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Preliminary Hearing Set for Murder Defendant

A defense attorney in a murder case requested July 8 that a preliminary hearing be scheduled to review evidence and determine if the case has probable cause.

Ch’Juan Robinson, 23, is charged with the first-degree murder of Louis Kingsbury, a 35-year-old resident of Southeast, DC. Kingsbury died on April 29 on the 200 block of New York Ave, NW.

DC Superior Court Judge Julie Becker granted this request. The hearing is scheduled to take place on Aug. 23.

Robinson is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 29. He is also pending a grand jury.

Judge Gives Defendant One More Time to Comply

A DC Superior Court judge allowed a defendant, who is on probation for different cases to remain released, saying she would give him another chance to comply with his release requirements.

Maurice Douglas pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for sex abuse. He was sentenced to 90 days, in which 75 days of that time was suspended. After finishing his sentence, he was released on 18 months of supervised probation. 

On Dec. 7, 2019, Douglas was charged with attempted threats to do bodily harm. He is currently released under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP).

Representatives from the Pretrial Services Agency and the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) recommended that Douglas’ release be revoked. Both agencies cited a loss of contact in the past few months, along with 11 violations of Douglas’ stay away order from the place of the incident.

The PSA representative also said there are reports of multiple occasions in which Douglas failed to charge his GPS monitoring device. The representative said the agency did not know where Douglas was located during the times.

The prosecution also said Douglas accumulated new allegations of involvement in a child trafficking ring, although he is not facing charges at this time. The prosecution requested that, if allowed to remain released, Douglas be required to participate in sex offender treatment as well.

Judge Maribeth Raffinan denied the prosecution’s request, citing how the allegations have not resulted in new charges.

Sharon Weathers and Rebecca Bloch, Douglas’ defense counsel, said that their client has been unable to get in contact with his probation officer and his HISP officer because he is homeless.

They also said Douglas has violated the stay away order so many times because the boundaries of the order encompass his aunt’s house and a bus route he frequents.

Judge Raffnan admonished Douglas to come into compliance with the requirements of his probation and pretrial release. She cited his lengthy criminal record for being only 26-years-old and said he would be held at DC Jail if other requirements are violated.

Douglas is scheduled for a hearing on both matters on Sept. 2.

Judge Denies Defendant’s Release

A DC Superior Court judge denied July 8 a defense attorney’s request for his client’s release. 

Fate Collins was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon on May 13.

The prosecutor asked Judge Julie Becker to deny the request because the defendant has been threatening the victim and witnesses in the case through telephone and social media.

Judge Becker denied the release.

Collins is scheduled to appear back in court on Sept. 22.

Judge Denies Defense’s Request for Release Because of Bullying

A DC Superior Court judge denied July 7 a defense attorney’s request that his client be released from prison because of the mistreatment that he is facing behind bars.

Karlos Kinney is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 25-year-old Resha Blount on the 900 block of New Jersey Avenue, NW. On April 30, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers discovered Blount suffering from multiple gunshot wounds inside a bedroom. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

The attorney asked for the request because the 20-year-old defendant has been maced and segregated from other prisoners.

Still, the judge denied the defense’s request for release because of the nature of the charges Kinney is facing. 

Surveillance footage shows Kinney entering the apartment building and exiting during the time of the incident. Cell phone records show text messages between the victim and defendant. In the texts, Kinney told the victim that he was on his way to her residence.

According to court documents, a witness told police that the victim and defendant got into a dispute over marijuana and money. The victim asked the defendant to leave her home and he smashed her face. The victim was preparing to throw a punch when the defendant took out a gun and shot her.

Kinney is scheduled to appear back in court on Aug. 17.

Judge Denies Defendant’s Release and Continues Case Until the End of July

On July 7, a DC Superior Court judge denied a defendant’s request for release. Instead, the case was continued until the end of July.

Antwaun Smith is charged with carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business. According to court documents, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department saw Smith on the 600 Morton Street NW, with a large group of people. He started running away from the police holding his right jacket pocket.

The defendant allegedly tossed the weapon in a grassy area while running from authorities. Police were able to recover the weapon.

Defense attorney Brandi Harden asked the judge for the defendant to be released under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP.) The prosecution opposed this request because the defendant is already in HISP pending another case.

The prosecution offered Smith a plea deal. The deal is set to expire on July 22. If he denies the plea, his next court date will be a preliminary hearing to determine if the prosecution has enough evidence to proceed to trial.

That hearing is scheduled for July 31.

If he accepts the plea deal, then that date will be postponed.

Judge Issues Judicial Summons for Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge summoned July 8 a defendant with no known address to appear in court Oct. 7 for her next hearing. 

Markea Chambers, 20, i charged with second-degree theft for allegedly stealing a taxi driver’s phone the evening before. According to court documents, the taxi driver saw the defendant and three other women with her flee into a nearby building on the 300 block of Hamilton Street, NE. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers found the phone in a trash can on the fourth floor.

Judge James Crowell issued a judicial summons March 2 after the defendant failed to appear in court for her arraignment when he realized that there was no address to reach her.

A subsequent hearing was scheduled to address the lack of information on her residence, but was ultimately pushed back four months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The summons states that if the defendant fails to appear in court again, a bench warrant will be issued for her arrest.

Judge Changes Defendant’s Release Conditions

A DC Superior Court judge modified a defendant’s release conditions July 8 after reasserting another judge’s finding of probable cause. 

A 61-year-old defendant was charged with second-degree child sex abuse on June 19. Judge Sean Staples initially found probable cause on June 19, allowing the defendant to be released under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) into 24-hour home confinement.

