Document: Judge Releases Defendant Charged with Assault

On July 7, a DC Superior Court judge released a defendant who was charged with assault during his initial hearing after finding probable cause.

Delonte Richardson, 47, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. He was arrested earlier that day for an incident on the 1900 block of 23rd Street, SE on May 10.

The attorney refuted probable cause, saying there was no description of the altercation, a weapon was not found and Richardson was not in the location that the witness said he was in.

Defense counsel said there was no corroborating evidence of the witness’s account of what happened. It “doesn’t make sense, at least to me,” the lawyer said.

According to court documents, Richardson’s friend said the defendant sucker punched him and shot at his car. Police recovered three shell casings. It seems as though Richardson was trying to get a ride from the victim before the confrontation occurred.

The defendant was released on personal recognizance. He must stay away from the victim and the 1900 block of 23rd Street, NE.

Richardson’s criminal history includes a felony conviction for possession with the intent to distribute in Fairfax, Va. He was sentenced to 9 years in prison, but 7 years and 6 months were suspended.

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Crime Alerts: July 7-8

Between 8 p.m. on July 7 and 8 a.m. on July 8, the Metropolitan Police Department sent out four crime alerts.

The most recent alert was sent at 7:51 a.m. for a robbery investigation on the 3700 block of D Street, SE. Police are looking for three Black males. Two of the suspects are wearing black jackets and black jeans. The third suspect is wearing a green jacket. All three have hooded sweatshirts.

Another alert for a robbery with a gun went out at 3:29 a.m. on the 1200 block of 1st Street, SE. Police are looking for a Black male with a dark complexion and dreads. He is wearing a black shirt, ripped blue jeans and black Adidas pants. He was last seen going east near the Anacostia river.

An alert for an attempted robbery was sent at 3:01 a.m. on the 1300 block of Florida Avenue, NE. Police are looking for a Black female, thin build, in her 20s. She is wearing a black shirt and black leggings with a white stripe down the side. They are also looking for a Black male wearing all dark clothing, riding a scooter.

The final alert was sent at 12:08 a.m. for a shooting on the 5000 block of Queens Stroll Place, SE. Police are looking for a Black male, tall, thin build. He is wearing all dark clothing,

Anyone with information on these events should call 911.

Judge Holds Defendant Charged With Unlawful Possession of A Firearm

A DC Superior Court judge decided against releasing a defendant on July 7.

On Aug, 8, 2019, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers confronted Haile Wade at the intersection of 5th and E Street, NW after finding an unregistered handgun with a 17-round magazine in his car, according to court documents. He resisted arrest when officers discovered cocaine, amphetamines and opioids.

A jury found him guilty of unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest on Nov. 22, 2019. He was sentenced to serve nearly seven months in jail plus one year of supervised probation.

On June 23, Wade was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. He was detained at DC jail, where he is currently being held.

During the July 7 probation show cause hearing, Judge Michael O’Keefe ruled that the defendant will remain in jail, as he was not present for the hearing.

Wade’s next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 7.

Judge Releases Defendant Charged With Threat to Kidnap And Injure

A DC Superior Court judge released a defendant charged with threat to kidnap and injure.

DeAngelo Washington’s probation officer said that the defendant violated his probation after receiving his sentence on July 9, 2019, and failed to report to drug testing prior to it becoming unavailable during the pandemic. He also has not been in contact by phone with pretrial services for about four months.

Defense attorney Isaac Kunnirickal explained that the phone his client registered with the court, which belonged to Washington’s mother, broke and could not have been fixed easily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kunnirickal also said that Washington’s GPS tracking device somehow remained active throughout the period during when pretrial services could not reach him by phone, showing he probably had no intention to flee.

Judge Robert Okun sided with the defense and released the defendant so he could continue with his probation.

Washington’s next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 11.

Another Hearing Scheduled to Discuss Plea Deal

DC Superior Court Judge Julie Becker granted July 7 a defense attorney’s request to schedule another hearing.

On May 5, Victor Davis was charged with prison breach for fleeing the Hope Village Community Corrections halfway house. On Aug. 5, 2019, the defendant was transferred from the DC Department of Corrections to the halfway house. He arrived at the halfway house that evening and the staff did not give him permission to leave, according to court documents.

Defense attorney Lucas Dansie asked that the judge continue the case so that he and the prosecutor can use a courtroom that is more equipped to deal with plea deals.

A report revealed that, at about 10:50 p.m., the defendant was missing from the halfway house. An employee counted the residents twice and checked the defendant’s room, but he could not be found.

The defendant is being held at DC Jail and is scheduled to appear back in court on July 23.

Judge Denies Defendant’s Release Request

DC Superior Court Judge Julie Becker denied July 7 a release request for a defendant charged with assault.

