He was scheduled for a remote sentencing in October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Binion did not consent to be sentenced via video-conference, and he has the legal right to be sentenced in person.

A new sentencing date has not been scheduled yet.

During the March 8 proceedings, defense attorney Kevin Irving told Judge Robert Okun about the motion to withdraw, which he filed last month.

Judge Okun decided to continue the hearing to April 8 to give Irving time to contact the case judge, Judge Ronna Beck, about the motion.

According to the motion, Binion requested that Irving withdraw and refused to speak to him further.

Binion’s former co-defendant, 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, another person charged in the case, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, carrying a pistol during a crime of violence and accessory to second-degree murder.

He is currently released under home confinement. He has a hearing scheduled for April 29.

Sasha Ridenour wrote this article.

Judge Schedules Trial Dates for Double Homicide Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled trial dates for a defendant charged with a double homicide.

Thirty-five year-old Alonzo Lewis is charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed for his alleged connection in the deaths of Jaquon Helm, 40, and Venius Badgett, 35. On May 26, 2018, Helm and Badgett were found on the 4600 block of Galveston Street, SW suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Helm was pronounced dead on scene. Badgett was taken to a nearby hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

During the March 8 hearing, parties discussed how long they estimated the trial would take.

Judge Danya Dayson scheduled the trial to take place from May 18 through 27, 2022. She also decided to schedule another hearing for June 15 to go over motions and resolve any remaining issues.

Outstanding motions are due on April 5.

Judge Dayson said that, in the past, the court has been flexible with rough estimates for trial length, but since the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly backlogged the system, the court no longer has that flexibility.

Lewis has five additional charges that include possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill while armed against a minor, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Judge Denies Defense’s Motion to Suppress ID of Juvenile in Murder Case

On March 8, a DC judge rejected defense counsel’s motion to suppress identifications made by two officers in relation to a juvenile who is charged with murder.

The juvenile is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 36-year-old Antonio Gardiner on July 4, 2020. The juvenile is currently being held under the supervision of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS).

During the hearing on March 8, defense counsel provided additional arguments about suppressing the second identification that occurred on Feb. 9 by the same two officers who identified the juvenile on July 4.

Previously, D.C. Witness wrote about Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers’ testimonies, as well as arguments from counsel about the identification process that occurred on July 4, 2020.

During arguments, defense counsel made many of the same points, saying the ID process was suggestive and unreliable, re-stating some testimony from Feb. 22.

The prosecution said the two officers’ relationships with the juvenile are very similar to having a neighbor where you may not recall specifically when you last saw them, but you know them by name and would recognize them if you saw a picture or video of them.

Once she heard arguments from both parties, DC Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld said she found the “identifications in this case could not be more reliable.”

Judge Hertzfeld acknowledged that some inconsistencies were brought to light through the additional testimony from other MPD officers, but she said it is clear that the officers know the juvenile and were not persuaded to identify the juvenile when they reviewed the video footage on July 4, 2020, or the additional video footage on Feb. 9.

Additionally, she ruled on the motion from the defense to not join the juvenile’s pending homicide cases at trial.

She said the two cases arise from facts that would allow joining, but the juvenile has agreed to a virtual trial in his other case but not case for Gardiner’s homicide.

Judge Hertzfeld said both cases would be delayed if they were joined.

The judge scheduled the next hearing in both cases for April 15 with a tentative remote trial start date of May 3 for the other case.

Darnell Rackett is charged with second-degree murder while armed in Gardiner’s death. He is scheduled for a mental observation hearing on March 30.

He is being held at the DC Jail without bail.

Read D.C. Witness’ previous articles on this case.

Krystin Roehl wrote this article

Judge Schedules Defendant Charged in Alleged Drive-By for Jury Trial

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a jury trial for a 2018 homicide case.

Torey Stockton, 23, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged connection in drive-by shooting that killed 23-year-old Jasmine Light on Jan. 27, 2018.

That morning, Light and three other victims were found suffering from gunshot wounds on the 1500 block of U Street, SE. Light was pronounced dead at a local hospital, while the other victims survived.

His co-defendant, Kayla Thompson, is charged with obstruction of justice.

During the March 5 hearing, parties agreed to exchange witness information one month before the start of the trial.

Judge Michael Ryan set aside July 13 through 29, 2022, for Stockton’s jury trial.

A trial readiness hearing is scheduled for March 23, 2022.

McKenzie Beard wrote this article.

Sex Abuse Defendant Accepts Plea Deal

On March 5, a sex abuse defendant entered a guilty plea.

The offense occurred on Dec. 29, 2019, when a 32-year-old employee of a youth facility sexually abused a 16 year-old. The defendant is no longer employed at the youth facility.

Glen was originally charged with first-degree sexual abuse of a minor but pleaded down to second-degree sexual abuse of a minor as part of an agreement with the prosecution.

The prosecution also agreed to request a suspended sentence plus a period of probation. They will also not pursue any charges based off information revealed in this case.

DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz scheduled Glen to be sentenced on May 11.

Eileen Chen wrote this article.

Co-Defendants in Drive-By Shooting Scheduled for Trial in Early 2023

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled four co-defendants charged in connection with a drive-by shooting that killed a 10-year-old girl to go before a jury in January 2023.

