Judge Puts Defendant on Supervised Release

DC Superior Court Judge Sean Staples released June 18 a defendant under the high intensity supervision program (HISP).

Leon Quarles must comply with GPS monitoring and take a sex offender assessment.

Quarles, 25, pleaded guilty to failure to appear in court and assault with significant bodily injury.

Quarles had initial problems with his probation. He avoided contact with his probation officer, held no stable residence and engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior.

He re-engaged with mental health services and now resides with his child’s mother in Maryland.

Quarles is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 3.

Case Acquitted: Judge Decides to Hold Eight Defendants During Initial Hearings

This case was acquitted on Nov. 9, 2022.

District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Sean Staples held eight defendants and released six defendants on June 18.

Five other defendants were released because the prosecution did not file charges.

Among those held, include Willie Ash who is charged with assault, contempt and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon in a domestic violence case.

Judge Staples held Ash because he has another pending domestic violence case with the same two complainants. Ash is also not in compliance with his probation. Ash is being held on a $100 bond.

The second defendant being held is Carl Butler. Butler is charged with robbery.

Butler’s defense attorney, Linden Fry, argued that the current case against Butler is not a severe case since no one was injured. Butler also has stable housing and applies for jobs. Fry said that holding him would be worse for the community.

Nevertheless, Judge Staples held him with no bond, citing that Butler has already been convicted of robbery, has two pending first-degree assault cases and he did not successfully complete his supervision.

Clenteous McCoy was held on a possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance charge. Police recovered what is believed to be crack cocaine in his house.

McCoy’s counsel argued for McCoy to be entered into the high intensity supervision program (HISP), due to the fact that he is already doing well in HISP in another pending case.

Judge Staples held McCoy due to his recent pending case, and he said he found a presumption of dangerousness.

Deshawn Ennis was held on for aggravated assault while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Ennis allegedly shot a man in the head after an altercation with him and a group of people because they were found leaning on his car.

Ennis’ defense attorney argued for his release due to the fact that he is gainfully employed at McDonald’s, Five Guys, Office Movers and Sonic. He also noted that Ennis lives with his mother, is paying child support, and has another child on the way.

“He’s not a threat to the community. He’s not a threat to himself,” his lawyer said.

According to the prosecution, there is surveillance video evidence against Ennis and a witness, who is close to the defendant, was able to identify Ennis from the footage.

Mike Bidgell, who is charged with second-degree murder while armed, was also held. Bidgell allegedly shot the victim twice from his car.

Bidgell’s defense attorney argued that the photos used to identify Bidgell were insufficient to positively identify the suspect. The attorney also said that Bidgell could have been driving and the person in the passenger seat shot the victim.

Bidgell has two young children and his two-year old daughter has significant health issues. The lawyer said Bidgell needs to help take care of his children.

Judge Staple cited that Bidgell has another pending case from 2019, and he felt there was a presumption of dangerousness.

Derrick Gilmore was held on armed robbery for allegedly robbing a 7-11 located at 3000 block of Naylor Rd., SE. The suspect was wearing a mask, but three people on the scene positively identified him.

Judge Staple found probable cause and also referenced Gilmore’s past convictions, including two armed robbery convictions from 2014. He is also under community supervision for an unlawful entry case.

Judge Staple held Gilmore with a stay away order from the three complainants as well as the 7-11 on Naylor Road.

Michael Mason is charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed, one count of assault with intent to kill while armed and one count of assault with intent to murder while armed.

Mason allegedly shot and killed Brea Moon and Antwuan Roach and assaulted a minor with intent to murder him.

District of Columbia Superior Court Judge McKenna found probable cause in all four counts and cited that Mason has prior incidents with firearms. Mason also may have tampered with or removed his GPS monitoring device during the alleged murders.

Mason is being held without bail.

A defendant who has been charged with assault has been released. The defendant attempted to turn himself in multiple times. He must stay away from the 1000 block of 19th St, NE and an individual listed in a stay-away order.

Another man charged with assault has been released. He must comply with a stay-away order and avoid the 900 block of Longfellow St, NW.

A man charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle was also released and must stay-away from a listed individual.

