A prosecutor offered a defendant a plea deal for weapons charges on July 10..
Joey Grady was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm on May 8. He is being detained at DC Jail.
The prosecution handed evidence over to defense attorney Quo Judkins, who will discuss how to proceed with his client.
DC Superior Court Judge Julie Becker scheduled Grady’s next hearing for July 22.
A DC Superior Court judge denied July 10 releasing a defendant charged with armed carjacking.
On April 21, Jihad Johnson allegedly forced a man to surrender his vehicle on the 1600 block of Fairlawn Avenue, SE by pointing a gun at him.
He allegedly drove away with an accomplice, later stopping to let on a third accomplice, before Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers stopped the three in an alley leading to 17th Street, NE.
The two other suspects, identified as Rob Smith and Marc Kirk, were both released on July 6.
Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled another hearing for July 16.
A DC Superior Court judge denied a release request from a defendant charged with second-degree murder.
Daniel Gayden, 54, is accused of killing Ronald Collins, 56, on the 5100 block of A Street, SE.
Witnesses say Collins struck Gayden’s vehicle with a walking stick. The stick was stuck in the window and dragged Collins as Gayden drove away.
Collins eventually let go and fell to the ground before witnesses say Gayden was seen exiting his vehicle to stab him.
Defense attorney Jaqueline Cadman wanted her client released on home confinement.
She said he has a job at Safeway, a home and loved ones to look after. She also pointed out that his criminal history only consists of a conviction for possessing marijuana in 2004.
According to Cadman, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) discovered found out that the victim had a knife. She asked the judge to consider the possibility that Gayden acted in self defense.
The prosecution said the victim was on the ground motionless when Gayden allegedly stabbed him, showing clear intent to harm.
The prosecutor said Gayden’s claim that he exited his car to check the victim’s pulse was a lie he told to hide his wrongdoing.
Since Gayden previously threatened to harm the victim’s family, the prosecution said the killing likely had some planning involved and could not have been the result of a sudden emotional upheaval.
While sympathizing with the prosecution, Judge Rainey Brandt reminded both sides that the purpose of the hearing was not to establish probable cause and that they should make their arguments on a later date.
She did find that Gayden could pose a threat to one of the witnesses should he be released.
Gayden is scheduled for a status conference on July 31.
A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a defendant to nearly seven months in jail with credit for time served. She has around two and a half months left to spend.
Andrea Richardson pleaded guilty to threats to do bodily harm and unlawful entry of private property. She was initially charged with first-degree burglary. The defendant is a transgender woman.
Richardson, 58, was sentenced to 120 days for both charges. The sentences will run concurrently with each other.
Richardson was also sentenced to 90 days for attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, which is set to run consecutively to her other sentences.
She also received credit for time served.
Richardson is required to pay a total of $150 to the Victims of Violent Crime Act fund.
Defense attorney Sabityu Abou said her client suffered from substance abuse. Richardson was allegedly intoxicated at the time of the offenses.
Abou said the defendant has her own home.
“I take responsibility for everything that happened,” the defendant said. “I truly apologize.”
Judge John Campbell said Richardson is “not a good candidate for probation” since she stopped contacting parole officers in her previous convictions of robbery and burglary.
Richardson kicked in the back door of a random house on the 1900 block of Lincoln Road, NE, according to court documents. She left the building after an occupant chased her out of the house.
Later that day, she pointed a broken beer bottle at someone waiting for a bus on the 100 block of T Street, NE. Documents state that Richardson told the person, I’m going to f*** you up, I told you.”
After hearing about new potential release conditions, a DC Superior Court judge allowed a motion for a defendant’s release to move forward.
Joenathan Nelson is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. He is currently on probation for burglary, attempted threats to do bodily harm and a misdemeanor case for fleeing . He has two other cases against him for domestic violence.
Quo Mieko Judkins, Nelson’s attorney, recently filed a motion for Nelson’s release. She requested that her client be put in home confinement, where he will be monitored around the clock for his autism and bipolar disorder.
She also mentioned that the victim in the domestic violence cases is committed to Nelson’s rehabilitation and has made arrangements for them to go to therapy together.
Judkins said Nelson’s switch to a more intensive pretrial monitoring agency would allow him to be released safely. Judkins also said Nelson can be successfully rehabilitated if he is enrolled in Community Connections, an agency where he will be assigned a team to provide all day mental health services.
