DC Judge Rejects Murder Defendant’s Release

After postponing the deadline for a murder defendant’s indictment, a DC Superior Court judge rejected the defense’s request for release.

Giovanti Young is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Andre Jahmal Johnson, 42, on the 5000 block of H Street, SE in 2017.

Judge Judith Bartnoff rejected the request for release because Young is wanted in Maryland for assault and gun charges. “Why take the risk for three weeks,” Bartnoff said.

During a felony status conference on July 27, Young’s defense attorney, Madalyn Harvey, requested that her client be released under personal recognizance because the prosecution could not get an indictment within nine months. On July 26, the judge gave the prosecution 21 extra days to secure enough evidence for an indictment.

Harvey emphasized that being incarcerated for the extended period of time had been detrimental to Young’s mental health.

The defense argued that a conditional release would allow Young, 24, to participate in Vesta, a Maryland-based program designed to help adults diagnosed with mental illness. In addition, the defense argued to have the defendant released pending trial under court supervision. Young was not eligible for the High Intensity Supervision Program because of the Maryland warrant.

However, the warrant in Maryland would cause Young to be incarcerated again if he were released in DC. “I don’t know if a release changes much else,” Judge Bartnoff said.

The prosecution said releasing Young would prove to be more burdensome. The prosecution must indict Young by Aug. 17, or file to dismiss the case.

2020 Trial Date Set for Co-Defendants Accused of Slaying 17 Year Old

A DC Superior Court judge set a tentative trial date for two murder defendants who are charged with more than 24 infractions.

Robert Moses and James Mayfield are charged with first-degree murder while armed for the shooting death of 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor on the 1400 block of Saratoga Avenue, NE in 2017. According to court documents, stray bullets allegedly fired by Moses,19, and Mayfield, 17, killed Sydnor and injured three others.

Mayfield’s defense attorney asked Judge Craig Iscoe to set a date because of the high volume of trials scheduled through the end of 2019. The court agreed to schedule a trial to begin on Jan. 7, 2020.

In addition, Moses and Mayfield are charged with assault with the intent to kill, aggravated assault while armed, conspiracy while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Moses is also being charged with obstruction of justice. Both defendants could face a maximum of life in prison if convicted.

When Sydnor was driving with her 12-year-old cousin, a bullet struck Sydnor and incapacitated her, causing her to lose control of the vehicle. Her passenger sustained non-life threatening injuries. Two other victims sustained non-life threatening injuries.

Apparently, Sydnor was the daughter of a DC police officer and recent a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Northwest DC. She was set to attend Florida A&M University.

Moses and Mayfield are scheduled for a status hearing on Nov. 9.

DC Judge Declares A Mistrial

On July 26, after four days of jury deliberations, a DC Superior Court judge declared a mistrial for a 2016 murder after a two-day deadlock.

Paul Swann and Traveous Brown are charged with the murder of Adam Barker on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE. According to court documents, Brown, 28; Swann, 24; and another individual engaged in a verbal argument with Barker, 21, before the shooting. Barker initially implicated the men in his uncle’s murder trial.

On June 14, Brown pled guilty to second-degree murder while armed for Barker’s death. Swann is charged with first-degree murder while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm due to a prior conviction.

Despite pleading guilty, Brown denied killing Barker. He also incriminated Swann during his testimony.

During Brown’s testimony, defense counsel, Mani Golzari, accused Brown of being an unreliable witness because Brown did not tell the truth about using drugs or hitting his daughter.

Brown was not the only supposedly unreliable witness. The defense accused another eyewitness of being “untruthful” during his testimony because the witness said he saw Swann commit the murder but did not mention Swann’s face tattoos.

The witness also denied using a criminal justice database called JUSTIS, which keeps records of offenders, to research Swann. However, the defense provided login information for the database that indicated that the witness used it to find the victim before making a formal identification of the suspect to detectives.

The defense maintained their position, saying that Brown was the shooter based on his blue shoes, which were seen in a surveillance video.

However, despite witness testimonies and the surveillance video of the suspect with blue shoes, the prosecution said they believed there was enough evidence to convict Swann “beyond a shadow of doubt.”

