La Plata, MD – For Rashamel Sincere Everett, 25 of Waldorf, a bad choice put him back behind bars despite a plea from the victim to Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West to spare him incarceration.

Everett was in court Thursday, Nov. 13 on a violation of probation charge. Everett was facing back-up time of five years and six months on a previous charge of Assault First Degree. While West did not sentence Everett to the entire back-up time, he did give him four years in the Maryland Department of Corrections for the violation.

“You were on probation from your previous assault,” West told the defendant. “The judge convicted you. That would be enough to violate your probation.”

“Mr. Everett was placed on supervised probation and was subject to several terms and conditions,” said Charles County Assistant State’s Attorney Tiffany Campbell. “He violated that probation based on an assault Jan. 11, 2014. He did receive a conviction.”

Everett’s former girlfriend, Danea Saunders, who was the victim in the Second-Degree Assault which violated his probation, told the court she didn’t want him to go to jail.

“I just wanted to tell you that I forgive Rashamel,” she said. “I don’t feel he deserves to go to jail. I didn’t even want to file charges. I came in the house and I was upset, I told my aunt what had happened and she told my uncle, who is a United States Marshal, and of course, he called the police and they filed charges.

“I just want him to get help,” Saunders said. “The situation was not that serious. I just feel that he needed some counseling for anger management.”

An agent from Parole and Probation asked the judge to impose the remainder of back-up time.

“He was given a sentence and told to obey all laws,” Campbell told the court. “He was originally picked up on a first-degree assault charge against a young lady who was his girlfriend and they were sitting on the bed talking about her future plans when the defendant became angry and produced a knife and began attacking her with it. She had lacerations on her hand and hairline. Now he comes to court with another allegation of assault with a young lady he had been dating. We are asking the court to impose some or all of the back-up time,” she added.

Everett’s attorney, Melissa Miller, told the court, “This has been an eye-opening experience for the whole family. While he was on probation for three years he completed all of his courses, paid his fines, went to the health department and did everything he was asked to.”

“This is a very complicated case for me,” West told the defendant. “It strikes me that you have a very good support system and a good family. That’s a plus for you.
“What are the minuses?” he asked. “You find yourself in a situation where you’re working on your second assault case. Ms. Miller will tell you that you can expect in 99 out of 100 cases, in a situation like this, you’re going to get some time.”

The judge then sentenced Everett to four years of the remaining five years and six months of backup time and suspended probation. A deputy put handcuffs on the defendant and led him away.

Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com