Nelson has been held in DC Jail for 64 days, which is the longest amount of time he has been incarcerated. Judkins said the defendant now knows what it means if he does not comply with court orders. The lawyer described the conditions in the jail as “deplorable.”
Judkins said she emailed Nelson’s warden to request that conditions be improved.
However, the prosecution said Nelson has been on GPS monitoring before and was on GPS monitoring when he was most recently arrested.
Judge Julie Becker allowed the release motion to be scheduled for a bond review hearing, during which another judge would decide whether or not Nelson can be released safely.
Judge Becker said that, while Nelson would have more mental health services available, she hopes the presiding judge truly evaluates whether release would be impactful.
The motion is scheduled for further consideration on July 15.
A defendant was found incompetent to stand trial July 10.
Derrell Taylor is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. He was detained at DC Jail, but was transferred to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric institution, in April.
Taylor has experienced symptoms of mental illness, including delusions and depression. He also has an intellectual disability and is receiving services from the Department of Disability Services (DDS.)
I would like to “stop this cycling into the criminal justice system,” DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan said during the July 10 hearing.
He told the defendant that doctors would take one more opportunity to get him competent to stand trial, using a method designed to help intellectually disabled individuals gain competency.
Taylor allegedly assaulted a victim on the 800 block of 8th Street, NW by restraining the victim and holding a box cutter near his neck.
According to court documents, the victim, who managed to loosen Taylor’s hold, and a witness held the defendant down until Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers arrived on scene.
Staff at St. Elizabeth’s will make further efforts towards restoring Taylor’s competency throughout the next 30 days.
On Aug. 10, another hearing is scheduled to evaluate the defendant’s mental progress and determine what services he would need when he leaves the hospital.
There have been 16 homicides in June, nearly a 16 percent decrease from the total number of homicides in May.
A majority of the June homicides occurred form gun-related incidents. D.C. Witness data shows there were 15 shootings and one stabbing.
Police have apprehended four suspects in relation to the homicides.
One suspect, Daniel Gayden, 54, was arrested on June 1 for allegedly stabbing 54-year-old Ronald Collins on the 5100 block of A Street, SE earlier that same day.
Gayden is being held at DC Jail.
His next court hearing is scheduled on Oct. 16.
Raymond Davis was arrested on June 3 for allegedly shooting 39-year-old Henry Hackett on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE on June 3.
Davis, 46, is scheduled for another hearing in August.
Micah Bidgell is accused of murdering Marquis Harrod on June 6.
Bidgell, 24, allegedly shot Harrod, 18, on the 1300 block of Brentwood Road, NE. He was arrested on June 17.
Bidgell’s next court hearing is scheduled on Aug. 7.
All three defendants are charged with second-degree murder.
On June 25, Philbert Griffith was arrested for the murder of 28-year-old Alante Moore.
The shooting occurred on the 1500 block of 19th Street, SE on June 19.
Griffith is scheduled for a hearing on Aug. 12.
On July 9, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers arrested a suspect in connection to sex trafficking of children.
According to the press release, a resident of Silver Spring, Md. allegedly arranged for a sexual act for money with a child. The suspect traveled to DC at 6:44 p.m. on July 8 and was arrested upon arrival.
Lopez is awaiting his initial hearing in DC Superior Court.
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Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating a homicide that occurred during the evening on July 8.
According to a press release, officers found Eugene Anthony Hickson suffering from gunshot wounds on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Hickson is the 96th homicide in Washington, DC in 2020, according to D.C. Witness data. D.C. Witness tracks all homicides in the District of Columbia, including vehicular fatalities that result in arrest and justified homicides such as police-involved shootings. The MPD records 94 homicides in 2020 as of July 10.
The department is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case or any other case in DC. Anyone with information should call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may also be sent to the department’s Text Tip Line — 50411.
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A DC Superior Court judge required a defendant to one year of probation.
Stephen Russell was sentenced in four cases during the July 9 hearing. Three of his cases included domestic violence charges, one case included a misdemeanor charge. Russell pleaded guilty to simple assault and destruction of property less than $1,000.
As part of a plea agreement with the prosecution, his other charges of contempt, possession of a controlled substance and second-degree theft were dropped.
In addition to probation, Judge Maribeth Raffinan sentenced Russell to 90 days, all of which were suspended with credit for time served.
