Convicted Attempted Murderer’s Hearing Postponed Pending Communication with New Defense Counsel

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A convicted murder defendant had his motion hearing postponed on Nov. 2 due to his lawyer not being present before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Sylvester B. Cox.

According to Judge Cox, defendant Phillip West had submitted a petition for review for civil commitment to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for drug and alcohol treatment in May of 2022.

West did not have a lawyer entered on record Judge Cox informed West.

Judge Cox postponed the matter to be heard again on Dec. 5, at which time West is expected to have talked with his private counsel.

According to the Maryland Judiciary website, in 2019, West was sentenced to 40 years, suspending all but 20 years with three years of supervised probation for second-degree murder. This was a lesser included offense to first-degree murder. He was also sentenced to a consecutive sentence of 20 years, suspending all but five years with three years of supervised probation for the use of a firearm in a felony violent crime. These charges were all in connection to a crime committed on Dec. 21, 2018.