Judge Sets Deadline for Indictment

A DC Superior Court judge set an indictment deadline for a prosecutor on Dec. 20. Xavier Hamilton, 26, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the shooting death of 39-year-old Ivy Smith on the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE in 2016. According to court documents, another individual was found suffering from a gunshot wound at a nearby beauty supply store. The prosecutor told Judge Todd Edelman that he expects that an indictment would be handed down within two months. The prosecutor told the judge and defense attorney, Heather Pinckney, why an indictment hadn’t yet been secured at the bench. The parties agreed to an indictment deadline of March 11, 2020. Judge Edelman set another felony status conference to occur on Feb. 28.

Defense Asks for Continuance for Mental Restoration

A defense attorney asked a DC Superior Court judge for a continuance so her client could be mentally restored.

Vaughn Alexander Kosh, a resident of Northeast, DC, on Dec. 7. Kosh is charged with first-degree murder while armed and with the intent to kill for allegedly shooting 38-year-old Alayna Danielle Howard in her apartment on the 1700 block of Capitol Avenue, NE. Howard’s mother and boyfriend were also injured in the shooting.

Elizabeth Weller, defense attorney for Kosh, 48, asked Judge Ronna Beck for a continued preliminary hearing because mental competency exam results showed that Kosh could be completely restored.

The prosecution did not object.

A mental observation hearing has been set on Jan. 24, 2020.

Document: Police Arrest Second Suspect in NE Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department arrested a second person who is suspected of being involved in a fatal shooting that occurred on the 1600 Block of West Virginia Avenue, NE.

According to a press release, officers charged 21 year-old Malik Tyrone Coghill with first-degree murder while armed on Dec. 18. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 3, 2020.

He is being charged for the crime along with Brandon Wiggins. The men allegedly shot Damon Bell on June 16.

Wiggins, 22, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 20. He is also charged with allegedly shooting Donald Lewis on Dec. 18, 2018 on the 1700 block of West Virginia Avenue, NE.

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Judge Denies Motion to Establish Reliability for the Prosecution’s Star Witness

A DC Superior Court judge denied a motion to conduct a pretrial hearing to determine the reliability of the prosecution’s key cooperating witness on Dec. 18.

Mason Binion, 32, Victor Carvajal, 33, and Joshua Massaquoi, 32, are charged with first-degree murder while armed for their alleged roles in the shooting of Michael Francis Taylor, 21, on the 600 block of Farragut Street, NW, on June 22, 2008.

After the case was transferred from Judge Todd Edelman to Judge Ronna Beck, Judge Beck ruled that there was no need to have a hearing to test Massaquoi’s reliability because the prosecution made representations that his statements were all corroborated by other witnesses involved in the case.

The prosecution said Massaquoi told the police, when he turned himself in, that he drove the car that picked up Taylor from a recreation center in Silver Spring, Md. He said he was followed by a purple car, which was corroborated by the witness who was driving the purple car.

Massaquoi also said he was trying to lose the car and made a series of quick turns and U-turns in order to lose the vehicle. This was also corroborated by the witness who drove the purple car.

Massaquoi also gave the police the specific location where Taylor’s car was left after the murder, which was confirmed by a Carfax report that said the car was abandoned in the exact area that Massaquoi told officers. The vehicle was never found by police following the murder.

Because of this Judge Beck denied the defense’s motion for a pretrial hearing, however she did grant a motion for a competency exam for Massaquoi.

Judge Beck also denied the prosecution’s theory of an extended ammunition magazine, which could have held the same type of bullets that killed Taylor.

Judge Beck also denied a motion to continue the trial based on the fact that the defense only wanted the trial to continue because of the amount of motions that were presented and unaddressed.

Trial is scheduled to begin, for Binion and Carvajal, on Jan. 21, 2020.

A trial readiness hearing for Binion and Carvajal is scheduled on Jan. 16, 2020.

Massaquoi is being tried separately. A status hearing is scheduled for Massaquoi on Feb. 5, 2020

Judge Releases Murder Defendant

A DC Superior Court judge released a murder defendant on Dec. 17.

John Fenner is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Jonathan Hernandez on the 100 block of T Street, NE. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe ordered for Fenner, 49, to be released on Dec. 16 but pre-trial services were not available to fit Fenner with a GPS monitor so Judge Iscoe continued the hearing to the next day.

Judge Iscoe released Fenner to 15-days of home confinement, followed by a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Iscoe also ordered that Fenner be allowed to go to work and make two shopping trips per week. He also told Fenner he must clear all other activities with pre-trial services.

Roderick Thompson, Fenner’s attorney, told the judge that Fenner owned a used car dealership and needed to attend auctions to obtain the cars.

A status hearing is scheduled to occur on Jan. 24, 2020.

Jaylin Hawkins wrote this article.

Prosecution Is Not Giving All of the Evidence, Says Murder Defendant’s Attorney

Prior to a preliminary hearing, a defense attorney said the prosecution had not given all the evidence needed for a murder case.

Melvin Simmons is charged with first-degree murder while armed with a firearm for the shooting of 28-year-old Ronald Brown on the 3400 block of 18^th Street, SE on Aug. 22.

