Defense attorney absences caused delays in two attempted murder cases before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland on Oct. 27, including one including 45-year-old defendant accused in a gas station shooting and a 15-year-old juvenile defendant whose case is pending jurisdictional transfer.
Travis Maynor, 45, faces several charges, including attempted first-degree murder, armed robbery, first-degree assault, and multiple firearm-related offenses. These are related to a shooting that occurred over a year ago on Aug. 20, 2024. The incident left one man in critical condition at the Carroll Motor Fuels gas station located on the 4100 block of Patterson Avenue.
Due to the illness of Maynor’s defense attorney, Andre M. Mahasa, and the recent assignment of a new prosecutor, counsel submitted a joint request for postponement. Defense attorney Tony Garcia stood in for Mahasa at the hearing.
Maynor brought up discovery issues, noting he has yet to review certain evidence in his case, and Judge Copeland acknowledged the lack of disclosure to be a recurring problem.
Though counsel initially requested a trial date in February, Judge Copeland expressed a strong desire for an earlier date. It led her to reschedule the pre-trial conference to Oct. 31, in hopes that Mahasa would have sufficient time to recover and appear remotely via Zoom.
An unavailable defense attorney also caused delays in the case of a 15-year-old juvenile defendant, whose records remain sealed. Stand-in counsel noted the case’s original defense attorney, Chelsey Seger, is seeking a reverse waiver to bring the case back to juvenile court.
The teenager is charged with attempted murder, assault, armed robbery, and multiple gun violations for his involvement in a Dec. 7, 2024 incident. Due to the defendant’s juvenile status, no charging documents were available on the Maryland Electronic Courts system site.
Judge Copeland ruled that Seger must be present during pre-trial discussions to advise her client of his Hicks right. The Maryland Hicks rule protects criminal defendants’ right to speedy trial within 180 days of their or their attorney’s initial appearance in court, but the right may be waived if the courts find good cause.
The case was reset to Oct. 28, the following day.