On June 17, a man allegedly failed to charge his GPS device on purpose. He is charged with tampering with a detection device and has been released on personal recognizance.

A defendant charged with unlawful possession of a firearm was released. Judge Staples found probable cause for his case, but did not believe he was a threat to the community because of his lack of a violent history. The man previously had failed to appear in court several times.

The defendant must stay away from Potomac Gardens. He will be escorted by the police to retrieve his property. He is prohibited from carrying firearms or ammunition and must weekly report to pretrial services by phone.

A woman charged with fugitive from justice has been released. She must return to Loudon County and surrender herself to authorities for her grand larceny trial. The county has issued a $1,600 bail on the defendant.

Crime Alerts: June 18

The Metropolitan Police Department sent out three crime alerts.

The most recent was sent at 9:15 a.m. for a robbery on the 6700 block of Georgia Avenue, NW. police are looking for three individuals who are wearing all black clothing.

An alert was sent out at 5:54 p.m. for a shooting on the 800 block Southern Avenue, S.E. Police do not have a description of the suspect.

An alert of an armed carjacking was sent at 10:39 a.m. The crime took place on the 200 block of Division Avenue, NE. Police are looking for three black males who are wearing all black clothing and black masks. The suspects were seen operating a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder, four-door, blue/green in color, bearing Maryland tag 5EB-1793. The suspects were last seen headed towards Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE.

DC Judge Schedules Hearing for Murder Defendants

A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a preliminary status hearing for three murder defendants.

Lejeezan Toudle, Elton Wiggins and Devon Stephens are charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Eugene Isaac Jr. on the 100 block of N Street, NW on Feb. 15.

The hearing was scheduled on July 16.

The prosecution agreed to provide witness and detective testimonies related to the case by the time of the next hearing.

According to court documents, on Feb. 15 at around 5:57 p.m., Isaac, 34, was shot while he was in his car with a 9mm pistol. Police later traced the gun to Toudle and arrested him as well the other defendants.

Stephens does not have a hearing scheduled as of June 18.

Judge Releases Defendant From Psych Hospital

On June 18 a DC Superior Court judge released a defendant from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, saying that he will not realistically be sentenced to more time than he has already spent in the psychiatric hospital.

Geovanny Granados-Turcios, 28, was charged with defacing property and the destruction of property less than $1,000 on April 9.

He was placed in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital on April 13. Since then, he has been ruled competent and is compliant with his medications, according to his defense attorney, Thomas Engle.

The prosecution opposed Granados-Turcios’ release, citing a burglary charge and re-offenses that occurred within days of his last release from the hospital on April 3.

Judge Jonathan Pittman agreed that Granados-Turcios’ seemed competent enough for release, but does require that Granados-Turcios contact the Pretrial Services Agency in order to connect with mental health services.

Judge Pittman says he is hopeful that Granados-Turcios’ prior conduct was related to his mental condition. He also said that Granados-Turcios would be detained at DC Jail if he re-offends after being released.

Granados-Turcios’ next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 16.

Judge Declares Murder Defendant Incompetent

A DC Superior Court judge declared a murder defendant incompetent to stand trial.

Alisa Randall is charged with second-degree theft and the second-degree murder of Ronald Jones. Randall allegedly stabbed Payne on the 1300 block of Euclid Street, NW on July 15, 2019.

Randall’s competency to stand trial was last evaluated on April 17 at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric institution. While her doctor deemed Randall competent, the defense argued that her progress has plateaued and she still possesses great deficits in rationality and role identification in the courtroom.

Randall’s defense called for a suspension of the case on the grounds that she likely will not show substantial progress or competency within the foreseeable future.

However, the prosecution and Judge Neal Kravitz agreed that Randall could eventually become competent with the right medication and mental services.

In previous hearings, the defense and prosecution located a point of contention between a Supreme Court decision in Jackson v. Indiana and a local DC statute. The decision and the statute offer somewhat differing interpretations of the amount of time given to a defendant in order to witness substantial improvement in competency to stand trial.

