Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss in Murder Case

On Aug. 25, a DC Superior Court judge denied a motion to dismiss a murder defendant’s case.

Bobby Jordan, who is also known as Hilman Ray Jordan, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during crime of violence and carrying a pistol without license outside a home/business. Jordan, 47, is accused of killing 64-year-old Jawaid Bhutto on March 1 on the 2600 block of Wade Road, SE.

The defense is seeking mental health evaluations of Jordan.

Defense attorney Dana Page expressed concern over the prosecution’s blocking of questions to police about Jordan’s mental health status.

The prosecution said “the police are not mental health professionals” and questions regarding Jordan’s mental health would be “speculative.”

Judge Danya Dayson agreed with the prosecution. She suggested the parties communicate about how the evaluation would be carried out by a doctor.

Judge Dayson ordered the prosecution to consult with a doctor and provide the defense with updated information about how the mental health evaluation will take place by Sept 2.

Jordan’s next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 25.

Assault Defendant Released

On Aug 25, a DC Superior Courts judge released a defendant charged with assault.

Gary Reed, 51, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for allegedly threatening an off-duty taxi driver with a gun on Dec. 19, 2019, at 15th and U Street, NW.

Defense attorney Stephany Reaves requested her clients release, pointing out that Reed’s detention has been extended several times without any indication of when jury trials will resume.

However, the prosecution said that the defendant should be held, citing the seriousness of the allegations and arguing that all standards in place have been constitutional.

Reaves acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations against Reed but argued that because of the pandemic, health concerns, and Reed’s “indefinite” detention that his release is needed.

Judge Judith Smith decided to release Reed under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP.)

Judge Holds Six Of 18 Defendants During Initial Hearings

On Aug. 25, DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna released 12 defendants and held six defendants in DC Jail during their initial hearings.

Lawrence Gatewood is charged with assault with significant bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly fracturing a victim’s skull with a baseball bat on the 1300 block of Good Hope Road, SE on Aug. 24. Judge McKenna held Gatewood due to the severity of the crime.

Joshua Smith is held on charges of simple assault and second-degree theft for allegedly stealing a cell phone from a taxi driver in front of Union Station on Aug. 25. Smith was also charged with simple assault on Aug. 22 and unlawful entry on private property on July 13. The judge held him due to the frequent and repeated nature of his offenses.

Judge McKenna held a domestic violence defendant charged with destruction of property less than $1,000 and a separate case in which he is charged with a bail violation. The defendant allegedly damaged a vehicle on Aug. 25 while on release for several pending cases involving similar assaultive and destructive conduct.

Judge McKenna cited the defendant’s noncompliance with release conditions as well as the “allegations of substantial destruction of property” in his new case for her hold decision.

Judge McKenna also held another domestic violence defendant who is charged with contempt for violating a stay-away order given to him by another judge in another domestic violence case.

Olonzie Coney is held for violating his probation multiple times since his release. On July 30, Coney pleaded guilty to simple assault for acting aggressively with a knife on a DC metro train on March 1. Since his probation began, the defendant has failed to charge his GPS device or report to a probation officer.

Sylvia Gassaway is temporarily being held on fugitive charges for an arrest warrant in Maryland. Maryland authorities have three business days to retrieve Gassaway from DC Jail. If authorities fail to pick Gassaway up, she will have another hearing in DC to discuss her release.

Gassaway is also charged with unlawful possession of liquid PCP and carrying a pistol without a license outside of her home or business for an incident which took place on Aug. 25. Judge McKenna released her on these charges with orders not to possess firearms once she is released in her fugitive case.

Of those released, two defendants were charged with domestic violence related offenses. Both defendants were given stay-away orders while one was also given a GPS ankle monitoring device.

Two defendants were released with fugitive charges. Both defendants are wanted in Maryland. One defendant is wanted for probation violation and shoplifting, and the other defendant is wanted for a family offense. The judge ordered them to turn themselves in to Maryland authorities immediately.

