Teenage Murder Defendant Rejects Plea Deal, Again

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A murder defendant rejected a plea deal, opting to go to trial. Malik Holston, 17, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the shooting of 15-year-old Gerald Watson in an apartment building on the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE in 2018. During a status conference on Nov. 15, the prosecution told Holston that if he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances all other charges would be dropped. The deal carried a potential sentence between 15 to 22 years in prison. Holston rejected the offer. D.C. Witness previously reported that Holston rejected an initial plea deal in October as well. Holston’s defense counsel, Anthony Matthews, told the DC Superior Court Judge Milton C. Lee that the defense intended to conduct independent DNA testing on materials recovered from Holston’s home. Holston is being charged as an adult. A trial is scheduled to occur on July 22. This article was written by Ellery Groth.

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