Evidence included cell phone data which placed Brown and Swann near the scene of the crime and text messages between Brown, Swann and the third individual that specifically told the individual “not to snitch.”

Swann is scheduled for a status hearing on Aug. 10.

Is this Evidence Admissible?

Less than two weeks before a murder trial was scheduled to begin, counsel debated the admissibility of evidence in a 2016 case.

Nathaniel Taylor, 25, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for the shooting death of Nuru Frenche on the 4900 block of Just Street, NE in 2016. According to court documents, Taylor and Anthony Blackmone, who was Taylor’s previous co-defendant, allegedly planned to rob Frenche, 23, but the incident escalated and Frenche was fatally shot.

Taylor is also charged with conspiracy, attempt to commit a robbery while armed, felony murder while armed, assault with the intent to kill and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Per the terms of a plea agreement, Blackmone, 23, pled guilty and was sentenced to six years for voluntary manslaughter and attempted robbery on April 20.

According to the prosecution, they plan to call Blackmone as a witness. Even though Blackmone is being held in a facility in New Hampshire, the prosecution said they don’t anticipate any problems with his transfer.

On July 26, the prosecution requested to enter statements from Blackmone into evidence.

They asked DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna to defer making a ruling on the matter until Blackmone’s availability for the trial was known.

Taylor’s attorney, Antoini Jones, argued against the request and said that portions of the statements had “nothing to do with his client” and were “heresy.”

Judge McKenna said that in January, the prosecution had given enough evidence of a conspiracy between Blackmone and Taylor to deem Blackmone’s statements relevant. According to McKenna, portions of the statements were helpful in understanding who, between the co-defendants, controlled the situation. The statements also let the judge understand how the defendants planned the robbery.

Judge McKenna gave the defense time to file an opposition and said she would make a ruling on the statements’ admissibility after jury selection.

Taylor’s trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 6.

Judge Pushes Indictment Deadline Back to Search for Witnesses

A DC Superior Court judge pushed a murder defendant’s grand jury hearing back three weeks, so the prosecution could locate two witnesses.

Giovanti Young is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Andre Jahmal Johnson on the 5000 block of H Street, SE in 2017.

According to the prosecution, surveillance footage shows two unidentified witnesses at the scene of the crime during the shooting. The prosecutor requested time to locate the witnesses before a grand jury hearing that was originally scheduled on July 27.

Judge Judith Bartnoff postponed the indictment deadline by 21 days.

During a motions hearing on July 26, Young’s defense attorney, Madalyn Harvey, requested that the case be dismissed since there is no evidence the prosecution could elicit probable cause. Young was arraigned on the charge in 2017.

If the case would not be dismissed, Harvey requested that Judge Bartnoff release her client. “[Young] has been sitting in jail to the detriment of his health” for more than nine months, Harvey told Judge Bartnoff.

Judge Bartnoff said a potential release for Young would be considered during a felony status conference scheduled on July 27.

Grand Jury Indicts Defendants for Murder

Two murder defendants were indicted July 25 by a grand jury for allegedly murdering a teenage girl and wounding several others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia.

Robert Moses and James Mayfield are charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with the intent to kill while armed and aggravated assault while armed for allegedly shooting 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor and wounding three other bystanders on Aug. 10, 2017. Moses, 19, was also charged with obstructing justice and committing offenses while on release for an unrelated gun charge.

According to a press release, Moses and Mayfield, 18, fired more than ten rounds at individuals at the intersection of Montana and Saratoga Avenues, NE.

At the time, Sydnor, who was the daughter of a DC police officer, was driving through the intersection with her 12 year-old cousin when she was struck in the head by a bullet. According to news reports, she died at a local hospital two days later. Sydnor was a recent graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Northwest DC, and was on her way to beginning classes at Florida A&M University. Her passenger sustained non life threatening injuries.

The shooting is believed to have occurred from an on going feud between young men from the Langston and Saratoga neighborhoods, according to the reports.

Moses and Mayfield are scheduled for an arraignment on July 27 before DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe. According to the District Attorneys office, the defendants could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison if they are convicted of the charges.