Five additional misdemeanor cases were presented. The charges included GPS tampering, contempt, simple assault, destruction of property, attempted threats to do bodily harm and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon.

Judge McKenna released all five defendants and gave three of the defendants stay-away orders from the alleged victims.

Two defendants, charged with felonies for unlawful possession of liquid PCP and carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, were also released by Judge McKenna.

One defendant, charged with second-degree theft, has reportedly been in the hospital since July 20.

However, the defendant’s defense attorney said he spoke to the hospital where the defendant was being treated and discovered that the defendant is no longer under the care of the hospital.

The defendant, who is on probation in two cases, has two outstanding bench warrants for his arrest for failure to appear to his hearings. Judge McKenna issued a judicial summons and scheduled his arraignment in his new case for Oct. 15.

One final defendant, charged with assaulting a police officer, has been in the hospital since Aug. 12, so his hearing was rescheduled for Aug. 26.

Judge Reschedules Hearing After Defendant Fails to Show

A DC Superior Court judge continued a hearing so that the defense attorney could locate his client.

Antwon Ray is on probation for a second-degree burglary, which he pleaded guilty to in November of 2018.

Ray did not show up for his Aug. 25 probation show cause hearing.

Defense attorney Ralph Robinson said he tried to contact his client but didn’t get an answer.

Judge Rainey Brandt continued the hearing to Aug. 26 so that Robinson can find his client.

Hearing Pushed Back in Robbery Case

On Aug. 25, a DC Superior Court judge scheduled another hearing for an armed robbery defendant.

Shaquille Pittman is accused of robbing a pharmacy on July 18 on the 4300 block of Polk Street, NE. According to court documents, Pittman, 25, fled the pharmacy, ran from a police officer and dropped a handgun during the chase.

During the Aug. 25 hearing, defense counsel told Judge Julie Becker that the prosecution was extending a plea deal but would need 30 days to do so.

Parties agreed to continue the hearing until Sept. 21.

Judge Sentences Man for Drug Possession Charges

On Aug. 25, a DC Superior Court judge sentenced a drug possession defendant to six months and 15 days in prison for two drug possession charges.

Richard Bennett was sentenced to six months for possession with intent to distribute marijuana but was given credit for time served as he was held in Miami for months. The judge also sentenced him to 15 days in prison for possession of drug paraphernalia.

The original charges were from Nov. 23, 2016. Judge Michael O’Keefe said “bad decision making” and “delaying tactics” are the reasons why this case has taken years to resolve. Bennett was brought to Miami after being deported from Colombia, where he originally fled before his original sentencing last summer.

Bennett is also sentenced to 60 days of probation and must pay $200 to the Victims of Violent Crime fund.

Judge O’Keefe also ordered Bennett to participate in comprehensive mental health assessments during his probation, citing “serious anxiety problems” for the reasons why Bennett has put himself in this position.

According to the defense, Bennett suffers from serious disabilities such as Crohn’s disease and was diagnosed with COVID-19 recently.

“He has 0 criminal history, he is not a violent person,” says his defense attorney Carrie Weletz.

Although Bennett has had 10 or 11 lawyers in the past few years, the defense claims that Bennett is beginning to settle down.

“He’s living with his family friend, he wanted to give physical distance between him and the DC jail by living in Virginia…I don’t think he’ll ever enter the system again,” the attorney said.

Bennett is also charged with a bail violation for his failure to show up in court in September 2018 to which he pleaded not guilty.

The next hearing for the bail violation is scheduled to take place on Jan. 25, 2021.

Judge Denies Assault Defendant’s Release Request

A DC Superior Court judge denied a release request from a defendant charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in a domestic violence case.

The defendant is accused of threatening a victim with a gun while the two of them were in his car. After escaping the car, the victim called police and reported the incident. The defendant has been detained at DC Jail since being charged on June 8.

During the Aug. 25 hearing, defense attorney Sabitiyu Abou asked Judge Rainey Brandt to release her client. However, Judge Brandt denied the request due to his past history of not complying with his release conditions.

The defendant also waived his right to a preliminary hearing, which would evaluate if his case has enough evidence to go to trial.

