Parties Grapple with Trial Plans for Released Murder Defendant

By Andrea Keckley [former] - January 28, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Jordan Smith was charged with murder in November 2017 and held at DC Jail until a judge agreed to release him in 2019. Now, as numerous detained defendants wait to get trial dates, parties held off deciding when Smith would go before a jury when they met for a status hearing on Jan. 27.

The 34-year-old defendant is accused of shooting Yashika Green in the head on March 1, 2017. Officers found her that day in an apartment on the 3900 block of 2nd Street, SE, and took her to the hospital, where she was rushed into surgery. She succumbed to her injuries the following July 21, according to court documents. She was 42-years-old.

The prosecutor had reservations with defense attorney Mani Golzari’s suggestion to put off scheduling Smith’s trial due to how many jailed defendants are still waiting for theirs, noting how long the victim’s family have been waiting to see this case resolved. 

“That is part of the consideration, certainly,” said DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan.  

However, she pointed out how setting trial dates only to postpone them later on can come with disappointments of its own. The prosecutor suggested setting dates in 2023, but Golzari said he wasn’t available until April or May of that year because of his other trials.

Judge Raffinan scheduled parties to reconvene for a status hearing on March 25. In the meantime, Smith will remain in released in the High Intensity Supervision Program. He is compliant with his release conditions.

Given his compliance, Golzari asked Judge Raffinan to take his client off of GPS monitoring. The prosecution, who did not want Smith released from jail in the first place, asked for an opportunity to respond in writing. Judge Raffinan agreed and instructed Golzari to file a written motion.