Codefendants in E. Pratt Street Non-Fatal Shooting Case Receive Trial Date

By Shayna Sefret [former] - July 11, 2023
Uncategorized |

A Baltimore man rejected a plea of 40 years for attempted murder and was given a trial date in a Baltimore City Circuit Court hearing on July 10.

Jossue Enrique Portillo Ruiz, was offered a plea of 40 years, suspending all but 20 years, with 4 years of probation. After he rejected this plea, both his lawyer and the prosecutor had difficulty selecting a trial date. 

His attorney, Andre Mahasa, who stood in after defense attorney James Sweeting III who had to leave, attempted to find a date closer to Ruiz’s Hick’s date. This is a defendant’s right to trial within 180 days of their first appearance in court or their attorney’s first appearance. Ruiz’s date is July 24.

Because Ruiz, 20, is a native Spanish speaker and required an interpreter, but the interpreter was having trouble hearing the attorneys. Baltimore City Circuit court Judge Melissa M. Phinn told both attorneys to drive to the courtroom. 

After more back-and-forth, both attorneys landed on Sept. 26, which was Ruiz’s codefendant, Miguel Angel Riva Salvador’s, trial date. Judge Phinn suggested trying the two men together instead of separately. Because this date landed after his Hick’s date. Mahasa advised Ruiz of his rights and Ruiz elected to retain his Hick’s right, but Judge Phinn found cause to go beyond the date due to counsel availability.

Judge Phinn set the trial date for Sept. 26 before Judge Gregory Sampson.

Ruiz is charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, accessory after the fact for first- and second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and first-degree assault, conspiracy to use a firearm in a felony violent crime, wearing or carrying a handgun and possessing a handgun in a vehicle on public roads in connection to an Oct. 24, 2022 incident. 

According to the statement of charges, the day of the incident, officers responded to the 6300 block of E. Pratt Street in reference to a shooting. When they failed to locate a victim, they went to Bayview Hospital and found a male with a gunshot wound there. The victim’s friends told the officer that the victim was shot by an unknown male after an altercation with a group of hispanic kids. One witness to the scene positively identified Ruiz’s codefendant, Salvador, as the shooter. During a taped interview, Ruiz admitted to being the one to drive Salvador to flee the scene.