Javon Hale is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly stabbing an Uber driver at the Walmart on H Street, NW. The driver told Hale that he would have to cancel the ride he and his company ordered since not everyone could fit in the car due to COVID-19 restrictions, according to court documents. The defendant allegedly assaulted the driver out of anger.

The victim tried to get away from the defendant by running into the Walmart. The defendant allegedly followed the victim inside the store and continued assaulting him again.

Hale is also captured on surveillance footage shows allegedly stabbing the victim.

Hale attempted to flee the scene but Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers caught and arrested him.

The defense is waiting to receive the new found evidence and the victim’s medical records in order to reach a decision on a plea agreement. While waiting for the information, defense attorney James Williams asked that his client be released.

Judge Becker denied the defendant’s release due to the nature of the crime.

The defendant is scheduled to appear back in court on Aug. 12.

Document: Police Investigate Triple Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the homicides of two men and a woman that occurred on the 5000 block of Bass Place, SE.

According to a press release, 56-year-old Claudette Williams, 29-year-old Marquise Lewis and 20-year-old Juwan Wade were shot just after 1 a.m. on July 7. All three victims died on the scene.

The department is offering up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case or any other homicide case in Washington, DC. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may also be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line — 50411.

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Judge Reschedules Hearing for Man Charged With Armed Burglary

On July 7, a DC Superior Court judge rescheduled a bond review hearing for a defendant charged with first-degree burglary.

On March 28, Antione Pierce allegedly broke into his girlfriend’s neighbor’s apartment on the 1600 block of 17th Street, SE and took jewelry while armed with a handgun.

Pierce was initially absent from the courtroom but eventually called in, saying he did not know his hearing was rescheduled from an earlier date.

The prosecution wanted Pierce to receive GPS monitoring and a stay away order to provide a sense of security to the victim, who has not returned to his apartment since the burglary occurred.

The complainant asked in a letter that these conditions be put in place, which had not been after an initial ruling by Judge Juliet McKenna on March 30.

Defense attorney Sellano Simmons argued that GPS monitoring would do nothing to alleviate fear, as the complainant himself would not be able to see where Pierce is. He said a stay away order would be enough, considering his client has fully cooperated with the court since his arrest.

The prosecution disagreed, saying the complainant would feel more secure knowing Pierce is being tracked by law enforcement. He also said Pierce probably would not have been released had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given Simmons had only been assigned to Pierce’s case shortly before the hearing. Judge Michael O’Keefe said that he ought to have more time to talk with the defendant and collect information on the case.

The hearing is scheduled to continue on July 8.

Judge Holds 5 Defendants During Initial Hearings

On July 7, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge James Crowell held five defendants, releasing 19.

Of those released, two did not have charges filed against them.

Michael Austin was held by Judge Crowell. Austin is charged with the second-degree murder of Kayvon Kinney, which occurred on May 24 on the 1800 block of Gainesville Street, SE.

The prosecution asked for a hold, referring to Austin as a “flight risk” because he was arrested in Georgia after visiting his child and former romantic partner in New Jersey. According to Austin’s attorney, Austin had no idea that there was a warrant out for his arrest.

When presented before a judge in Atlanta, Austin was released and ordered to return to DC because the judge found the information of the offense to be largely circumstantial. Austin returned to DC and turned himself into authorities the next day.

“These are not the actions of someone who is guilty,” Austin’s attorney said.

The defense also questioned a lot of the evidence in Austin’s case.

The defense said there was no weapon or video evidence from the alleged shooting. The attorney also said the description of Austin on the night of the shooting varies greatly because Austin does not drive the car that was present at the scene. The shirt that Austin was accused of wearing while committing the crime was never recovered.

Kinney’s girlfriend was also unable to identify Austin from photographs.

The defense also brought up some of Austin’s medical issues that could pose problems, including asthma and an actively bleeding stomach ulcer. The issues could be problematic because of the coronavirus while he is being held in DC Jail.

Judge Crowell still held Austin, saying that he cannot guarantee the safety of the community. Austin is scheduled for another hearing on Aug. 19 to discuss the status of his case.

Ambakisye Burrell was also held by Judge Crowell, but only after Burrell openly and willingly refused to comply with his release conditions. Burrell is charged with unlawful entry onto private property.

Judge Crowell initially agreed to release Burrell so long as he agreed to stay away from the 5th district Metropolitan Police Department precinct.

Burrell immediately started arguing with Judge Crowell, demanding that MPD officers “give him back his property” in order for him to stay away from the precinct. When Judge Crowell stated that Burrell must do this through his attorney, Burrell became even more agitated and stated that, if released today, he would immediately return to the precinct for his belongings.

