A scheduled trial for Antonio Nance was postponed on July 14 after questions arose regarding the defendant’s legal representation before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry G. Williams.
Nance appeared without counsel after previously discharging his appointed attorney and electing to represent himself. Before trial, the state advised the court it intended to proceed on all counts, calling two detectives as witnesses and presenting surveillance footage and a recorded confession. Prosecutors also noted that a previously filed motion to suppress evidence had been denied.
The state also extended a plea offer on first-degree murder and firearm use in a violent crime of 50 years, suspending all but 20 years to serve, followed by five years of supervised probation. The offer included five years without the possibility of parole, with the sentences to run concurrently.
During the hearing, Nance explained that he dismissed his attorney in June because he did not realize the attorney was serving as a panel attorney through the Office of the Public Defender. He told the court he misunderstood the consequences of firing his attorney and believed he would be able to receive another court-appointed lawyer.
Judge Williams reviewed the procedural history, noting that Judge Melissa K. Copeland had previously advised Nance that by discharging his appointed counsel, he would no longer be eligible to receive another attorney through the Office of the Public Defender, though he remained free to retain private counsel.
When asked whether he was prepared to proceed to trial, Nance said he wanted additional time to hire a private attorney but explained he could not currently afford one. An attorney who was present in the courtroom on another matter agreed, as a friend of the court, to briefly speak with Nance regarding trial procedure, answer questions about representing himself and advise him on obtaining appropriate clothing for trial.
Because of the confusion surrounding his legal representation, Judge Williams postponed the trial and referred the matter back to Judge Copeland to schedule a new trial date which a final date of July 15 was set for jury trial.