Conditions of his probation include a mental health assessment, alcohol testing and drug testing. Russell must also pay $100 to the Victims of Violent Crimes Act fund and comply with a stay away order.
The Metropolitan Police Department sent out four crime alerts between 8 p.m. on July 9 and 8 a.m. on July 10.
The most recent alert was sent at 5:04 a.m. for a robbery on the 600 block of H Street, NW. Police do not have a description of the suspect at this time.
An alert for a shooting was sent at 3:43 a.m. on the 4300 block of Nannie Helen Boroughs Avenue, NE. Police are looking for a Black male, 5’10”, medium complexion, thin build, short hair, slight facial hair, wearing a black shirt and dark color pants.
An alert for an armed carjacking was sent at 12:39 a.m. on the 1400 block of Alabama Avenue, SE. Police are looking for two Black males. One is approximately 18 years of age, wearing a black hoodie, armed with a handgun. The other was approximately 15 years of age, with no clothing description. A 2014 black Chevy Impala bearing MD tags 2EE7476 was taken. It was last seen turning right on 15th Street, SE going towards Mississippi Avenue, SE.
The final crime alert was sent at 9:33 p.m. for a robbery snatch at the intersection of 13th street and K street, NW. Police are looking for a Black male wearing all black and a baseball cap.
If anyone has information about these incidents, please call 911.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested one suspect in the murder of an 11-year-old child on July 4. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of three others.
Daryle Bond, an 18-year-old resident of Southeast, DC, was arrested for first-degree murder while armed July 9. Bond, along with three other men, allegedly shot Davon McNeal, an 11-year-old resident of Southeast DC, on the 1400 block of Cedar Street, SE, on Independence Day.
Police are looking for Carlo General, 19; Marcel Gordon, 25 and Christian Wingfield, 22 in connection to the murder.
The suspects should be considered armed and dangerous.
DC Police do not think that McNeal or anyone in his family was a target.
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On July 9, a DC Superior Court judge postponed scheduling a defendant’s next hearing until his competency examination is completed.
Kenneth Gray is charged with robbing a victim on the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE, after noticing the amount of money the victim was carrying with him.
On June 11, Judge Julie Becker ordered that a competency examination for Gray be conducted in DC Jail.
Jesse Winograd, Gray’s attorney, said that the court will have to wait until his client’s full exam comes back because the initial report said he was incompetent.
Judge Becker decided to keep Gray’s hearing on Sept. 24, which was scheduled on June 9, in preparation. She also said that when Gray’s competency tests return all parties can consider setting an earlier hearing.
DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe revoked July 9 a court order of non-compliance after the prosecution realized that a defendant has been fully compliant.
Mark Franklin was convicted of attempted threats to do bodily harm on Feb. 3. He was sentenced to 115 days in jail, which was suspended. He was also sentenced to one year on probation.
According to an officer from the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), the defendant has been providing up to date mental health assessments and contact information.
Franklin received a notice of non-compliance on May 26 as well.
Judge O’Keefe asked Franklin to “please stay in compliance so you don’t face jail time.”
The defendant has no further hearings scheduled at this time.
DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe gave a defendant, who is charged with attempted robbery, one week to self-surrender.
David Blake was charged with robbery on Jan. 14. His charge was changed to attempt to commit robbery on March 2. He was released from DC Jail on Mar. 26 due to safety concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic on the condition that he stays confined at home until his sentencing hearing.
However, the defendant failed to report his frequent outings to his Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) officer. Blake now has one week to return to court, so that he can be taken to DC Jail.
The PSA officer provided GPS tracking data which showed Blake leaving his house for extended periods of time as late as 1:56 am.
Blake’s attorney, Rachel Cicurel, argued that the defendant has proven that he is no longer a danger to society due to many positive accounts from his psychologists. She also said that while he has failed to report every outing, he has kept in contact with the PSA officer.
Judge O’Keefe said the defendant should have followed the release conditions for the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP). He said he will allow a grace period of one week for Blake “to get his affairs in order.”
The defendant must turn himself in by 9:30 a.m. on July 16. If Blake fails to turn himself in to the authorities, he could be subject to a $1,000 fine, 180 days in jail, or both.
Blake will remain under GPS supervision for the week and must report all of his outings to his PSA officer. After his self-surrender, he will remain in jail until his sentencing hearing.
The defendant’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 3.
