Julie Swaney Archives - D.C. Witness

By Ivanna Ceballos [former] - December 5, 2024
Daily Stories | stabbing | Suspects |

Details A man accused of a weapons offense pleaded not guilty during a felony arraignment on Dec. 4 before DC Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro. Williams Azocar-Salas, 28, is charged... Read More

Judge Says Murder Suspect Can Suppress Some Police Interrogation

Details DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo granted a murder defendant’s request to suppress specific parts of an interrogation on constitutional grounds during a hearing on Oct. 29. Warren Tyson, 53,... Read More

Parties Will File Severance Motions in Co-Defendant Shooting Case

By Marissa Stambaugh [former] , Radhakund Ramnarine [former] - October 21, 2024
Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects |

Details Three shooting co-defendants alerted DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe that they plan to file motions to sever their cases, during a hearing on Oct. 18. Purnell Jackson, 37 is... Read More

‘The Devil is in the Details,’ Says Prosecution in Murder Case Closing

Details A jury in DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun’s courtroom heard closing arguments on Oct. 9 for a homicide that occurred in December of 2020. Dennis Chase, 32, is charged... Read More

Bullet Casing Evidence Questioned In A Jury Trial

Details During witness testimony Oct. 2 parties clashed on bullet casing location with the defense questioning if the evidence pertains to the shooting. Dennis Chase, 31, is charged with first-degree murder... Read More

Shooting Defendant’s Trial Postponed For Defense’s Ongoing Investigation

By Joseph Wolf [former] - September 23, 2024
Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

Details A shooting defendant’s attorney requested DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe delay trial, slated to begin in October, in order to continue investigating the case on Sept. 19. Antonio Hawley,... Read More

Judge Denies Release For Murder Defendant Said to Be MS-13 Gang Member

Details DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo denied a homicide defendant’s request for release on Sept. 13. Prosecutors claim the suspect is part of “Mara Salvatrucha” (MS-13), an international criminal gang.... Read More

‘If It Was Your Child, Would You Accept What They’re Giving?’ Asks Victim’s Mother of Sentence in Shooting, Homicide

Details DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe questioned prosecutors on the fairness of Riley Benjamin‘s plea deal on Aug. 30 before sentencing him to 15 years in prison for two shootings... Read More

Suspect Claims Self-Defense For Fatally Shooting 13-Year-Old

Details Parties delivered opening statements in a homicide the defendant says was self-defense before DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein’s courtroom on Aug. 6. Jason Lewis, 42, is charged with second-degree... Read More

Stabbing Defendant Rejects Plea Offer, Opts for Trial

By Caitlin Blackman [former] - July 23, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | stabbing | Suspects |

Details A stabbing defendant rejected a plea offer extended by the prosecution in front of DC Superior Judge Rainey Brandt in a hearing on July 23. Williams Azocar-Salas, 28, is charged... Read More

Competency Exam Ordered for Murder Defendant Who Wants New Lawyer

Details DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan withheld ruling on a murder defendant’s request for new defense counsel on July 15 and order he complete a competency exam. Kevin Foster, 20,... Read More

Defense Attorney Requests Home Confinement on Behalf of Self-Defense Theory

Details During a Feb. 24 status hearing, DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun rejected a motion to release a defendant to home confinement in a homicide case. On Nov. 30, 2022,... Read More