At a felony arraignment on Jan. 30, a stabbing defendant accepted a plea deal before DC Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel.
Warren Rainner, 30, was originally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a prohibited weapon, and misdemeanor threats to do bodily harm. The charges stemmed from his involvement in a stabbing on July 5, 2025 that left one victim injured on the unit block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW.
At the hearing, the court arraigned Rainner on the indictment charges against him. Afterword Rainner’s attorney, Branden Burrell, informed Judge Israel that his client accepted a plea deal from prosecutors. The agreement required Rainner to plead guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and, in exchange, the prosecution agreed to dismiss the other charges.
As part of the deal, prosecutors also agreed to limit their sentence request to the bottom third of the applicable guidelines.
The prosecution presented the factual basis for the plea, which included video footage of Rainner’s involvement in the offense. They said if the case had proceeded to trial, the evidence would have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Rainner assaulted and injured the victim.
Judge Israel was satisfied with the factual basis provided by the prosecution and accepted Rainner’s plea as knowing and voluntary.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene on April 10 for sentencing.