The prosecution and defense also disagreed on how long Randall’s next restorative period should be. The defense argued that Randall should be evaluated in a month, while the prosecution proposed that Randall be evaluated after six more months at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC psychiatric institution.

Judge Kravitz eventually decided to re-evaluate Randall’s competency in two months. Randall will remain in St. Elizabeth’s in the meantime.

Randall is scheduled appear in court again on Aug. 14, when Judge Kravitz will further evaluate her competency.

Judge Postpones Murder Defendant’s Release from Psych Hospital

On June 18, a DC Superior Court judge postponed the Department of Behavioral Health’s request to release a defendant from DC’s psychiatric institution until he is deemed competent.

Bratrell Hawkins, 27, is charged with second-degree murder with a firearm in the shooting death of Xavier Tate, which occurred on the 1400 block of 3rd Street, SW on Jan. 5.

Hawkins was deemed competent to stand trial on March 9. However, his defense attorney, James King, said Hawkins should remain at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital for further evaluation.

King’s motion was granted by DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz.

The Department of Behavioral Health also motioned for Hawkins’ release from St. Elizabeth’s in early May, but Judge Kravitz denied the motion.

Hawkins’ competency will be examined again through a series of interviews that will conclude on July 6. Judge Kravitz said that it would be beneficial to keep Hawkins in St. Elizabeth’s in order to examine whether his competency faces any challenges.

Hawkins is scheduled for another hearing on July 10 to discuss the status of his competency.

Judge Changes Defendant’s Release Conditions from Home Confinement to Curfew

On June 18, a judge decided to change a defendant’s release restrictions.

Harry Brown is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in a felony domestic violence case.

District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Sean Staples switched Brown from home confinement to the high intensity supervision program (HISP) with a standard curfew.

Brown was original scheduled for a hearing for violating a home confinement restriction multiple times between March 16 and June 14. A notice of noncompliance was submitted on June 17.

The defendant’s legal counsel, Stephany Reaves, told Judge Staples that she and the defendant were not aware that he could not leave his house.

Brown’s defense attorney read her notes from an earlier proceeding in which a judge said that Brown’s home confinement would not be permanent. She said she was also unaware that he could not leave his house at all.

She acknowledged that the official court documents did say that Brown would be in constant home confinement, but she argued that Brown was also unaware of his inability to leave his house.

On June 15, the defendant has been allowed to attend a funeral.

According to his defense attorney, this is the first time Brown has been arrested and he now understands what he needs to do to stay in compliance, though the restriction is a hardship.

Brown has a daughter to take care of and has been working odd jobs to bring in money. Brown’s job, which is working for a faith-based organization, was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The prosecutor on the case said that Brown has been given a total of seven warnings for his continued violations.

But, the prosecution agreed with Brown’s counsel surrounding the hardship of home confinement and requested that Brown be placed under HISP, which has a standard curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Brown is scheduled for another hearing on Oct. 8. His case is currently pending grand jury.

Judge Issues Warrant for Defendants Failure to Appear

Man failed to appear at his hearing and District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Sean Staples issued a no bond bench warrant for his arrest.

Judge Staples said Ralph Wesley already has a warrant out for his arrest from another pending case from 2017.

In this case, Wesley is charged with second-degree burglary for allegedly breaking into El Rincon Espanol Restaurant, located on the 1800 block of Columbia Road, NW and attempting to steal bottles of liquor from the basement.

Wesley was arrested alongside another suspect who was also seen inside the restaurant.

Wesley has been issued two notices of noncompliance having to do with his release requirements, which includes a stay away order.

Judge Releases Defendant in Domestic Violence Case

A DC Superior Court judge released June 18 a man charged with simple assault and attempted threats to do bodily harm.

Victor Negron has been detained since May 9. He is accused of punching his wife in the face and threatening to kill her family.

The prosecution told Judge Maribeth Raffinan that Negron has a history of committing crimes against his victim, including assault and attempted arson. He was also said to have violated his probation for a previous case.

Defense attorney David Vega noted that his client’s past transgressions are a result of him suffering from major depression. Vega requested the defendant’s release because Negron suffers from asthma. Remaining in jail would make him susceptible to contracting COVID-19, Vega said.

