Victim’s Family Walks Out During Sentencing

By D.C. Witness Staff - December 13, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

On Dec. 12, a victim’s family walked out of court as a DC Superior Court judge was handing down sentences to two murder defendants.

Robert Washington and Derrick Hart  plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed for their role in the shooting of 22-year-old Maleak Coffin on the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr Avenue, SE in 2017.

As Judge Todd Edelman began to give his orders for sentencing, family members of Coffin including his mother and sister walked out of the courtroom crying.

The family began to file out of the courtroom as Judge Edelman said that he was sentencing both Washington and Hart under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA), which will not hinder either man’s ability to gain employment or other things that require a criminal history check, unless searched by law enforcement, because of their convictions.

During the proceeding, three of Coffin’s family members spoke in front of the judge and the families of Washington, 22 and Hart, 24.

Coffin’s mother said that she knew that Coffin was a fighter since the day he was born and was especially worried about him throughout his life because “he came in fighting for his life so I knew everyday he would have to fight to stay alive.”

Coffin’s grandfather apologized to the court for missing several court proceedings but also thanked the judge and the Metropolitan Police Department for prosecuting the two men.

“These men could have walked away that day, but they didn’t and ultimately they thought they were the judge, the jury and the legal executioner. One day however, they will have to stand before the universe judge for what they have done,” said Coffin’s grandfather.

The prosecution said the offense was unnecessary and said that, “the braisonness of the offense, the fact that they left, made a u-turn and continued shooting into the car is why they deserved such a harsh allocution.”

She said, according to the medical exam, there was only one fatal shot to the head and she believed that shot came from Hart’s gun. She said that is why she wanted Hart to be sentenced to the maximum amount of time within the voluntary sentencing guidelines, which is twelve years.

She asked that the judge to sentence Washington to eight years in prison because even though she did not believe his bullets killed Coffin, she said he should still be held responsible.

Jonathan Zucker, who is the defense attorney for Hart, said that Hart was a good kid growing up and had finished high school. He said that Hart became a product of the environment he was around, stating that during 2017 the neighborhood Hart lived in had become a “cesspool” of shootings and murders and that is when Hart found it necessary to get a gun to protect himself.

He also said that Hart was a pillar in his family and they needed him in order to function again.

Washington’s defense counsel, Lisbeth Sapirstein, said that Washington was an important member of his family and every day he is remorseful for what happened and wishes he could take it back.

Both Hart and Washington apologized to Coffin’s family.

Judge Edelman sentenced Hart to 14 years in prison followed by five years of supervised released. Since Hart is sentenced under the YRA he must also complete 90 hours of community service upon is release.

Washington received seven and a half years in prison followed by five years of supervised release and 90 hours of community service once he is released. Judge Edelman also required Washington to get his GED or high school diploma while incarcerated.