May 2023 Newsletter
The Durham County District Attorney’s Office newsletter highlights the work staff do in and out of the courthouse.
In the Community
DA Deberry and DA’s Office staff attended a Day of Remembrance on May 15 to hear directly from students impacted by violence and honor young lives lost. Students called for more counseling resources in schools and for adults to treat the issue with urgency. The event was organized by the city of Durham, Durham County and Durham Public Schools.
In the Office
Legal Assistant Chris Foust was recognized for 15 years of service to the North Carolina Judicial Branch and State of North Carolina. She received a blanket and a letter from Chief Justice Paul Newby thanking her for her integral role in the administration of justice. Foust supports families and prosecutors in homicide cases — a role she has held for about ten years. She is a strong advocate for victims, families and fellow staff, says DA Deberry.
When Foust joined the DA’s Office 15 years ago, she started out processing and investigating cases involving worthless checks. She then moved to property and drug crimes before taking on homicide cases in 2014. Asked what she’s learned working on such difficult cases for so long, Foust stressed the importance of listening to families, calmly walking them through the court process, and letting them know she cares.
Maryam Al-Zoubi was sworn in last week as an assistant district attorney with the Durham DA’s Office. ADA Al-Zoubi joins our Special Victims Unit.
Al-Zoubi most recently worked as an immigration attorney. Prior to that, she served as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx DA’s Office in New York. She attended the The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for undergrad and law school, and obtained a masters degree in social work policy from the The University of Chicago.
The Durham DA’s Office welcomed its 2023 class of summer interns who began their internships on May 12.
Throughout the summer, the group will get hands-on experience developing their skills as lawyers assisting the District Court Team. They also attend discussion sessions with staff to learn about prosecuting different kinds of crimes and the role of the prosecutor. Deputy Chief of Staff Michelle Cofield coordinates the Office’s internship program.
Quieysha McDougle is a third-year law student at North Carolina Central University. She obtained her undergraduate degree in political science at Winston-Salem State University. She previously interned with Forward Justice, a legal nonprofit based, where she helped work on policies related to regulatory stops in Mecklenburg County. Next academic year, she will work with NCCU School of Law’s Civil Litigation Clinic, assisting low-income and vulnerable members of our community through landlord-tenant disputes, police misconduct, racial profiling, and other matters.
Owen FitzGerald is a third-year law student at North Carolina Central University. He obtained his undergraduate degree in American studies, with a Southern studies concentration, at UNC. He has extensive experience in county-level behavioral health administration and substance use recovery. He’s a parent who volunteers his free time helping local musicians and artists build technical skills.
As Fair and Just Prosecution fellows, McDougle and FitzGerald will also complete policy projects during their time with the office.
William McDonald is a third-year law student at UNC. He obtained his undergraduate degree in liberal studies and classics from University of Notre Dame. He is the staff editor for the UNC Law First Amendment Journal and previously worked for a defense attorney in Johnston County.
Ellis Coan is a third-year law student at UNC who interned with the DA’s Office Traffic Team this Spring. He obtained his undergraduate degree in music from Davidson College. At school, he’s an active member of the Black Law Students Association and Entertainment Law Society. He previously interned with criminal defense firm Grace, Tisdale & Clifton in Winston-Salem.
Jordan Lee is a rising third-year law student at NCCU, where he also obtained his undergraduate degree in political science. He’s a member of the NCCU Law Review and previously interned with Superior Court Judge Keith Gregory and with Intel Corporation.
In the Courts
Recently closed cases include:
- Assistant District Attorney Kendra Montgomery-Blinn closed a homicide that occurred on November 7, 2020. The victim died after her partner hit her outside of a shopping center and she fell to the ground. The defendant pleaded guilty on May 2 to involuntary manslaughter, a Class F felony.
- Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Ingram secured a conviction in a homicide case that went through a restorative justice process. ADA Ingram stated in court that the defendant had flagged down a friend’s car, which the victim was driving. The defendant got in the car and they dropped their friend off at his business. The defendant, who was on cocaine at the time, later fatally stabbed the victim inside the car. The defendant argued he acted in self-defense and was cut on his hand and ear before getting control of the victim’s knife. The defendant and relatives of the victim participated in an 18-month restorative justice process, helping to provide answers and accountability in the case. The defendant pleaded guilty on May 15 to voluntary manslaughter, a Class D felony.
- Assistant District Attorney Stephen McLaughlin secured a conviction in a wreck that killed a man and seriously injured three others. ADA McLaughlin stated in court that the defendant was driving the wrong way on Interstate 85 when he collided head-on with a truck, killing a father and injuring his wife and two children. Alcohol was a factor; empty beer cans were found in the defendant’s vehicle and testing showed his blood-alcohol content at nearly four times the legal limit. He pleaded guilty May 9 to felony death by vehicle (a class D felony) and three counts of felony serious injury by vehicle (a class F felony).
- Assistant District Attorney Adam Williamson closed a gun possession case. On September 16, 2020, police responded to a call about a fight at a funeral. They observed a man with a backpack who handed the bag to someone else and ran. Police found the backpack with an ID matching the person who ran, a loaded firearm, magazines, two-way radios and a check. The man was arrested about a year later. He pleaded guilty on May 1 to uttering and carrying a concealed gun, both misdemeanors.
- ADA Williamson also secured convictions against a man who planned to attack police in order to prompt them to shoot him. The incident took place October 25, 2021, near North Carolina Central University. The defendant did donuts to attract police attention and then fled. Police were able to stop him after traffic slowed. The defendant possessed four Molotov cocktails, a lighter and a knife, and stated his intent was to lure police and threaten them with the weapons so they would shoot him. The defendant pleaded guilty on May 1 to possessing weapons of mass destruction, a Class F felony, and fleeing to elude arrest.
- Assistant District Attorney Mary Jude Darrow secured a conviction in a stabbing that occurred on March 29, 2022. The victim and defendant were outside a convenience store. The victim went inside, returned outside and resumed talking with the defendant. The defendant then stabbed him repeatedly in the stomach, causing serious injuries. Surveillance video captured the assault, which appeared to be unprovoked. The parties had reportedly been in a fight previously. The defendant pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, a Class C felony.
- Assistant District Attorney Daniel Spiegel closed a case involving methamphetamines and cocaine. Officers were conducting surveillance at an apartment building on Rochelle Street where gang-related drug sales and violent crimes were known to occur. They encountered the defendant, a high-ranking member of the Bloods gang, with a backpack and he admitted to having marijuana. Officers applied for a search warrant and located in the backpack more than 100 grams of cocaine, more than a dozen MDMA pills, and drug paraphernalia. He pleaded guilty May 22 to attempting to traffic methamphetamine (a Class F felony), possessing cocaine with intent to sell it (a Class H felony), and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon (a class G felony).
In the News
DA Deberry and her 17-year-old daughter were featured on the Essence Magazine site Girls United for Mother’s Day. The Q&A delved into their respective work to fight injustice and reform the criminal legal system.
