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By
Hannah Rainer [former]
- September 3, 2023
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Suspects
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Victims
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On Sept. 1, a defense attorney requested a trial postponement before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn on behalf of his client accused of murder.
Defense attorney Jason Silverstein requested a new trial date for defendant Gordon Zacharie Staron on the basis that he needed more time to find a new doctor who could complete a second evaluation on Staron as they pursue a plea of not criminally responsible.
The assistant state’s attorney offered the defendant a plea of life without parole. However, no decision was made as to whether to accept or decline the plea as the defense moved to discuss their request for a second evaluation, thus postponing the scheduling date of the trial.
Staron, 34, is scheduled to stand before Judge Phinn again on Nov. 16 to officially schedule a trial date.
According to Baltimore Witness, on June 28, the defendant had been found competent to stand before Judge Gale E. Raisin after she received his evaluation report from Clifton T. Perkins Hospital.
Staron is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a deadly weapon with intent to injure. According to Baltimore Witness, the charges resulted from an incident that occurred on Sept. 6, 2022. It was reported that on the 1400 block of E. Monument Street, the victim, Keith Bell, was stabbed multiple times, resulting in his death.