The defendant’s next court date is scheduled on Sept. 14.

Judge Sentences VA Resident to Probation for Gun Offense

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a defendant to six months of unsupervised probation.

Jarret Young pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business in December of 2019. He picked up the charge on Sept. 17, 2018.

“It all was a huge mistake,” Young said during the Aug. 25 hearing. “…I didn’t mean to cause anyone any harm.”

The prosecution did not recommend that Young spend any time incarcerated, noting how he took responsibility for his actions. The prosecutor asked Judge Gerald Fisher to give the defendant a suspended sentence plus six months of supervised probation.

Although the offense occurred in DC, the defendant lives in Virginia.

Defense attorney Elizabeth Weller expressed concern about the expenses that may come with doing probation in Virginia.

Weller asked that her client’s probation be unsupervised. “I don’t think I’d ask for this if it weren’t for the pandemic,” she said.

Judge Fisher agreed to make the probation unsupervised. Young must also pay $100 to the Victims of Violent Crime compensation fund.

Document: Police Arrest Suspect for Assault with Dangerous Weapon

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested a suspect for assault with a dangerous weapon.

At around 6:58 p.m. on Aug. 24, the suspect allegedly assaulted a victim with a knife on the 5500 block of 1st Street, NW. The suspect, a 60-year-old resident of Northwest, DC, was arrested that same day.

The victim was taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

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Document: Police Seek Unarmed Carjacking Suspects

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying suspects involved in an unarmed carjacking on the 6200 block of Dix Street, NE on Aug. 21.

The suspects assaulted the victim and took the victim’s vehicle at around 12:27 p.m.

The suspects can be seen in the video and photos below.

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Crime Alerts: August 24-25

Between 10 p.m. on Aug. 24 and 10 a.m. on Aug. 25, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out one crime alert.

The alert was sent at 2:21 a.m. for a shooting investigation on the 3300 block of Wheeler Road, SE. Police are looking for a Black male, driving a green Jaguar with unknown tags.

If anyone has information about this event, please call the police.

Documents: Police Seek Destruction of Property Suspect

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are asking for the public’s help identifying the suspect of a destruction of property offense that took place in Northwest, DC.

At around 4:00 p.m. on Aug. 16, a suspect damaged cameras on the 1600 block of H Street, NW and then fled the scene.

A suspect was captured by camera footage.

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Crime Alerts — August 24

On Aug. 24, the Metropolitan Police Department sent out four crime alerts.

The most recent alert was for a robbery investigation at 9:43 p.m. on the 1500 block of Benning Road, NE. Police are looking for a black male with a skinny build who was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue pants.

At 9:42 p.m., police sent an alert out about a shooting investigation on the 600 block of Mellon Street SE. Police do not have a description of the suspect(s) involved.

Another alert for a shooting investigation on the 3000 block of Stanton Road SE was sent out a 7:49 p.m. Police did not provide a description of the suspect(s).

At 6:30 p.m., police sent out an alert of a robbery Investigation at 18th Street NE and Evarts Street, NE. Police are looking for a Black SUV, possibly a Toyota RAV4, occupied by two young juvenile black males.

If anyone has information on these incidents, please call the police.

Judge Holds 8 of 37 Defendants During Initial Hearings

On Aug. 24, DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna released 29 defendants and held eight defendants in DC Jail during their initial hearings.

Three separate individuals with unlawful firearm carrying charges were held.

Michael Johnson is charged with carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business. Judge McKenna said Johnson’s case was more than just a simple possession of a firearm. He was found in possession of 44 rounds of ammunition in addition to the firearm.

Additionally, Judge McKenna said she was alarmed at the fact that the defendant was apprehended in a heavily-crowded public area, expressing concern for the community’s safety.

Delonte Jackson is also charged with carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business. The judge granted the hold because Jackson was already on pretrial for a prior offense, had three pending cases and fled from law enforcement in his most recent arrest.

