Judge Denies Release for Defendant Awaiting Sentencing

A DC Superior Court judge denied a defendant’s release, opting to reschedule his sentencing.

Maurice Smith pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary on Feb. 27.

Smith is currently living at a halfway house and under a work release. However his attorney filed a motion to be released from the halfway house and work release on April 9 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Judge Anita Josey-Herring opted to deny Smith’s motion for release from the halfway house.

Smith’s sentencing was initially scheduled for April 20, but has now been rescheduled to occur on May 4.

Judge Orders Inmate to Complete Quarantine Before Release

A DC Superior Court judge ordered an inmate to complete a 14-day quarantine before deciding on his release.

Albert Badong is charged with simple assault and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon — hammer.

Judge Anita Josey-Herring is requiring Badong to complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine before ruling on his release.

It is unclear if Badong has been exposed to COVID-19 while incarcerated.

The hearing has been continued but a date has not been set.

Judge Denies Release of Man Accused of Assault with a Firearm

A DC Superior Court judge denied a man’s motion for release on April 15.

Alexa Romano is charged with assault with the intent to kill, while using a firearm.

Judge Anita-Josey Herring denied his request to be released due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to court documents, on July 28, 2019, Romano shot four people, two of whom he did not know, during a dispute with two men who he claimed “touched” his cousin.

No one was fatally injured as a result of the shooting

A preliminary hearing is scheduled to occur on June 12.

Document: Police Arrest Suspect for Sexual Abuse of Minor

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Division arrested a suspect who is believed to be connected to a sexual abuse offense against a minor.

According to the press release, the suspect, who is a resident of Suitland, Md., was arrested on April 13. He is charged with first-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

The suspect allegedly engaged in sexual acts with the minor in December of 2019. The release says the suspect and the minor had a “significant relationship”.

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DC DOC Updates Num. of Inmates with COVID-19

During the evening hours on April 14, the DC Department of Corrections (DC DOC) announced that four more residents have been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

According to the press release, there are 23 inmates who have tested positive for the virus. Thirty-two inmates recovered from their illnesses and returned to general population.

The number of residents and inmates with the virus dropped significantly from the day before when DC DOC reported that 44 inmates tested positive for the virus.

Of the four news cases, two inmates are aged in their 20s, one inmate is 30 years old and another is 42 years old. The new cases consist of three males and one female.

Three of the inmates were being held in quarantine inside the Correctional Treatment Facility as a precautionary measure after being in close proximity to an individual who tested positive for the virus.

One of the four new inmates diagnosed with the virus was housed in the Central Detention Facility.

All 23 inmates, who tested positive, are in isolation and being monitored by medical staff.

Document: Arrest Made in Homicide on Franklin Street, NE

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrested April 14 a suspect wanted in connection to a homicide that occurred in January.

According to a press release, 18-year-old Jermaine Harris is charged with first-degree murder while armed (premeditated). Harris allegedly shot 38-year-old Lamar Walters on Jan. 6 on the 2400 block of Franklin Street, NE. Two additional victims sought treatment for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital.

The case remains under investigation.

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Power Outage Causes Delay in Bond Hearings

On April 14, the jail facilities at the DC Department of Corrections (DC DOC) experienced a phone and power outage April 14, delaying nine bond review hearings for two days.

There were 12 hearings and one forensic exam scheduled to occur on Tuesday. All but three hearings were affected by the outage.

All of the hearings that were affected were emergency bond review hearings that would determine if inmates would be released due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bond review hearings for Victor Coley, Jamal Blakley, Mamadou Seck, Ja’Amonte Jeter, Dale Southerland, Keith Moore, Bryant Webster, Dominic Risper and Malik Coles have been rescheduled for April 16.

There is currently no available information as to why the power outage occurred.

Tamika Green’s arraignment was vacated. She was released to the High Intensity Supervision Program on April 13.

Charges were dropped for Rondale Wilson. He was charged with being a fugitive of justice.

By request of his defense counsel, David Cunningham’s bond review hearing was rescheduled to April 17.

Kenneth Phillips’ forensic mental exam was not held. He is scheduled for a mental observation hearing and a bond review hearing on April 17.

Crime Alerts: April 14

On April 14, D.C. Witness tracked four alerts that came from the Metropolitan Police Department from midnight to 6 p.m. The four alerts were in regard to two shootings, one stabbing, and one robbery.

At 12:20 a.m., an alert was sent out in relation to a shooting that occurred in the fourth district on the 700 block of Longfellow St., NW. Metro police were looking for a white Cadillac in relation to the shooting. According to Metropolitan Police documents, 25-year-old Clarence Skrine was located at the scene suffering multiple gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Three hours later at 3:06 a.m., another alert was sent out in relation to a sixth district stabbing that occurred 2400 block of Good Hope Road, SE. A lookout was released for two black males wearing all black clothing, one with a red bandana.