Judge Crowell decided to hold Burrell after he started screaming about suing the DC government.

A defendant was charged with second-degree child sex abuse. The prosecution requested that he be held because he had previously been on supervised release and re-offended with children.

The defense attorney said the defendant should be released because the victim was unable to identify Morgan and there was no footage to prove that he was the assailant. The attorney said the defendant has been working towards receiving treatment for his sexual offenses.

The prosecution then said the defendant’s last offense had also been in a metro station with a 16 year old, and that prior cases have also included children between the ages of 12 to 16.

Judge Crowell decided to hold the defendant, saying he believes the defendant would be a danger to the community if he was released.

Judge Crowell cited the defendant’s prior experience with probation, in which he followed children home from schools, masturbated in front of them and tried to get them to have sex with him.

DeAngelo Wilkins was arrested on a warrant from the state of Maryland on July 7.

The warrant was filed on July 3, and the underlying charge in Wilkins’ case is robbery. Wilkins was already on probation for five years when the warrant was filed. Judge Crowell held Wilkins, agreeing with the prosecution that the underlying charge makes him dangerous to the community.

Finally, Judge Crowell decided to hold another defendant in a fugitive matter. Shaykh Abdul-Majid was arrested on a warrant from Maryland that was issued on July 7. The underlying charge is first-degree assault.

The prosecution requested a hold, citing the fact that Abdul-Majid also has robbery charges.

Judge Crowell said Abdul-Majid is a danger to the community, deciding to hold him until July 10, the deadline for Maryland officials to retrieve him.

Judge Crowell said that if Maryland officials do not retrieve Abdul-Majid, the matter would proceed in DC court.

There were five domestic violence cases. One was a violation of a Civil Protection Order (CPO) from 2007 and the defendant was released with a court date in October. The other four domestic violence cases included simple assault, contempt, destruction of property and violation of a CPO. All four defendants were released with stay-away orders.

Two additional defendants were charged with being fugitives from justice. Both defendants were released and instructed to turn themselves in to the respective jurisdictions.

Two co-defendants were charged with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance for allegedly selling crack cocaine to law enforcement personnel during a buy bust. Both defendants were released with stay-away orders from the 1400 block of N. Capitol Street, NW per the prosecution’s request.

There were five misdemeanor cases with charges of simple assault. Three of the defendants had additional charges. All five were released per the prosecution’s request with stay-away orders from the complainants. One defendant also had a CPO issued by the judge.

Two final misdemeanor cases were heard before Judge Cowell. One for an old bench warrant from January 2018. The defendant was released by the judge.

The other defendant was charged with threat to kidnap or injure a person and carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or business. He was released with instructions to stay away from White House grounds.

One final felony case was heard where the defendant was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. The defendant allegedly punched his friend in the face and then shot his car three times. Judge Crowell released him with stay-away orders from the complainant and the associated location.

Judge Releases Defendant After Serving 23 Years in Prison

A DC Superior Court judge released a woman who was sentenced in 1997.

Judge Robert Okun granted the release of a defendant during a re-sentencing hearing. Her sentence was suspended with time served plus seven days, so that she can quarantine before leaving the prison.

Kimberly Montgomery was charged with mayhem while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault, simple assault, first-degree armed burglary and malicious disfigurement on Feb. 6, 1997. The defendant pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Nov 25, 1997. She was sentenced to 15 years to life and one to three years on two other charges.

Montgomery filed a motion to have her sentenced reduced on May 27.

Judge Okun released Montgomery under the conditions that she seek mental health treatment, stay away from the victim and her son and complete three years of probation. Montgomery must reside with her daughter in DC until her probation is switched over to Maryland. Once the case is switched over, she must reside with her daughter in Maryland.

In 1997, the defendant waited at another young woman’s apartment for her to come home. Once the young lady arrived at her apartment, the defendant came from another apartment and threw acid in her face. At the time of the incident, the woman was with her son, who was not harmed. The victim has had multiple face surgeries and is permanently blind.

The victim appeared in court to make a victim impact statement. She believed the defendant should not be released from prison, and expressed how her life has changed tremendously since the incident and how it was a very evil thing for the defendant to do to her. She asked that the defendant stay away from her and have no knowledge of her address.

Montgomery is scheduled to be released from prison on July 14.

Judge Puts Domestic Violence Defendant on Supervised Release

DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan released a domestic violence defendant awaiting trial under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP.)

The defendant is charged with violating a Temporary Protection Order (TPO). He was released on his promise to return to court for his next scheduled appearance.

The defendant also received a stay away order as a condition of his release.

The defendant is also charged with violating a TPO, attempted threats to do bodily harm and contempt in another case. He received a stay away order for that case as well.