The third defendant, charged with carrying a pistol without a license outside home or business, Trayvonne Branham, is also charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. Judge McKenna held him because he completed probation two weeks prior to this new case and has had multiple contacts with law enforcement in relation to firearms.

Judge McKenna also held two defendants involved in domestic violence cases.

The first defendant is charged with simple assault, destruction of property less than $1,000 and contempt. Judge McKenna approved the prosecution’s request for a hold because the defendant showed blatant disregard to court orders, having had multiple domestic violence charges throughout the year with the same victim.

The judge said she was concerned with the repeated harassment against the same victim.

The second defendant is charged with unlawful entry of private property, contempt, simple assault and second-degree theft.

Judge McKenna said the defendant purposefully overlooked government orders, having had violated previous stay-away orders. The defendant also was charged in a domestic violence case two weeks prior to the current case.

Leroy Kear was held due to the dangerous nature of his conduct in two cases. In his first case, he is charged with assault of a police officer and simple assault. In the second case, he is charged with attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, which was a rock.

Judge McKenna said his behavior was unpredictable and dangerous in both cases and felt that holding Kear was in the best interest of the community.

Judge McKenna held Ever Umanzor Martinez, who is charged with simple assault and second-degree theft in one case and as a fugitive from justice in another case.

Martinez allegedly stole his former girlfriend’s phone and then choked her when she confronted him, according to court documents. McKenna held him, citing his three pending cases and his noncompliance with parole.

Christian Mitchell, charged with armed carjacking, was also held. Mitchell’s defense attorney asked the judge not to find probable cause, citing that Mitchell did not hold the gun but only finalized the sale of the car.

However, Judge McKenna decided to hold Mitchell since he allegedly was the primary instigator of the crime and was the one who drove the car away.

Of those released, one defendant did not have charges filed, and one was dismissed by the prosecution.

Seven defendants charged in domestic violence cases were released by Judge McKenna. All were given stay-away orders while two of the defendants were given additional release requirements that included GPS monitoring and placement under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP).

One defendant, charged with being a fugitive from justice, was released with orders to turn herself in to Virginia authorities, where she is wanted for a traffic offense.

Judge McKenna released three co-defendants all charged with unlawful entry of a motor vehicle. They were all given stay-away orders from the alleged victim.

Ten additional defendants charged with misdemeanors were presented before the judge. The defendants had charges including simple assault, attempted threats to do bodily harm, bail violation, second-degree theft, misuse of tags, unlawful entry, unlawful possession of ammunition and contempt. Nine of the defendants were given stay-away orders and one was given a no harassment, assaultive, threatening or stalking (HATS) order.

Four additional felony cases were heard involving charges of carrying a pistol without a license and unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. Two of the defendants were ordered not to possess any firearms or ammunition, one was given a stay-away order and another defendant was ordered to report for drug testing once it is available through pretrial services.

Two defendants were charged with traffic-related offenses involving a DUI, operating a vehicle while impaired and driving without a valid license. One was released with orders not to drive at all, and one was released with orders not to drive without a valid license.

Two final defendants, one charged with second-degree theft and one charged with assaulting a police officer, were still in the hospital. Judge McKenna moved their hearings to Aug. 25. The defendants have been in the hospital since July 20 and Aug. 12, respectively.

Armed Robbery Case Rescheduled For Later Date

A DC Superior Court judge rescheduled a hearing originally set for Aug. 24 to give the defense more time to discuss an early plea offer.

Rochelle Crowder, 52, is charged with armed robbery for allegedly taking a man’s wallet and bank card on May 23 on the 1400 block Perry Place, NW.

Defense attorney Joseph Yarbough asked Judge Rainey Brandt to reschedule the preliminary hearing, which will determine if Crowder’s case has enough evidence to go to trial. The prosecution did not oppose the request. The parties agreed on a Sept. 28 date.

The defense must contact the court immediately if the plea deal is accepted.

According to court documents, Crowder held the victim against his will for two hours while trying to get his debit card information. After failing, Crowder allegedly stabbed the victim in the hand and thigh, and then let him go.

Crowder is being held at the DC Jail without bail.

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