Later in the morning at 7:06 a.m., an alert was sent out in relation to a robbery that took place in the sixth district on the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE. A lookout was released for a black male with a dark complexion wearing a mask, a black jacket, and blue jeans.

Finally, an alert was sent out in the afternoon at 2:35 p.m. in regard to a seventh district shooting on the 2200 block of Savannah Terrace, SE. There was no lookout.

Written by Wyatt Mullins

Bond Review Hearing Rescheduled

A bond review hearing that will address the release of a DC Jail inmate was rescheduled.

David Cunningham pleaded guilty to unlawful entry-private property on March 1, 2019. Cunningham was sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act and served 1 year of probation. Cunningham was rearrested on October 3, 2019, for not complying with the terms of his probation.

Cunningham’s hearing was rescheduled for April 17 for reasons not stated on DC Courts’ website.

Judge Drops Charges

A DC Superior Court judge dropped charges against a fugitive.

Rondale Wilson was charged as a fugitive from justice.

His charge was dropped by the emergency calendar judge and his extradition hearing, scheduled for July 8 was cancelled.

Hearing for Previously Released Inmate Vacated

A hearing for a inmate who was previously released was vacated April 14.

Tamika Green is charged with simple assault and violating a court protective order. The hearing on Tuesday was for a fugitive from justice charge.

D.C. Witness previously reported that Green was not detained after her hearing on April 10. Instead, she was released into the High Intensity Supervision Program.

Green is scheduled for an extradition hearing on July 15.

Four Youth Diagnosed with COVID-19 at DYRS

Four youth, who are being held in custody at the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS), have been diagnosed, as of April 13, with the coronavirus, according to the District’s website on the virus.

Three of these youth are being held in isolation and one has recovered.

Three other youth residents are being quarantined.

Seven members of the DYRS staff have been diagnosed with COVID-19. One member, Kenneth J. Moore, died from the virus on April 1.

Six staff members for DYRS are out and 81 have been quarantined because of the virus.

Eight staff members have returned to work.

Document: Homicide in Brightwood Park

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a fatal shooting on the 700 Block of Longfellow Street, NW.

According to a press release, 25 year-old Clarence Skrine. was located April 13 suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

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

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Crime Alerts: April 13

As of April 13, D.C. Witness will begin tracking all crime alerts in the district.

On April 13, D.C. Witness was able to record five alerts that came from the department. Three of the alerts were in regards to robberies and two were of shootings.

At 11:34 p.m. the Metropolitan Police Department sent out an alert for a robbery investigation on the 2400 block of M Street, NW. A lookout for two black males and a hispanic male was released. The suspects are armed with a knife.

An alert went out a bit earlier at 8:35 p.m. to officers in the Sixth District to be on the lookout for three black juvenile males in a robbery investigation on the 4100 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE.

At 1:14 p.m. to be on the lookout for a person of interest in a robbery that occurred near the cross section of 8th and Dahlia Street in Northwest DC. Officers were looking for a slim built, black male between 20 and 25 years old, wearing a hooded black jacket, dark jeans and black and white shoes. The person of interest was last seen walking northbound on 8th Street, NW. The alert also disclosed that the man was armed with a handgun and action should not be taken if he is located.

At 3:36a.m. there was a shooting on the 4700 block of Benning Road, SE. There was no lookout.

About two-hours before another alert of another shooting went out at 1:42 a.m. on the 3700 block of Heyes Street, NE. There was look out for a silver sedan.

Editor’s note: D.C. Witness will publish crime alerts from the Metropolitan Police Department twice a day.

Most Defendants Denied Release

Cases for eight defendants being charged with felonies were heard at the DC Superior Courthouse April 13.

All of the cases were on motions for release because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The judge denied most of the cases, rescheduling some at a later date to give lawyers more time to gather information on the defendants’ health conditions.

One of the denied cases involved Edward Banks, a murder defendant who is suing, along with four other inmates, the DC Department of Corrections on how it is handling inmates and staff’s health and safety during the pandemic. Read more about the lawsuit, here.

Judge Anita Josey-Herring also denied Roscoe Jones case on April 13. However, she said she would rehear the defense’s argument on April 15 in order to give Jones’ attorney more time to gather more information on his condition to support his motion for release during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jones is charged with assault with intent to kill with a sharp object, assault with significant bodily injury, assault with a dangerous weapon (sharp object), assault with significant bodily injury while armed with a sharp object, unlawful possession of contraband in a penal institution and destruction of property less than $1000.

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