District of Columbia

D.C. judge denies request to overturn conviction of man charged with anti-gay assault

Attorney argued fractured nose, broken teeth didn’t meet threshold for ‘significant injury’

Published

3 years ago

May 4, 2023

A D.C. Superior Court judge on May 3 denied a motion filed by a defense attorney calling for overturning the conviction of a D.C. man charged with fracturing the nose and breaking several teeth of a gay man while shouting anti-gay slurs during a May 2022 attack near Logan Circle.

Attorney Quo Mieko Judkins argued at a hearing initially called for the sentencing of her client, Anthony Duncan, 42, that the victim’s injuries did not meet the threshold under D.C. law for the charge of Assault Causing Significant Bodily Injury.

A Superior Court jury on Feb. 27 of this year found Duncan guilty of that charge. But in a development that has raised concern among LGBTQ activists, the jury also found Duncan not guilty of committing the assault as a hate crime based on the victim’s sexual orientation.

At the May 3 court hearing Judge Lynn Leibovitz, who is presiding over the case, ruled against attorney Judkins’ motion to overturn the jury conviction. Leibovitz said the injuries the victim sustained in the attack by Duncan did, in fact, meet the requirements of a charge of Assault Causing Significant Bodily Injury.

Under D.C. law, a conviction on that charge carries a possible maximum sentence of three years in prison and or a fine of up to $12,500.

Before announcing her ruling the judge read from a medical report and a police report that said the victim had to be hospitalized by ambulance after police arrived on the scene of the assault at the intersection of 15th and V Streets, N.W., for uncontrolled bleeding from his nose. The police report says Duncan allegedly punched the victim multiple times in the head and face while holding a metal object in his hand.

The police report says Duncan also made a video of his attack on the victim with his cell phone, which police investigators later watched. One of the police incident reports says Duncan can be heard yelling the word “fag” and “faggot” on the recording he made while assaulting the victim.

One of the police reports also says the victim had been wearing a Stonewall Bocce T-shirt as a member of the local LGBTQ Stonewall sports group. Some LGBTQ activists have speculated that Duncan may have recognized that the victim was wearing a gay-themed T-shirt, prompting him to target the victim for the attack.

After Leibovitz announced her ruling denying the request to overturn Duncan’s conviction, attorney Judkins raised objections to what she said appeared to be incorrect statements in a Presentence Investigation Report on Duncan’s prior criminal record prepared by the Superior Court’s investigations branch.

Among other things, the report says Duncan has been arrested “on 12 occasions and convicted in 8 matters,” with his first known arrest taking place when he was 17 years old.

Leibovitz noted that since a sentencing takes into consideration a defendant’s criminal record, she would give Judkins more time to substantiate Duncan’s claim of possible inaccuracies in the pre-sentence report and would give prosecutors with the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia time to respond to those claims.

Based on that, Leibovitz announced she would postpone her sentencing of Duncan, which was scheduled to take place at the May 3 hearing, until 10 a.m. on May 9.
In its Government’s Memorandum In Aid Of Sentencing, which was filed in court on April 28, the U.S. Attorney’s office says that under legal precedent it is allowed to raise the issue of Duncan’s anti-gay slurs during the attack even though he was acquitted on a hate crime charge.

“In this case, the defendant – unprovoked – violently attacked the victim in broad daylight, all while calling him homophobic slurs and filming himself doing so,” the U.S. Attorney’s sentencing memo says. “The victim tried to walk away from the defendant in order to de-escalate the situation, but despite the victim’s efforts, the defendant pursued the victim and attacked him,” the memo says.

The U.S. Attorney’s sentencing memo states that it “respectfully requests that the court sentence the defendant to 24 months’ incarceration, execution suspended as to all but 18 months, with 12 months’ supervised probation.” It adds, “The government believes that this sentence will act as a strong deterrent to future criminal conduct.”

The memo also points to one of the claims in the court’s Presentence Investigation Report that Duncan “refuses to take responsibility for his homophobic actions” and “lacks remorse and is unwilling to change.” The presentence report, according to the U.S. Attorney’s sentencing memo, also says Duncan “does not take responsibility for his actions in this case and in fact he blamed the victim.”