Simmons defense attorney, Ieshaah Murphy, told DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe that the prosecution had not turned over all of the evidence, including the full surveillance video and the multiple 9-1-1 calls made by residents in the area.

Murphy said that multiple people gave descriptions to police of who the shooter is. Those descriptions may or may not be accurate of Simmons, but she said she would need those calls to find out.

She also said that the surveillance footage was grainy and it was hard to identify people within the footage but that she would be happy to sign a protective order for it.

Murphy also said that it was hard for her to prepare for the preliminary hearing because she did not have access to the evidence. She also said the prosecution was using this evidence as part of the arrest warrant affidavit and therefore believed she deserved access.

The prosecution said they provided stills of the videos showing someone, who they believe is Simmons, walking around the area of the murder.

Judge Iscoe found that there was probable cause that Simmons committed the murder and also ordered the prosecution to turn over all evidence available to them, including the full surveillance footage and the 9-1-1 calls with the descriptions.

A felony status conference is scheduled to occur on Jan. 17, 2020.

Simmons is being held without bail.

Jaylin Hawkins wrote this article.

3 Murder Defendants Agree to Plead Guilty

During a status hearing Dec. 17, three murder defendants pleaded guilty to killing a man in 2016.

Marcus Martin, Marc Butler and William Cunningham are charged with felony murder while armed, assault with intent to kill, conspiracy, attempted robbery and firearms offenses, for their alleged roles in the shooting death of 19-year-old Derryk Johnson on the 600 block of N Street, NW in 2016. It is believed the men murdered Johnson during a robbery.

All three defendants pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and assault with intent to kill. Defendant Martin also pleaded guilty to possession of PCP, a hallucinogenic drug, with the intent to distribute.

DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe accepted each defendant’s guilty plea.

Sentencing for all three defendants is scheduled to occur on March 6, 2020.

Jaylin Hawkins wrote this story.

Judge Sentences Murder Defendant Despite Attempt at a Delay

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a murder defendant on Dec. 17, despite a last minute effort to have his sentence delayed.

Kenneth Adams was found guilty of first-degree murder while armed, obstruction of justice and other firearms offenses for allegedly shooting 21-year-old Dante “Te” Kinard on the 1800 block of Benning Road, NE in 2016.

Judge Judith Bartnoff sentenced Adams to 32 years in prison, which was two years more than Adam’s defense attorney, Nikki Lotze, requested. It was five years less than the prosecution’s request.

Lotze said Adams deserved a second chance at life because of his tough upbringing.

Adams, 21, tried to delay the sentencing by filing a motion to delay and asking Judge Bartnoff for a new attorney. Adams told the judge, at the bench, why he wanted to replace Lotze.

However, despite his request, Judge Bartnoff continued with the sentencing as scheduled. She said the case had gone on too long.

The prosecution said it would be unfair to delay the sentencing because Kinard’s family had been waiting for almost four years for justice.

Once the sentencing proceeded, members Kinard’s family told the judge how life had been hard for the entire family since Kinard’s death.

“Do you know what it’s like to have to be so strong for your family that you go in and identify your brother’s dead body because no one else can,” said Kinard’s sister.

Adams said he was sorry for what happened to Kinard, but he was maintaining his innocence and that he did not carry out the shooting.

Jaylin Hawkins wrote this story.

Judge Continues 3 Defendants Hearing For Global Plea Deal

A three co-defendant murder case was continued in order to finish details on a potential global plea deal.

DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe continued the status hearing by one day in order for the prosecution to finish and extend a global plea deal to all three defendants. The deal will only be accepted if all three defendants agree to the terms.

The hearing is scheduled to continue on Dec. 17 where a formal plea offer is expected to be placed on the record.

Recording an Interview is an ‘Invasion of Privacy,’ Says Murder Defendant

A murder defendant said recording a mental observation interview would be an “invasion of his privacy” during a status hearing, Dec. 16.

Daryl Thompson, who is also known as Darryl Tomkins, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license outside of a home or business, obstructing justice and threat to kidnap or injure a person for his alleged involvement in the deaths of Edward Roberts Jr. and Tyler McEachern. Roberts, 29, was killed on the 3500 block of 14th Street, NW on July 30, 2016. McEarchern, 23, was killed on the 3100 block of Beuna Vista Terrace, SE on Aug. 29, 2016.

Thompson said that he previously refused DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe‘s order to complete a mental competency exam because he felt as though the psychologists were “twisting his words to make him sound worse.”

He also said he was opposed to recording his competency exam interviews, which his attorney, Dana Page, suggested. Thompson said he felt it was an invasion of his privacy to disclose information.

Judge Iscoe told Thompson that not completing the exam meant that the medical professional’s previous finding of incompetency would stand and Thompson may end up staying in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric hospital, longer.

Thompson agreed to another exam that would not be recorded.

A status hearing is scheduled to occur on Jan. 3, 2020.