Judge Neal Kravitz changed the defendant’s release conditions from home confinement to community supervision with a 10 p.m. curfew.

The change was initiated because defense attorney, Joseph Yarbough, filed a motion stating that his client’s initial court document did not state his age nor the age of the victim. The prosecution then submitted a supplemental document that had the correct ages.

Since the ages of defendants and victims are crucial to child sex abuse cases, Judge Kravitz was able to reverse Judge Staples’ finding of probable cause. However, after examining the supplemental reports, Judge Kravitz determined that there were still grounds for probable cause on July 8.

After Judge Kravitz rediscovered probable cause, the prosecution and defense discussed lifting the defendant’s release conditions per the defense’s request. All parties were in agreement that the conditions should be loosened.

Judge Kravitz also modified the defendant’s stay away order since the victim moved to a new address.

He was originally ordered to stay away from the victim and place of incident, which was the victim’s temporary home. With the prosecution’s consent, Judge Kravitz changed the stay away order to require that the defendant stay away from the victim and her new place of residence.

The defendant will appear in court again on Sept. 21 to evaluate the status of his case.

Document: Police Arrest Juvenile for Assault with Gun

On July 7, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrested a juvenile for assaulting a victim with a gun.

According to a press release, the juvenile allegedly threw a pole at the victim’s car, then brandished a gun during a verbal confrontation on the  600 block of 4th Street, SW. No injuries were reported.

[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6982978-7-8-20-Arrest-Made-in-an-Assault-With-a.html” responsive=true]

My Spring Internship at D.C. Witness

I think perhaps my favorite aspect of working at D.C. Witness was coming into court everyday knowing there’s a real story that impacts the lives of real people.

This phenomenon was especially relevant with cases that I would cover for days and weeks at a time where it felt like the stories would take on a life of their own, each with characters and strong personalities that made them a lot of fun to follow.

Overall, I’m very thankful for my time at D.C. Witness, particularly toward the editors, staff, and coworkers that made my time in Washington, D.C. so special. 

Wyatt Mullins is a journalism student at the University of Colorado Boulder. 

My Spring Internship at D.C. Witness

My time as an intern at D.C. Witness taught me valuable skills about both journalism and the legal system.

I got the opportunity to experience real-life homicide hearings, and subsequently learned how to properly report on such controversial topics.

I developed the ability to pre-write, multitask, research, and to pick up and take notes on only the most vital and relevant information.

While I was never set on a career in journalism, the opportunity to see the intersection between two career paths that I have considered for myself was one that I will never forget and that I will continue to explore.

Noa Donvan is a student at Georgetown University. She is studying psychology and journalism.

My Spring Internship at D.C. Witness

During my time interning for D.C. Witness, I was able to gain clarity about what I want my future career to be while I developed important and tactile skills that I would not have learned otherwise.

I feel that my ability to successfully write for news has greatly increased, and I have developed a more critical eye for distinguishing the facts and what’s important from everything else.

Along with this, I realized how much I enjoy being in the courtroom and seeing the law in practice. I always thought the criminal justice system was interesting, but, over the past few months, I have developed new perspectives and passions that I know will benefit me in my next endeavors. 

Arielle Frank is a student at American University who is majoring in CLEG (Communications, Legal Principles, Economics, and Government). 

‘Keep Up the Good Work,’ Judge Tells Shoplifting Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge found a defendant competent to stand trial in all five of his cases on July 8.

Joseph Chambers is charged with shoplifting, unlawful entry onto private property and a bail reform act violation. 

Judge Michael Ryan commended Chambers for his progress, telling him to “keep up the good work” and encouraging him to engage in his mental health classes and continue taking his medications.  

He is currently being held at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric institution, where he will continue to stay so that he can continue receiving treatments.

“You’ve been doing well and you’re to be congratulated,” Judge Ryan said.

Chambers was charged with unlawful entry charge Sept. 13 for allegedly entering a grocery store on the 1300 block of Potomac Ave, SE from which he had a five year ban.  Two weeks later, he was charged with unlawful entry and shoplifting on Sept. 25 for an incident that took place the previous day at a Safeway on the 1800 block of Bay Street, SE. Two days after the last incident, he was charged with unlawful entry on Sept. 27 for an incident that occurred at a different Safeway on the 1100 block of 4th Street, SW.

Chambers’ next court date is scheduled for Sept. 2.

Defendant Accepts ‘Very Generous’ Plea Offer

A defendant accepted a plea deal in exchange for reduced charges on July 7. He was sentenced to time in jail.

Yusef Barrie was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm on Dec. 16, 2019, for assault with a dangerous weapon. Two days earlier, at around 4:30 p.m., Barrie allegedly pulled out and discharged the weapon during a verbal argument on the 800 block of O Street, NW. No injuries were reported.

On Jan. 31, Barrie pleaded guilty to attempted assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession. The deal would require Barrie to serve a straight time sentence due to his criminal history and the seriousness of crime.

During sentencing, DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe said the prosecution was offering “a very generous plea offer” for Barrie’s “unbelievable lack of judgement.”

Barrie was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for the attempted assault charge. He was also sentenced to one year and 6 months for the unlawful possession charge. The sentences are set to run concurrently.

Judge Orders Competency Assessment for Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge reviewed a defendant’s initial competency report on July 8 and ordered a full competency assessment.

Bradley Middleton was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon on June 10. He was arrested on June 9 after a witness told police that he threatened her with a knife.

DC Superior Court Judge Julie Becker scheduled another mental observation hearing for Aug. 11.