Although it doesn’t say so directly, the sentencing memo appears to be referring to one of the police reports that quoted Duncan as saying at the time of his arrest that the victim provoked the incident when the victim “grabbed” his own “nuts” as the two men crossed paths on the street. The victim has denied he made such a sexual gesture toward Duncan.

Attorney Judkins, who represents Duncan, declined a request by the Washington Blade for comment responding to the assertions in the U.S. Attorney’s sentencing memo and to elaborate on Duncan’s claims that the court’s presentencing report has inaccurate information in it.

Court records show that the D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commission Rainbow Caucus, which represents LGBTQ ANC members, and the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community each submitted a community impact statement with the court for the consideration of Judge Leibovitz in her deliberation over handing down a sentence for Duncan on May 9.

Up Next

D.C. man convicted of assaulting gay man sentenced to 18 months

Don't Miss

D.C. Council gives final approval to Swann Street LGBTQ designation bill

FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM

District of Columbia

Judge rescinds stay-away order in Capital Pride anti-stalking case

Evidence hearing to determine if order should be reinstated against Darren Pasha

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2026

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Darren Pasha (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

A D.C. Superior Court judge on April 17 rescinded an anti-stalking order he approved in February at the request of Capital Pride Alliance against local LGBTQ activist Darren Pasha.

In a ruling at a court status hearing, Judge Robert D. Okum agreed with defendant Darren Pasha’s stated concern that the initial order was too broad and did not specify who specifically he must stay at least 100 feet away from, as called for in the order.

Okum ruled on April 17 that the initial order, which he noted was oral rather than written, would be suspended until an evidentiary hearing takes place in which Capital Pride will need to present evidence justifying the need for such an order.

“I’m fine with scheduling a hearing at which the plaintiff can present evidence, and the defendant can present evidence,” Okum said. “But I’m not fine with just continuing this oral TRO [Temporary Restraining Order] that Mr. Pasha really doesn’t even have notice of. That seems unfair,” he said.

After asking both Pasha and Capital Pride Alliance Attorney Nick Harrison when they would be available for the evidence hearing, Okum set the date for April 27 at 11 a.m. in Superior Court.

The case began when Capital Pride Alliance, the D.C.-based LGBTQ group that organizes the city’s annual Pride events, filed a Civil Complaint on Oct. 27, 2025, against Pasha, accusing him of engaging in a year-long effort to harass, intimidate, and stalk Capital Pride’s staff, board members, and volunteers.

The complaint was accompanied by a separate motion seeking a restraining order, preliminary injunction, and anti-stalking order prohibiting Pasha from “any further contact, harassment, intimidation, or interference with the Plaintiff, its staff, board members, volunteers, and affiliates.”

In his initial ruling in February, Okum issued an order requiring Pasha to stay at least 100 feet away from Capital Pride staff, board members, and volunteers until the April 17 status hearing. He reduced the stay-away distance from the 200 yards requested by Capital Pride.

Pasha, who has so far represented himself in court without an attorney, has argued in multiple court filings and motions that the Capital Pride stalking allegations are untrue. In his initial 16-page response to the complaint, Pasha said it appears to be a form of retaliation against him for a dispute he has had with Capital Pride and its former board president, Ashley Smith, who has since resigned from the board.

“It is evident that the document is replete with false, misleading, and unsubstantiated assertions,” Pasha’s court response states.

At the April 17 hearing, Okum also ruled that, as standard procedure for civil complaints such as this one, he has ordered both parties to enter into court-supervised mediation to attempt to reach a settlement rather than go to trial.

In an earlier ruling Okum denied Pasha’s request for a jury trial, stating that civil cases such as this must undergo a trial with the judge determining the verdict under existing civil court statutes.

The April 17 court hearing was held in a courtroom at the courthouse, but as allowed under current court rules, Capital Pride attorney Harrison and Capital Pride official June Crenshaw participated virtually through a video connection. Pasha attended the hearing in the courtroom.

“This matter is proceeding through the court in the normal course,” Capital Pride released in a statement. “We look forward to presenting the relevant evidence at the scheduled hearing. Capital Pride Alliance remains committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for our staff, volunteers, and community, and to addressing concerns through appropriate channels.”