Judge Continues Status Hearing for Potential Plea Deal

A DC Superior Court Judge continued a status hearing for counsel to discuss a potential plea negotiation. Bernard Coleman III, 26, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, burglary, robbery while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence for allegedly shooting his father, Bernard Coleman Jr., 43. The shooting occurred on the 4000 block of Cole Boulevard on March 17, 2017. Judge Craig Iscoe continued the hearing by one day after Coleman’s defense attorney, Dominique Winters, said that the parties were very close to a global plea deal and needed to work out a few details. The hearing is scheduled to continue on Dec. 17.

Document: Police Investigate Homicide in Brookland

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on the 1000 block of Rhode Island Avenue, NE.

According to a press release, officer found 19 year-old Daquan Hankins, a resident of Northeast, DC, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

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 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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Victim’s Family Walks Out During Sentencing

On Dec. 12, a victim’s family walked out of court as a DC Superior Court judge was handing down sentences to two murder defendants.

Robert Washington and Derrick Hart plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed for their role in the shooting of 22-year-old Maleak Coffin on the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr Avenue, SE in 2017.

As Judge Todd Edelman began to give his orders for sentencing, family members of Coffin including his mother and sister walked out of the courtroom crying.

The family began to file out of the courtroom as Judge Edelman said that he was sentencing both Washington and Hart under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA), which will not hinder either man’s ability to gain employment or other things that require a criminal history check, unless searched by law enforcement, because of their convictions.

During the proceeding, three of Coffin’s family members spoke in front of the judge and the families of Washington, 22 and Hart, 24.

Coffin’s mother said that she knew that Coffin was a fighter since the day he was born and was especially worried about him throughout his life because “he came in fighting for his life so I knew everyday he would have to fight to stay alive.”

Coffin’s grandfather apologized to the court for missing several court proceedings but also thanked the judge and the Metropolitan Police Department for prosecuting the two men.

“These men could have walked away that day, but they didn’t and ultimately they thought they were the judge, the jury and the legal executioner. One day however, they will have to stand before the universe judge for what they have done,” said Coffin’s grandfather.

The prosecution said the offense was unnecessary and said that, “the braisonness of the offense, the fact that they left, made a u-turn and continued shooting into the car is why they deserved such a harsh allocution.”

She said, according to the medical exam, there was only one fatal shot to the head and she believed that shot came from Hart’s gun. She said that is why she wanted Hart to be sentenced to the maximum amount of time within the voluntary sentencing guidelines, which is twelve years.

She asked that the judge to sentence Washington to eight years in prison because even though she did not believe his bullets killed Coffin, she said he should still be held responsible.

Jonathan Zucker, who is the defense attorney for Hart, said that Hart was a good kid growing up and had finished high school. He said that Hart became a product of the environment he was around, stating that during 2017 the neighborhood Hart lived in had become a “cesspool” of shootings and murders and that is when Hart found it necessary to get a gun to protect himself.

He also said that Hart was a pillar in his family and they needed him in order to function again.

Washington’s defense counsel, Lisbeth Sapirstein, said that Washington was an important member of his family and every day he is remorseful for what happened and wishes he could take it back.

Both Hart and Washington apologized to Coffin’s family.

Judge Edelman sentenced Hart to 14 years in prison followed by five years of supervised released. Since Hart is sentenced under the YRA he must also complete 90 hours of community service upon is release.

Washington received seven and a half years in prison followed by five years of supervised release and 90 hours of community service once he is released. Judge Edelman also required Washington to get his GED or high school diploma while incarcerated.

DNA Evidence is ‘Extensive and Cannot be Expedited,’ Prosecutor Says

A prosecutor said that the DNA evidence undergoing testing in a case against a man accused of stabbing a dog walker is “extensive and cannot be expedited.” The testing may delay court proceedings. Eliyas Aregahegne, 24, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing Margery Magill, 27, on the 400 block of Irving Street, NW on Aug. 27. Magill was stabbed multiple times in the neck, back, and shoulder while walking a dog. The murder has attracted international attention in the media. DNA testing will not be completed before March of 2020, according to the prosecutor. DC Superior Court Judge Ronna Beck tentatively scheduled Aregahegne for a felony status conference on March 16, 2020. Judge Beck said the status conference may be rescheduled if the prosecution does not have either an indictment or the results of the DNA testing by then. “The investigation is progressing and on track,” said the prosecutor. He gave no indication when he expects to secure and indictment. This story was written by Siena Rush

Prosecutor says He’s ‘Not Opposed’ to Further Plea Negotiations

A prosecutor in a murder trial told a judge that he is not opposed to further plea negotiations with a murder defendant.

Alton Rivers , 54, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the death of 68-year-old Anthony Anderson on the 3600 block of 14th Street, NW on July 27, 2018.

The prosecutor said that even though previous plea negotiations have not turned into a guilty plea his office is still open to negotiations if the defense would like to talk.

He also said that he would be transitioning off the case but would pass along any pertinent information to his successor.

Defense counsel, Lisbeth Sapirstein, said she does not expect to “reopen that door,” but would like that option available if Alton would like it.

A status hearing is scheduled to occur on Jan. 17, 2020.

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