Counsel Schedules Court Proceedings in Prep for 2019 Trial

On July 25, a judge and counsel agreed on various hearings and deadlines for a 2019 murder trial.

Marquette Tibbs and Cinquan Cartledge’s attorneys, DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff and the prosecution agreed to schedule a status hearing on Oct. 19 and a trial readiness hearing on Jan. 25, 2019. The court proceedings would address any preliminary matters before trial on Feb. 19, 2019.

In 2016, Orlando Donald Silver, lll was found lying in-between two parked cars suffering from a single gunshot wound to the back on the 1300 block of Howard Road, SE. The District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner said Silver, 37, was shot in the back and the bullet exited through his abdomen. Two witnesses told Metropolitan Police Department officers that they saw two black men run from the shooting, one was described as having long dreadlocks.

According to court documents, MPD found a firearm with a 14-bullet magazine, which they believe is the murder weapon. The firearm had 12 bullets in the magazine, one bullet in the chamber and one bullet was missing.

Tibbs, 26, and Cartledge, 24, were wearing GPS ankle monitors that placed them within 30-40 feet of the shooting.

Counsel must alert the court of any expert witnesses that will testify and submit any motions by Dec. 14.

May Registers as DC’s Deadliest Month in 3 Years

Number of homicides in the District of Columbia in 2018

May has been the deadliest month Washington, DC has seen in three years.

According to D.C. Witness data, there were 19 homicides in DC in May, including one trauma, three stabbings and 15 shootings. Two women and 17 men were killed. The victims ranged from 1 years old to 43 years old. March closely followed with 18 deaths.

Nine out of May’s 19 homicides resulted in an arrest by the Metropolitan Police Department. These arrests include Brian Wooden, who is charged with beating and killing one-year-old Carter Sanders; Kavonte Richardson, who is charged with stabbing Matthew Scott Rooker; and Alonzo Lewis, who is charged with shooting Jaquon Helm.

According to D.C. Witness data, the majority of these homicides are a result of disputes. Court documents show that one death was a result of child abuse, another death was connected to illegal drugs, two deaths were a result of theft and six deaths were due to disputes.

The month of May had, on average, three murders a week, making it the deadliest month in years. According to D.C. Witness data, May has historically been known to have a high murder rate.

Nine of these murders took place in the Southeastern quadrant and eight took place in the Northeast DC.

The chart above shows DC’s homicide rate per month over the last three years. Since 2015, the homicide rate in May has decreased. But, in 2018 there has been a sudden spike in homicides. In May in 2015 there were 17 homicides, in 2016 there were 14 homicides, in 2017 there were 11 homicides and there have been 19 homicides in 2018.

Even though May trumped other months throughout the years, it has not risen above August’s count of 21 homicides in 2015. With August just around the corner, will the 91 homicide count, as of July 25, drastically increase?

Document: Homicide on R Street, NW

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the shooting death of 46-year-old Paul Williams, Jr. on the 800 block of R Street, Northwest.

According to the police, officers responded to the Ward 6 location on July 24 where they found Williams suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He died at a local hospital.

The police are currently offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case or any other homicide in Washington, DC.

Defense Reaffirms Murder Defendant’s Innocence

During closing arguments in a 2016 murder trial, the defense reaffirmed their client’s innocence.

Paul Swann is charged with second-degree murder while armed for the death of Adam Barker on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE in 2016. Traveous Brown, who implicated Swann, pled guilty to the murder on June 14.

Mani Golzari, one of Swann’s attorneys, criticized the prosecution for holes in their argument and unreliable witnesses. Golzari said the cell site analysis that places Swann, 24, in the area of the murder was inaccurate because buildings or signals could have blocked his true location.

“This case is riddled with reasonable doubt,” Golzari told the jury. Golzari summarized in detail how the major witnesses, including Brown, 28, were either unsure of the identification of the suspect, untruthful, or “sloppy” in their investigation.

According to court documents, after a verbal altercation, Swann and Brown opened fire on Barker, 21. Barker sustained a gunshot wound to the back.

On July 23, the prosecution told the jury that cell phone evidence, two eyewitness testimonies and surveillance footage “proved beyond a shadow of doubt” that Swann should be convicted for Barker’s death.