“This is clearly a case of retaliation,” Pasha told the Blade after the hearing. “Today the judge removed the stay-away order and asked Capital Pride Alliance to present enough evidence and examples to see if a stay-away order should be granted,” he said. “Because Pride is coming up in June, we need to see where this is going.”

District of Columbia

Gay D.C. police lieutenant arrested on child porn charges

Matthew Mahl once served as head of LGBT Liaison Unit

Published

5 days ago

April 15, 2026

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Matthew Mahl (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

D.C. police announced on April 14 that they have placed one of their lieutenants, Matthew Mahl, on administrative leave and revoked his police powers after receiving information that he was arrested in Maryland one day earlier.

Although the initial D.C. police announcement doesn’t disclose the reason for the arrest it refers to a statement by the Harford County, Md. Sheriff’s Office that discloses Mahl has been charged with sexual solicitation of a minor and child porn solicitation.

“On Tuesday, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office contacted MPD’s Internal Affairs Division shortly after arresting Lieutenant Matthew Mahl,” the D.C. police statement says.

“The allegations in this case are extremely disturbing, and in direct contrast to the values of the Metropolitan Police Department,” the statement continues. “MPD’s Internal Affairs Division will investigate violations of MPD policy once the criminal investigation concludes,” it says.

“MPD is not involved in the criminal investigation and was not aware of the investigation until yesterday,” the statement adds.

Mahl served as acting supervisor of the MPD’s then Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit in 2013 when he held the rank of sergeant. D.C. police officials placed him on administrative leave and suspended his police powers that same year while investigating an undisclosed allegation.

A source familiar with the investigation said Mahl was cleared of any wrongdoing a short time later and resumed his police duties. Around the time he was promoted to lieutenant several years later Mahl took on the role as chairman of the D.C. Police Union, becoming the first known openly gay officer to hold that position.

NBC 4 reports that Mahl, 47, has served on the police force for 23 years and most recently was assigned to the department’s Special Operations Division.

Records related to Mahl’s arrest filed in Harford County District Court, show Sheriff’s Department investigators state in charging documents that he allegedly committed the offenses of Sexual Solicitation of a Minor and Child Porn Solicitation on Monday, April 13, one day before he was arrested on April 14.

The court records show he was held without bond during his first appearance in court on April 14. A decision on whether he would be released while awaiting trial or continue to be held without bond was scheduled to be determined during an April 15 bond hearing. The outcome of that hearing could not be immediately determined.

District of Columbia

D.C. bar, LGBTQ+ Community Center to mark Lesbian Visibility Week

‘Ahead of the Curve’ documentary screening, ‘Queeroke’ among events

Published

5 days ago

April 15, 2026

Sam Epner

As You Are is among the D.C. venues that will host Lesbian Visibility Week events. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

2026 Lesbian Visibility Week North America will take place from April 20-26.

This year marks the third annual Lesbian Visibility Week, run by the Curve Foundation. A host of events take place from April 20-26.

This year’s theme is Health and Wellness. For the Curve Foundation, the term “lesbian” serves as an umbrella term for a host of identities, including lesbians, bisexual and transgender women, and anyone else connected to the lesbian community.

The week kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony on April 19. It will take place in New York, but will be livestreamed for the public.

“Queeroke” is one of the events being held around the country. It will take place at various participating bars on April 23.

As You Are, an LGBTQ bar in Capitol Hill, is one of eight locations across the U.S. participating. Their event is free and 21+.

On April 24, the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center will hold a screening of “Ahead of the Curve,” a documentary about the founder of Curve, Franco Stevens. The event is free with an RSVP.

April 25, is Queer Women in Sports Day. And on April 26, several monuments in New York will be illuminated.

Virtual events ranging from health to sports will be made available to the public. Details will be released closer to the start of Lesbian Visibility Week. Featured events can be found on the official website.

Some ways for individuals to get involved are to use #LVW26 and tag the official Lesbian Visibility Week account on social media posts. People are encouraged to display their lesbian flags, and businesses can hand out pins and decorate. They can also reach out to local lawmakers to encourage them to issue an official Lesbian Visibility Week.