The presiding judge in the 252nd District Court convened a consolidated felony docket that included initial appearances, plea agreements and sentencing decisions, and a bond review in a case where the defendant acknowledged recent drug use.

At the start of the session the judge walked through a long call of defendants, resetting many initial appearances to give defendants about 30 days to attempt to hire private counsel. The court repeatedly ordered defendants who have not retained counsel to consult with at least three attorneys and return with names and documentation or risk a bond increase. The court emphasized accuracy when filling out paperwork for court-appointed counsel eligibility.

In a sentencing proceeding, the judge accepted the plea agreement for Ranisha Chason (cause 24 DCCR 2351), who had pleaded guilty to injury to a child, elderly or disabled individual. The court received and reviewed a presentence report, found the plea voluntary and agreed with the parties’ disposition: defer all proceedings for five years, place Chason on probation, and impose a $500 fine. The judge instructed compliance with custody and visitation restrictions, ordered Chason to complete a parenting course offered through Faith Tabernacle Church within 30 days, and directed probation to assess any additional mental-health or substance-evaluation needs. The court said it would not require a drug patch at this time pending probation’s evaluation and recommendations.

The court similarly accepted plea agreements that deferred proceedings and placed other defendants on probation. James Boswell pleaded guilty in two cases and the judge deferred proceedings in each, imposing six-year probation terms and $500 fines in each case; the judge also ordered that Boswell not possess firearms and that any firearms still in his home be removed within 24 hours.

The court resolved a plea by Caitlin Salazar, who waived formal reading and pleaded guilty to a lesser-included class A misdemeanor assault. The judge found her plea voluntary and competent, and imposed a one-year Jefferson County Jail term that will be probated for two years, with a $250 fine and continued probation in a related case.

In arraignment and scheduling matters, the judge set a short reset for Carolyn Whitaker’s case pending receipt of a potentially dispositive lab report and put several other matters on review or trial dockets with instructions that defendants and counsel stay in contact with assigned attorneys.

A bond review produced a notable admonition: the judge questioned Isaiah Brown about recent marijuana use after seeing indications he may have been under the influence in court. Brown answered, "Last night." The judge found a bond-condition violation, declined to proceed with plea paperwork that day because of suspected impairment, and warned that if Brown appears similarly situated again the court will raise his bond to $50,000 and require continuous drug monitoring via a drug patch as a condition of bond. The judge reset the matter for the court’s final docket of the year.

The court also handled plea negotiations that may be finalized at later dates: the DWI third-or-more case for Pharrell Gilbert was reset to allow defense counsel additional time to review media discovery and continue negotiations; the court instructed counsel to meet and exchange discovery materials before the next date.

The session concluded with multiple sentencing and scheduling orders, and repeated directions that defendants who have bonded out attempt to hire private counsel or, if they cannot, to complete forms to determine appointment of counsel. The court reminded all parties that failing to follow court orders could result in bond increases and the defendants’ return to custody.

The next procedural dates or sentencing dates were set on the record for individual cases (for example, some sentencing dockets were reset to December 15 or December 16 as noted on the record).