Five homicide mistrials were set for scheduling retrial dates on Oct. 2 in Baltimore City Circuit Court, with only two cases receiving trial dates in early 2027.
Two of the remaining cases were rescheduled before Judge Melissa K. Copeland in reception court later this month due to recent changes in defense counsel, while a fifth case was scheduled for a motions hearing.
Between Aug. 19 and Sept. 25, the individual homicide cases against Jamaal Smith, Charles Boatwright, Darren Tomlinson, Matthew Harper Jr. and Timothy Knott concluded with mistrials as a result of hung juries — the average trial lasting approximately four days.
Counsel in the cases against Tomlinson and Smith agreed on trial dates, beginning Jan. 4, 2027, and Feb. 5, 2027, respectively. Tomlinson and his attorney, William Porter, are scheduled before Judge Jeannie J. Hong, and Smith — previously represented by Roya Hanna — is scheduled for retrial before Judge Michael A. DiPietro, with Porter as his new counsel.
Tomlinson, 32, is charged with the murder of 43-year-old Hassan Howard in addition to injuring another man on the 400 block of Washburn Avenue on Jan. 19, 2025. Charged but not tried alongside his brother, Dylon Tomlinson, Darren’s mistrial was declared on Sept. 8.
In closing arguments, Porter told the jury that there was limited evidence linking his client to the crime, citing no motive or witnesses and questionable video footage.
Nearly three weeks prior, Smith’s case was ruled a mistrial on Aug. 19 when the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict as to his alleged killing of 34-year-old Dante Gladney on the 5900 block of Belair Road on Dec. 3, 2025. The 44-year-old defendant is accused of gunning down the victim after sending threatening text messages, including, “Do or die,” and, “I need my money.”
During the reception court proceeding, the court was informed that Harper, 30, and Boatwright, 56, obtained new defense counsel — Koryn High for Harper and Brandon Taylor for Boatwright — following their mistrials on Sept. 21 and Aug. 28.
Defense attorney Gregory Fischer stood-in for Harper’s former trial attorney, Jason Ott, and asked Judge Copeland to reschedule the defendant’s case for reception court on Oct. 9 when High will be available to further discuss scheduling. High was in another trial on Friday, Fischer noted.
Harper is charged with the death of 26-year-old Damien Parker, who was shot on the 2300 block of Harford Road near the intersection of Harford Road and Normal Avenue on Oct. 7, 2024. At trial, Ott questioned the suspect vehicle in addition to the amount of time between the incident and Harper being charged.
Although the jury found Boatwright not guilty of first-degree murder for the killing of 55-year-old Randolph “Kojack” Smith Jr., Taylor said the prosecution is attempting to retry the defendant on voluntary manslaughter, whereas, his only current charges are two weapons violations. The defense attorney asked for a motion to dismiss the case, which the judge set for Dec. 10 before Judge Dana M. Middleton.
The incident occurred by the Liberty gas station on the 3900 Block of Frederick Avenue on July 13, 2025.
Boatwright’s previous trial attorney, Staci Pipkin and Andrew Jezic, presented an argument of self-defense to the jury during his latest trial, saying there was no evidence the defendant fired the first shot.
Knott, 30, was the final homicide case called on Friday and rescheduled to appear in reception court on Oct. 23, as his attorney, Warren Brown, filed a motion to remove himself from the case on Sept. 28 — three days after Knott’s mistrial was declared. Judge Copeland said the rescheduled reception court date will allow time to hear Brown’s motion as well as give Knott the opportunity to obtain private counsel or representation from the Office of the Public Defender.
At trial, Brown emphasized the Baltimore Police Department’s “sloppy investigation” as the reason behind his client’s murder charge in connection to the incident on the 4700 block of Garrison Boulevard on April 29, 2024. It was argued that Knott killed 42-year-old Anthony Pearson in retaliation for Pearson’s alleged killing of Knott’s cousin; however, Pearson was only deemed as a suspect and was never charged.
Despite trial Judge Robert K. Taylor Jr.’s invoking the Allen charge requiring jurors to continue their deliberations to attempt to reach a unanimous verdict, the jury remained deadlocked in Knott’s case, ending in a mistrial.
