DC Woman Pleads Guilty To Identifying Grand Jury Witness

WASHINGTON, DC — A District woman pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to disclosing the identity of a Superior Court grand jury witness to a D.C. Department of Corrections inmate, according to a U.S. Department of Justice release.

Dawn Monique Garris, 45, was the sergeant-at-arms and a grand juror for a D.C. Superior Court grand jury in September 2019. She pleaded guilty to one count of a criminal indictment charging her with contempt for disclosing the identity of a witness in a violent crime investigation to the inmate. This act violated the direction of the Chief Judge of the D.C. Superior Court and grand jury secrecy rules.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the integrity of the Superior Court and the local grand jury process,” Acting United States Attorney Michael R. Sherwin said, in a release. “Today’s guilty plea sends a strong message that any potential for compromising witness security will not be tolerated.”

James A. Dawson, special agent in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, described Garris' actions as a betrayal of the grand jury, the actions of which are both protected and kept secret by law.

"The confidence of the public in the Grand Jury process is central to our judicial system and the rule of law," he said. "The FBI will continue to work to investigate all allegations of public corruption, which is the FBI’s top criminal investigative priority.”

Garris pleaded guilty before Judge Carl Nichols in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Her sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2021.