A man accused of attacking a transgender woman in D.C.'s Chinatown neighborhood in August had his trial on a charge of simple assault pushed off for almost two months following the government's motion to continue the case, thereby delaying the start of trial, originally set to begin today.
Ahmad Robinson, 29, of Silver Spring, is accused of hitting a transgender woman in the early morning hours of Aug. 10.
According to charging documents, Robinson allegedly asked the victim, a transgender woman, if she was female or male. Upon learning she was transgender, he knocked a beer out of her hand and hit her with a closed fist. The victim then chased Robinson into a nearby Safeway store and through the aisles, but lost track of him.
Metropolitan Police Department officers, responding to reports of an assault in progress, encountered the victim, who told them what happened. An hour later, the victim spotted and positively identified Robinson, who was walking near the scene of the crime. MPD officers then arrested Robinson.
On Jan. 31, the government submitted a motion asking D.C. Superior Court Judge Rhonda Reid Winston to continue the trial date. This morning, she agreed to the government's motion and rescheduled Robinson for a new trial date, March 27, and for a Feb. 22 pretrial status hearing, at which point it will be determined whether the government can move forward with its case against Robinson.
In the meantime, Robinson remains released on bond. He must continue to report to the court's Pretrial Services Agency, continue with a drug-treatment program, submit to regular drug testing and stay away from the victim in the case.
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