Prosecution Decides to Stop Pursuing Domestic Violence Case

By D.C. Witness Staff - June 10, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Domestic Violence | Suspects | Victims |

Following several hours of testimony, a prosecutor decided to dismiss a domestic violence case.

The 36-year-old defendant was accused of suffocating and choking his ex-girlfriend until she was unconscious in an apartment complex in Northwest, DC, on May 8. 

He was charged with assault with significant bodily injury during his initial hearing two days later and held at DC Jail. At the start of the June 10 preliminary hearing, which was held to determine if the case has enough evidence to go to trial, the prosecutor amended the charge to assault with intent to kill. 

The prosecutor said she’d be dropping the charge and not pursuing any other charges in the case when parties reconvened after a one-hour break. She did not specify why she made this decision.

During cross-examination, a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective on the case told defense attorney Kevin Robertson that the case’s victim has previously pleaded guilty to making a false report to a police officer. 

The MPD officer who responded to the scene testified that the victim made conflicting statements to him. He said the victim told him she had not gone unconscious, nor had she been hurt. But shortly after, she said she had in fact gone unconscious. The officer said he saw her with bruises and a bloody nose, but she turned down medical attention. 

During direct examination, the detective told the prosecutor that the defendant has previously been charged with stalking and Civil Protection Order (CPO) violation. 

The defendant picked up that case, a misdemeanor which is still open, on the same day he picked up the case that was dismissed today. A DC Superior Court judge initially imposed a $100 bond in the misdemeanor case, which has now been removed. 

Judge Shelly Mulkey released the defendant from DC Jail. He is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 15 for a status hearing in his misdemeanor case. 

Mara Osterburg and Carlin Fisher wrote this article.