The defendant is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 21.

Judge Holds Defendant with Multiple Probation Violations

A DC Superior Court judge held a defendant July 7 after he violated his probation multiple times.

Christopher Proctor pleaded guilty to the second-degree burglary on Sept. 11. He was given four months in jail plus three years of supervised probation on Nov. 21.

In his decision, Judge Michael O’Keefe cited the defendant’s history of substance abuse and mental health issues, along with a lack of accessibility to outpatient drug and mental health resources due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Proctor is being supervised in Maryland for his DC charges. His probation officer in Maryland said that he has been in and out of treatment because there are periods of time where he loses contact.

Proctor has also picked up three additional charges while on probation. He was charged with simple assault on Feb. 26 and March 30. He was also charged with simple assault and assault on a police officer on May 9.

Proctor’s probation officer says that he is in need of intense psychological and drug abuse treatment.

Judge O’Keefe asked Proctor’s attorney, Gemma Stevens, if there was any probation plan she believed would prevent Proctor from picking up additional charges. Stevens said that she believes her client’s behavior has derived from stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of a steady job that he held for a year.

Stevens also said Proctor seems very clear-headed after being incarcerated for 60 days, and that he is motivated to stay clean and get back on the right track if he remains on probation.

Judge O’Keefe examined Proctor’s additional charges during his time on supervised probation. He decided to wait for the results of Proctor’s withstanding cases and then evaluate whether or not he is a risk to the community.

Proctor will remain held in DC jail until Sept. 17, when he is due back in court.

Defendant Given Probation for Operating Vehicle while Impaired

On July 7, a DC Superior Court judge sentenced a defendant who pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while impaired.

Joann Meredith was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and operating a vehicle while impaired on Feb. 24. She pleaded guilty to the latter charge on July 7, and her DUI was dropped.

Judge Steven Wellner sentenced Meredith to 10 days time suspended, so she won’t have to spend any time behind bars. He also gave her one year of supervised probation.

As part of her probation, the defendant must participate in a traffic alcohol and traffic safety program, attend a victim impact panel and not drive under the influence or while impaired. She is also required to complete a driving safety program.

On Feb. 9, a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer responded to an accident at 14th Street and Jefferson Avenue, NW. Upon arrival, the officer found a vehicle with severe front end damage that appeared to have been in a collision. He found the Meredith in the vehicle’s driver seat with a key in the ignition.

While talking to the defendant, the officer heard her slur her words and smelled alcohol on her breath. He conducted a field sobriety test on her, which she failed.

Document: Judge Finds Probable Cause for Multiple Robberies

On July 2, DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna led the initial hearings for two defendants that were arrested for armed robbery, robbery, and armed carjacking.

Malik Beverly is charged with robbery, armed robbery and armed carjacking. Rayrae Stover is charged with unarmed carjacking and robbery. The defendants were both involved in the incidents on June 22 on the 1700 block of F St NE and on June 29 on the 500 block of Oklahoma Ave NE. Judge McKenna found probable cause for both defendants’ crimes.

The first defendant, 18-year-old Malik Beverly, is a resident from Southeast DC. Judge Mckenna found probable cause for Beverly’s armed carjacking, armed robbery, and robbery charges. Beverly is being held without bail.

The second defendant, 19-year-old Rayrae Stover, is a resident from Northeast DC. The judge found probable cause for Stover’s unarmed carjacking and robbery charges. She released the defendant because of safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stover is released on personal recognizance.

Stover was also issued a stay-away order from the victim and the victim’s home address.

According to the press release, the investigation is still open and police are looking for additional suspects.

The department is offering a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone that provides information that leads to an arrest and conviction in these cases or any other violent crime committed in the District. Any person with information can contact their office at (202) 727-9099 or send a tip to the department at their Text Tip Line – 50411.

The defendants’ next hearing will be on Aug. 14.

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Crime Alerts: July 6-7

From 9 p.m. on July 6 to 9 a.m. on July 7, the Metropolitan Police Department sent out two crime alerts.

The most recent alert was sent at 2:18 a.m. for a shooting on the 4900 block of C Street, SE. Police do not have a description of the suspect.

The second alert was sent at 10:01 p.m. for a robbery investigation occurring at 7:52 p.m. at the intersection of Kenilworth Avenue, NE and Quarrels Street, NE. Police are looking for two suspects. The first is a Black male, 5’9″, 160 lbs, wearing a baby blue mask, camouflage hoody and blue jeans. He is thought to be armed with a handgun. The second suspect is a Black female, 5’6″, 140-150 lbs, wearing a black hoody, jeans and timberland boots. She was last seen on Pond Street, NE.

If anyone has information on any of these incidents, call 911.

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