Attempted Murder Defendant Accepts Plea Offer

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On Jan. 16, a 28-year-old defendant, alongside his attorney Natalie Finegar, pleaded guilty before Baltimore CIty Circuit Court Judge Ronald A. Silkworth.

James Sutton was originally charged with first- and second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony violent crime, reckless endangerment, illegal possession of ammunition, discharging a firearm, two counts of having a handgun in a vehicle and four counts of illegal possession of a firearm.

Sutton pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of first-degree assault and firearm use in a felony violent crime. He will serve 13 years for the assault and a concurrent 15 years, suspending all but two years, with five years of supervised probation. Sutton will be ineligible for parole the first five years of his sentence.

Upon release, he is to have no contact with the victim and must attend drug treatment.

Court documents state that on July 13, 2022, Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert on the 700 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, where they found gun cartridges. Minutes later, they responded to a report of another shooting on the 800 block of Madison Avenue. Upon arrival, they found a male victim who was suffering from a single gunshot wound in his ankle. Medics transported the victim to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

Surveillance footage from City Watch cameras allegedly showed James Sutton as the shooter and a warrant was issued for his arrest.