Isaiah, 21, and Antonio, 28, Murchison, Darrise Jeffers, 21, and Marquell Cobbs, 19, are facing first-degree murder charges in the shooting of Makiyah Wilson on July 16, 2018, on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE. The drive-by shooting is alleged to have been the result of a neighborhood rivalry.

The Murchisons were charged in 2019. The other two were charged in 2018. Cobbs is on pretrial release under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP.)

The trial is anticipated to last around two months. During the March 6 hearing, the courtroom clerk reported that September 2022 was booked for jury trials. The prosecution expressed concern that the holidays may cause interference if they book the trial to begin too far into 2022.

Judge Danya Dayson suggested that they can either schedule the trial for October 2022 and wait to see if an earlier opening becomes available in the meantime, or they can set the trial for the following January instead.

Parties chose the latter option, and 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.

Qujuan Thomas, 22, Quentin Michals, 23, Gregory Taylor, 25, Mark Price, 26, Quincy Garvin, 21, and Saquan Williams, 20, are also charged with first-degree murder in connection with the homicide.

They are scheduled for a jury trial from May 2, 2022 to July 1, 2022. Jury selection for that trial is slated to occur from April 25, 2022 to April 26, 2022.

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

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

Andrea Keckley wrote this article.

Document: Suspect Arrested for Murder

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested a suspect in connection with a Jan. 3 homicide.

At around 1:23 a.m., officers responded to the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE for the report of a shooting.

There, they found 22 year-old Joseph Simmons suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Rashon Hall, 25, was arrested for first-degree murder while armed on March 8.

Document: Vehicle of Interest Sought in Homicide

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are asking for the public’s help identifying and locating a vehicle of interest in a homicide that happened on March 3.

At around 10:07 p.m. that day, officers responded to the unit block of 35^th Street, NE for the report of a traffic accident. There, they found 30 year-old Antonio Wilkinson suffering from an apparent gunshot wound in a vehicle that had struck a parked vehicle. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

The vehicle was captured by a surveillance camera, and can be described as a white Cadillac Escalade ESV with no front license plate.

Crime Alerts: March 7-8

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out two crime alerts between 9:00 p.m. on March 7 and 9:00 a.m. on March 8.

The most recent alert was sent at 12:22 a.m. for a stabbing on the 3000 block of 6th Street, SE.

The second alert was sent at 10:40 p.m. for a shooting on the 4000 block of 2nd Street, SW.

Police do not have a description of the suspects involved in either of these cases.

Hearing for Murder Case Vacated

A March 5 mental observation hearing for a murder defendant was vacated.

Brandon Byrd is charged with second-degree murder while armed and carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or business for allegedly stabbing his father Otis Byrd, 44, on the 100 block of Michigan Avenue, NW in 2016.

DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan scheduled Byrd for a mental observation hearing on April 7.

Byrd, 25, has been held at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric institution, for over four years now and is still currently considered incompetent to stand trial.

Sarah Gebrengus wrote this article.

Preliminary Hearing For 3 Teen Murder Defendants Begins

March 3 marked the first day of a hearing to determine if a murder case has enough evidence to go to trial.

The three co-defendants, 17-year-old Nelfy Hernandez, 16-year-old Trey Prillerman, and 19-year-old Deandre Levy are charged with first-degree murder while armed for their alleged roles in the shooting of 17-year-old Taijhon Wyatt, Jr.

A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective testified that the vehicle identified as the suspected car used during the murder was stolen from an Uber driver hours before the shooting occurred.

The detective said the car unique because it was missing hubcaps on the passenger side. Video surveillance revealed a car matching the description circling the area around the shooting minutes before it happened.

The detective also said that, based on ballistic testing, the shell cases found from the scene and the shell cases found from the vehicle did not match.

He suggested that there must have been at least two guns.

The detective also said that no witness could identify how many people were in the car or could describe the people in the car during the shooting.

Due to time constraints, the proceedings did not finish. Judge Danyna Dayson scheduled the hearing to pick back up on March 8.

On Aug. 20, 2020, the three allegedly shot blindly into a group of juveniles from the inside of a vehicle on the 5500 Block of 9th Street, NW.

Sarah Gebrengus wrote this article

Judge Rejects Domestic Violence Defendant’s Guilty Plea due to ‘Inappropriate Behavior’

A DC Superior Court judge rejected a defendant’s guilty plea and vacated the hearing due to the defendant’s “inappropriate behavior” in the courtroom.

The defendant is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and contempt.

The March 5 hearing was intended for him to enter a guilty plea.

After the prosecution read the proffer of facts and Judge James Crowell asked the defendant if he agreed with them, the defendant tried to interject new information. He went on to interrupt the judge as he tried to explain to him that this was not the time to offer new information and that they needed a “yes” or “no” answer from him.

“[The defendant] is incapable of answering a direct question by the court, whether or not these facts are true, and has interrupted me several times,” said Judge Crowell. “I’m done.”

The defendant will remain at DC Jail until his next hearing, which is scheduled for March 25.

This article was written by McKenzie Beard.

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