Prosecution Drops 54 Charges Case For Want of Key Witness

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Counsel agreed to dismiss the case of Marquis Brown, 20, on Aug. 4 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Althea M. Handy.

Brown initially faced 54 charges, including five counts of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, first-degree assault, and various firearm violations in relation to a shooting that occurred Oct. 3, 2023, on the 1800 block of Argonne Drive. Brown was a juvenile at the time of the incident and prohibited from possessing a firearm.

According to charging documents, five individuals were injured in the shooting but later recovered. Investigators recovered 17 9mm shell casings from the crime scene. An unnamed witness was able to identify a person said to be Brown as the shooter.

The prosecution told the court they would no longer be prosecuting the case because their key witness was unavailable and the court denied their motion to postpone trial. Unless the judge dismissed the case with prejudice, the charges can be reinstated.

The dismissal came despite defense attorney Judit Otvos claiming the defense team was prepared to proceed with trial.