The jury began deliberating on July 23.

Kelby Gordon Guilty of Murdering FBI Building Janitor

Kelby Gordon was found guilty July 23 of murdering Gabriel Carlos Turner.

After two days of deliberation, a jury convicted Gordon, 32, of second-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed and related firearm offenses.

The shooting occurred on the 2600 block of Birney Place, SE. Gordon was charged with first-degree murder while armed in 2016.

On the morning of July 9, the prosecution delivered their opening statements, telling the jury that evidence, including shell casings and Turner’s sweatshirt and wallet, would show that Gordon accidently shot Turner while trying to rob an unnamed individual.

The prosecution told the jury that Turner, who just had breakfast with his mother, was making his way to a bus stop when he was shot in the back. “He didn’t see it coming” the lawyer said. “One shot, that was all it took and he immediately fell to the ground.”

According to the District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the bullet traveled from Turner’s back to his head.

The prosecution also provided a compilation of surveillance footage that showed the shooter chasing an unnamed suspect and shooting Turner. The video shows both Turner and the unnamed individual ducking to avoid the bullet.

The individual believed to be the shooter is seen by multiple surveillance cameras running to a nearby apartment complex.

The prosecution’s first witness was a Metropolitan Police Department detective who was working undercover on the block where Turner was shot. The officer identified Gordon and also provided video footage she secured during her assignment, of Gordon, whom she knew as “Milly.”

The prosecution’s next witness was the defendant’s ex-girlfriend who lived in proximity to the shooting. She said Gordon told her he killed Turner. “He tried to rob someone and it went wrong,” she said. “He saw someone with cash and wanted to take it.”

The jury also heard from a cooperating witness who is awaiting sentencing for a second-degree murder that he committed in 2013.

According to the witness, Gordon told him that he was in his friend’s car when he saw someone with some money and pulled out his gun to go steal it. The witness said Gordon said he saw the unnamed individual reach for a gun.

This was not a case of mistaken identity. The witness testimonies and the evidence align perfectly, the prosecution said. “The path that law enforcement took, led them straight to the defendant.”

The defense told the jury that there is inadequate evidence to convict Gordon of murder. He said there is no DNA evidence that would tie Gordon to the murder, emphasizing that there were no fingerprints, no “touch DNA” and the murder weapon wasn’t discovered.

Defense Attorney Richard Holliday said the prosecution’s case relied on two witnesses, one who fabricated a story to get a lesser sentence and the other who fabricated a story to receive witness protection benefits.

The defense argued that the unnamed individual, whom Gordon was attempting to rob, also had a firearm and could have killed Turner.

Holliday told the jury that throughout the entire trial, there was no forensic evidence that tied Gordon to Turner’s shooting. Although the video that the prosecution provided clearly shows a video of two shooters, “you will never know conclusively who shot the fatal shot,” he said.

Gordon is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 21.

Prosecution Offers Murder Defendants Plea Deal

On July 24, prosecutors offered two murder defendants plea deals.

Michael Leonard Jones and Khalil Davis are charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Omar Earl Rogers in the parking lot of Uniontown Bar and Grill on the 2200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE. According to court documents, Rogers, 25, was shot in his car and then driven to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Jones, 22, and Davis, 22, pled not guilty to the crime, which occurred in 2017.

According to court documents, witness testimony was inconsistent about whether the shots came from another vehicle or from a person standing in the parking lot. A witness also said Rogers backed his car into another vehicle and that someone who got out of that vehicle was the shooter.

“I know these are serious decisions and I want you to have time to talk to your lawyers about them… If the plea makes sense to you, do it,” said D.C. Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff. “If not, we’ll have a trial.”

Davis and Jones are expected to have a decision by their next status hearing scheduled on Aug. 8.

Judge Denies Defense Request for Unredacted Documents

On July 23, a DC Superior Court judge denied the defense’s request for unredacted documents in a murder case.

Robert Edward Green, 27, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Andre Junior. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Junior, 43, was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 1500 block of Park Road, NW on March 15.

According to the prosecution, police are investigating another unnamed individual in connection to Junior’s death. However, no arrests have been made.

