Parties Wait to Schedule Preliminary Hearing in Sex Abuse Case

By Bersabel Ephrem [former] - January 19, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Domestic Violence | Sex Abuse | Suspects | Victims |

More than one year after a defendant was charged with child sex abuse, the prosecution and defense put off scheduling a preliminary hearing to determine if his case has enough evidence to go to trial.

The defendant is charged with first-degree child sex abuse in a domestic violence case.

Parties in this case decided against scheduling the preliminary hearing in part so the prosecution could continue its investigation. Defense attorney Jacqueline Cadman also pointed out that her client is not detained and noted concerns over COVID cases in DC. Cadman is newly appointed to the case, replacing David Knight. She, her client and the prosecution attended the proceedings remotely.

On the day of the defendant’s initial hearing in November 2020,  DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman scheduled a felony status conference to take place in April. That hearing was later rescheduled to October. Parties met one more time in December before the Jan. 19 hearing.

Judge Milton Lee scheduled a felony status conference for March 2, at which time parties are expected to discuss if they want to schedule a preliminary hearing. In the meantime, the defendant remains released on the conditions that he returns to court and abides by a stay away order.