Attempted Murder Defendant Rejects Plea Offer

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An attempted murder defendant declined a plea offer during a hearing before Baltimore City Circuit Judge Anthony F. Vittoria on Oct. 15.

Jonte Gilmore, 27, is charged with 62 charges, including attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and first-degree assault as well as conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. In addition, Gilmore is also charged with carjacking and robbery on several counts, as well as a litany of firearms- related charges and conspiracies stemming from an incident on Oct. 17, 2023.

The rejected offer was five years without the possibility of parole in addition to compliance with the Gun Offender Registration Act for possession of a firearm with felony conviction as well as five concurrent years for accessory after the fact.

Gilmore’s defense attorney, James Sweeting III, rejected the offer on his client’s behalf, but asked the prosecutor to keep the offer open.

The defense also made a counteroffer, off the record, which the prosecution needed time to review.

Sweeting said he believed it was in Gilmore’s best interest to plead guilty instead of going to trial on 62 counts, but said plea negotiations were ongoing with the prosecution.

This is not the direst plea offer Gilmore has rejected. Baltimore Witness reported that he also rejected a plea offer in August. Terms of the earlier offer included 25 years for attempted first-degree murder, concurrent to 20 years for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, with the first five years without the possibility of parole and a concurrent 15 years for firearm use in a felony crime, with the first five years without possibility of parole.

With the pending plea offer and the case’s lead detective out on bereavement leave, counsel could not proceed with trial Tuesday.

Gilmore is scheduled for a jury trial on Dec. 9 before Judge Martin Welch.