DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park imposed a sentence of 216 months for a homicide following statements from the defendant and victim’s families on March 27. An additional charge tacked on an five more years.
On Jan. 14, Quateze Moore, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed for his involvement in the fatal shooting of Martinez Robinson, 25, on Aug. 23, 2024 on the 1300 block of Girard Street, NW.
Moore’s family and friends initially did not plan to attend the hearing because Moore believed a motion to continue the hearing, filed by the defense, guaranteed it would be rescheduled. So he asked them not to come. After Judge Park denied the motion, Moore’s defense attorney, Peter Odom, contacted Moore’s family and friends and they were able to attend.
The first two impact statements were given by Robinson’s parents.
“[Robinson’s] laughter, his kindness, his future, all of it was taken from us,” Robinson’s mother said, explaining that her son’s death left a “space that cannot be refilled.”
“He deserved to live his life, he deserved to grow old,” Robinson’s mother said. She ended her statement by asking Moore why he committed the offense.
Robinson’s father told Moore, “I can see in your face that you don’t have any remorse for what happened.”
In response to Judge Park’s request for Robinson’s father to direct his statement to the court rather than to Moore, he said, “That’s hard to do, your honor.”
He concluded his statement by telling Moore, “There’s a special place in hell for you, that’s all I have to say.”
Then the prosecution requested 25 years in prison, the maximum in the sentencing guidelines, due to the “alarming” nature of the offense as well as Moore’s criminal history, which included assault with intent to kill and multiple charges related to firearm possession.
Meanwhile, Moore’s friend and cousin also gave statements attesting to Moore’s good personality and the love he has for his family, friends, and community. They asked the court to consider Moore’s positive qualities before imposing a sentence. His cousin’s statement was a written letter read by Moore’s other defense attorney, Shawn Sukumar, which said that Moore was “not defined by a single moment.”
The defense requested that Judge Park impose a sentence that not only keeping with the sentencing guidelines, which included a mandatory minimum of four to five years, but also for Moore’s contribution to society and the struggles he faced in his childhood.
Ultimately, Judge Park imposed a sentence of 18 years for voluntary manslaughter while armed, consecutive with five years for an unrelated drug possession matter.
Moore will also be required to register as a gun offender, pay $200 to the Victims of Violent Crime Fund (VVCF) and undergo mental health treatment, grief counseling, as well as any programs deemed necessary by the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA).
Parties are slated to reconvene on July 2 for a post-sentencing review.
