Attempted Murder Co-Defendants Trial Scheduled for December

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Two attempted murder co-defendants rejected a plea of five years with four years probation on Sept. 19 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn.

Gerald McEachern, 21, and Hakeem Smith, 24, were both arrested in late March in connection with the non-fatal shooting of a 42-year-old man which happened earlier that month.

Both men are charged with first and second-degree attempted murder, first and second-degree assault, use of a firearm during a felony violent crime, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first and second-degree assault, conspiracy to use a firearm during a felony violent crime, reckless endangerment, having a handgun on his person, having a handgun in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm.

Smith in addition, is charged with illegal possession of a regulated firearm; McEachern is charged with possession of a firearm as a minor.

Both McEachern and Smith’s defense counsel Amanda Savage and Augustine Okeke, respectively, rejected a plea of 25 years, suspending all but five years with four years probation for conspiracy to commit first-degree assault; three years in prison for first-degree assault; five years in prison without parole for use of a firearm during a felony violent crime. Their sentences were set to run concurrently.

Under the plea, Smith would have also had to register as a gun offender. McEachern and Smith will be tried together on Dec. 5 for an expected three days with Judge Charles Bloomquist presiding.