Sexual Assault Case Dismissed Without Prejudice

Thank you for reading D.C. Witness. Help us continue our mission into 2024.

A sexual assault case was dismissed without prejudice.

DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan heard from the defense, prosecutor and medical representation on the possibility of dismissing the case on April 27. The defendant was not present for the hearing, despite attempts to send him a judicial summons in February.

The victim wrote a statement advocating for the criminal case to remain open, which was read by her lawyer during the proceedings. In it, she states that she has waited four years for justice.

The defendant was charged with assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual abuse. After being found incompetent to stand trial, he was transferred to St. Elizabeths Hospital, Washington’s psychiatric institute, in late 2017. After spending a few years there, he was released to a halfway house. He was not contacted until two weeks after his release and the court has had difficulty getting ahold of him ever since.

The statutory timeline for the case to remain open would end on Aug. 28. Judge Raffinan decided that, based on the circumstances of the case, it would be dismissed without prejudice.

Notifications are not yet available for this specific case. Please check back later for updates. Thank you.