Baltimore Woman Convicted of Attempted Murder Denied Sentence Modification

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On Nov. 2, Lakena Sewell was scheduled to appear via zoom in front of Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Sylvester B. Cox but did not appear due to a technical issue.

According to the Maryland Judiciary website Sewell, 33, was sentenced to ten years, suspending all but five years and three years of probation for second-degree attempted murder and a concurrent ten years for using a firearm in a felony violent crime.

She is currently serving a five-year sentence at The Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, for violation of probation.

The defendant intended to ask the court to modify her sentence and dispose of any detainers she had in order to better her chances at entering federal programs aimed at release. Although an email sent to the court from a counselor at FCI Danbury said that even without the detainers, Swell “is not eligible for any release because of her history of violence and convicted offense.”

According to the prosecution, there has been a lack of communication between the state and federal officials responsible for transportation and zoom hearings for federal inmates. On Oct. 17, correspondence was sent to several members of FCI Danbury staff to have the defendant present for this hearing, to no avail.

Defense attorney Sharon Dubey was present for the hearing and even opposed the modification. Citing that the defendant is currently only serving a five-year sentence and any change “would mean erasing the sentence.”

Judge Cox said he doesn’t have the authority under the motion to modify. The motion was denied.