During a felony status conference, Green’s defense attorney, Eugene Ohm, requested that the prosecution hand over unredacted versions of documents.

The prosecutor told Judge Danya Dayson that the defense did not need the unredacted versions because the only thing missing was personal information about the witnesses. Subseqently, Judge Dayson denied the defense’s request.

Green is scheduled for another felony status conference on Sept. 17.

Defense Files Motion to Continue 2015 Murder Trial

Seven weeks before a murder trial was scheduled to begin, defense attorneys told a DC Superior Court judge that they would not be available.

On July 20, Rasheed Murray’s attorneys, Jeffrey Stein and Mani Golzari, filed a motion to push the Sept. 5 trial date back because they had another trial on the same date. Stein told Judge Milton Lee that the other trial was scheduled before the public defender’s office placed him on Murray’s case.

Co-defendants Murray and Ryan Thompson are charged with second-degree murder and reckless driving for their alleged involvement in the death of 24-year-old Matthew Roth at the intersection of 16th Street and Madison Street, NW in 2015. Murray, 31, is also charged with driving under the influence.

Judge Lee questioned why Stein and Golzari brought the scheduling conflict to his attention a few weeks before the trial date. Furthermore, Judge Lee said he believed the public defender’s office thought he would grant the continuance based on the fact that the defendant in the other trial is being held in jail while Murray and Thompson are currently released under the High Intensity Supervision Program.

Golzari told the judge that the issue was not “cut and dry.” He said he spoke with staff at the public defender’s office about the possibility of giving the case to another attorney that was available. However, Golzari said he believes reassigning the case would infringe his client’s constitutional right to a fair trial. Golzari said a new lawyer would not be as prepared as himself and Stein.

The prosecution argued against the delay, saying the defense knew about their scheduling conflict earlier and failed to notify the court.

Thompson’s attorneys, Todd Baldwin and Rebecca Bloch, did not favor or argue against the delay.

Judge Lee gave the defense a week to find new counsel for Murray.

Murray and Thompson are scheduled for a trial readiness hearing on July 27.

Judge Sentences Convicted Murderer to Nearly 50 Years

On July 20, a DC Superior Court judge sentenced a man convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend to 49.5 years in prison.

A jury found Donald Hairston guilty of first-degree murder while armed for the shooting death of Stephanie Goodloe on the 700 block of Kentucky Avenue, SE in 2016. Apparently, Hairston snuck into Goodloe’s home in the middle of the night and shot her five times. In the weeks prior to the murder, Goodloe filed a restraining order against Hairston, who threatened to kill her.

Hairston, 51, was also convicted of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, burglary while armed, unlawful possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, stalking and violating a civil protection order.

During Hairston’s sentencing, Goodloe’s cousin read a letter on behalf of her family, who was present in the courtroom, which noted the grief they all endured.

The cousin talked about the emotional strain placed on Goodloe’s daughter, who was in the house on the night of the murder. He spoke about how the daughter saw Hairston pause in her doorway after shooting her mother and being too afraid to move because she was afraid he’d kill her. The daughter, who was 11 years old at the time of the murder, testified against Hairston during the trial.

The family asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence of 61.5 years, “ensuring that (the daughter) will never have to fear his shadow looming in her doorway,” the cousin said.

Subsequently, Hairston’s biological daughter spoke in favor of her father and requested that he be given the minimum sentence of 30 years. She told the court that while her father is “flawed” he’s not a murderer. She spoke of how he was hands on during her childhood, has “unflinching strength” and cared for her entire family. She mentioned that while Goodloe’s daughter was not her father’s biological child, he treated her as if she was his own.

Hairston addressed the court and reasserted his innocence. “ I did not do this,” he said.

Judge Danya Dayson said she would not impose the maximum sentence because Hairston’s criminal history was mostly of nonviolent weapons charges. However, she said, based on the murder conviction, the minimum sentence would not be appropriate.

Defense counsel, Lauren Johnson and Mani Golzari, said they plan to appeal the case and said they, “ truly believe the jury got it wrong.”

Hairston will also serve three additional years on supervised release following his prison term.