Assault Defendant Incarcerated Illegally for Over 20 Years Resentenced to Despite Showing Rehabilitative Efforts

By Stephanie Landaverde [former] - July 8, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Shooting | Suspects |

On July 6, a 49-year-old defendant’s illegal first-degree assault sentence, originally imposed in 2001 for a crime committed in 1998, was revisited for resentencing.

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Martin H. Schreiber II acknowledged that the defendant Gregg Lamonn Wright, represented by defense counsel Gregory Fischer, received an illegal sentence for first-degree assault in 2001 and has been illegally incarcerated for 20 years. 

During Wright’s trial in 2001, the court removed manslaughter from Wright’s verdict sheet, replacing the charge with first-degree assault. The jury then elected to find Wright guilty of first-degree assault, despite the charge not being on the original indictment. 

Although Wright’s family members were present during Thursday’s hearing, the prosecutor informed Judge Schreiber that there was no response from any of the three victim’s families. 

Wright’s family members were given the chance to testify regarding his character.

“He did grow up in an environment which was not suitable for his age,” said Wright’s sister. “I suffered from anxiety and depression, which he has as well. He has grown and learned his lesson. We want him home.”

Wright also apologized for his mistakes. 

Fischer argued that resentencing and treating the case as if nothing had been imposed before would be the most appropriate action due to Wright’s significant personal growth over the years. Fischer added how Wright had undergone a social worker assessment with positive comments about “making the most of a situation that is not ideal.”

Judge Schreiber decided that due to the death of one victim and how the other victim is in a wheelchair, he stated it “might not be rash to release him today.”

For Wright’s current case, Judge Schreiber vacated the charge of carrying a handgun on his person. For first-degree assault, Wright is sentenced to 18 years. For carrying a handgun on his person, Wright is sentenced to 20 years, suspending all but five and a half years, where the first five will be served without the possibility of parole and run concurrently with the first-degree assault charge.

The charge for first-degree murder was also vacated by Judge Schreiber, pursuant to the opinion of the Court of Special Appeals. Wright’s complete sentence for the 1998 incident is 73 years, suspending all but 44 years, with a period of supervised probation for five years with credit for time served.

“I know no one is happy with this result,” Judge Schreiber added as one of Wright’s family members got up and dismissed him with a hand gesture. Judge Schreiber explained how the court will come back to reevaluate the case again if Wright does not go on parole. 

According to the Court of Special Appeals document, Wright was accused of participating in a 1998 shooting that involved three victims and was charged in three separate indictments. On Oct. 1, 2018, Wright filed a motion to correct an illegal 25-year-sentence since he was never formally charged with first-degree assault. On Jan. 19, 2019, the Court of Special Appeals agreed with Wright and stated that the sentences within Wright’s current case needed to be vacated and reevaluated in a resentencing.