The victim told the judge that Negron has not been taking his medication and has been drinking alcohol profusely. She indicated she would like the defendant to be released and promised to help him seek mental health services.

Judge Raffinan said Negron’s probation could not have been well enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendant was placed on GPS tracking and given an order to not harass, stalk, or abuse the victim.

Negron is scheduled for a status hearing on July 6.

Judge Cancels Hearing After He Couldn’t Reach Defense Counsel

A hearing was cancelled when the defense attorney did not show and attempts to contact her failed.

Michael Grayton pled guilty to attempted possession of liquid PCP. On March 9, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, six of which were suspended.

On June 4, Grayton filed a motion for compassionate release in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. He suffers from asthma, which can put him at a higher risk for serious complications if he gets the virus, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Grayton was scheduled for a post disposition status hearing on June 18. DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun said there was a “realistic possibility” he would have resentenced Grayton to time served plus fourteen days, the typical quarantine period.

Grayton’s defense attorney, Donna Beasley, did not show up to the hearing. No parties were able to contact her. Around a half hour after the hearing was scheduled to begin, Judge Okun decided that the hearing should be rescheduled.

Judge Okun asked if there was any way to put Grayton is quarantine today so as not to push his possible release date further into the future, but was told it could not be done. He apologized to Grayton, telling him that he would try to get a release date for him. Judge Okun said he would try to get the earliest date possible.

Judge Lets Defense Push Hearing Back, Again

With the COVID-19 pandemic changing the way criminal justice procedures are done, a murder hearing for a defendant was pushed back by a week.

MeQuan Carthens is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Lagioria Brinkley on the 1900 block of 16th Street, SE on March 20. Carthens is believed to be involved in two shootings that occurred that day that were only a few streets apart.

Carthens, 19, defense attorney, Kevann Gardner told Judge Michael O’Keefe, who was standing in for Judge Danya Dayson, that he has not been able to review the case’s evidence with his client due to changes from COVID-19.

Gardner said he will be able to review evidence with Carthens in the near future. He told the judge that the defense could be ready to chose a date for a preliminary hearing during a hearing that has been rescheduled.

This is the second time the hearing has been rescheduled to give Gardner time to review evidence with his client. The hearing was first scheduled to occur on June 11, rescheduled to June 18 and now scheduled for June 25.

Carthens is being held at the DC Jail without bail.

Defense Requests Transfer Due to Health Issues

A defense attorney requested June 18 that his client be moved from DC Jail’s Central Detention Facility (CDF) to the institution’s Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF) because of chronic health issues, mental health issues and possible complications due to drug addiction.

Jamell Sanders pleaded guilty to assault with a knife on March 13.

Sanders’ attorney, Sean Murphy, argued for a transfer to CTF due to Sanders’ health conditions coupled with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue.

A representative from the DC jail said that Sanders is being given monthly checkups while being held at CDF. The medical professionals have not recommended he be transferred to CTF, the representative said.

Judge Danya Dayson recommended that Murphy be transferred if deemed necessary by the doctors at the jail.

Murphy is currently awaiting sentencing.

Judge Denies Release of Defendant Diagnosed with COVID-19

A judge denied a request June 18 for a defendant, who tested positive for COVID-19 and still exhibits some symptoms, to be released from jail into 24-hour home confinement.

Jordan Therman is charged with assault with the intent to kill.

Defense attorneys Todd Baldwin and Rebecca Bloch argued for Therman’s release, citing continuous symptoms related to COVID-19 and the death of a family member, which has left him feeling “sad and afraid.”

Judge Danya Dayson denied the release, but did request that the jail continue to monitor Therman’s symptoms and provide him any care he may need.

Document: Police Arrest Second Suspect in Assault Case

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrested June 17 a 22-year-old man who is connected to an assault that occurred in Southwest, DC.

According to a press release, the suspect along with a juvenile who was also arrested for the crime on June 5 , shot a man on the 200 block of N Street, SW on May 23.

The victim was taken to a hospital for life threatening injuries. There has been no update on the victims recovery.

[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6951573-6-17-20-Second-Arrest-Made-in-an-Assault-With.html” responsive=true]

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