Judge Sets New Trial Date in DC Shooting Case

A Northwest Washington man charged in a 2023 shooting on Connecticut Avenue will now face trial in March 2027 after a delay.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Violence

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a neoclassical courthouse facade with a stone colonnade and a bare flagpole, in deep red, cream, and charcoal. — A Washington, D.C. judge set a March 15, 2027 trial date for a man charged in a September 2023 Connecticut Avenue shooting and rejected a motion to dismiss over speedy-trial claims. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson set a new trial date of March 15, 2027, for a Northwest Washington man in his fifties charged in connection with a September 9, 2023, shooting on the 400 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW. Judge Dayson also denied the defense's motion to dismiss the case for failure to provide a speedy trial.

Why it matters

The ruling keeps a serious weapons and assault case moving in Washington's court system after earlier trial dates slipped. The judge attributed the delays to the defense's scheduling, a finding that shapes how speedy-trial claims are weighed locally.

The defendant faces charges including assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault, and unlawful firearm possession, with a trial now set for March 15, 2027. Whether the March date holds depends on the prosecution confirming witness availability by November 18, a step not yet reported as complete.

The players

Danya Dayson

Judge Dayson is a judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, the local trial court for criminal and civil cases in the nation's capital.

The details

Prosecutors allege the charges stem from a shooting in which the victim sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen and later had his gallbladder removed in surgery. The defense requested dismissal for failure to provide a speedy trial, but Judge Dayson found the postponements resulted from the defense's own scheduling conflicts. The case was initially set for September 8, then January 19, 2027, before the latest reset.

September 9, 2023: Alleged shooting occurs on the 400 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW.
September 8: Originally scheduled trial date, later rescheduled.
January 19, 2027: Second scheduled trial date, also rescheduled.
November 13, 2026: Hearing where the new trial date was set and dismissal was denied.
March 15, 2027: New trial date for the case.

Legal Context

Speedy-trial claims in criminal cases are assessed under the Sixth Amendment's guarantee and related statutory deadlines, which weigh the reasons for delay and who caused them. Judge Dayson's finding that defense scheduling drove the postponements places this ruling within that framework, where delays chargeable to the defense typically do not support dismissal.

Residents of Northwest Washington may see the case proceed on a longer timeline, with the trial now not expected until March 2027. The ruling confirms that scheduling delays attributed to the defense will not by themselves end the prosecution.

The takeaway

Speedy-trial protections do not automatically dismiss a case when the delay traces back to the defense's own scheduling. Readers following criminal cases should track whether court-set deadlines, such as witness-availability reports, are met before a trial date is treated as firm.

What happens next

By November 18, 2026, the prosecution is to contact witnesses to confirm their availability for the March 15, 2027 trial date and alert chambers of any issues.