Convicted Manslaughter Defendant Found Guilty of Violating Probation

By Amina Thiam [former] - November 21, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

On Nov. 18, family members of a female victim who was killed in 2017 addressed the court during the sentencing hearing of convicted manslaughter defendant Joseph Plowman. 

After Plowman was found guilty of violating his probation in a May assault incident, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Gregory Sampson sentenced him to a consecutive four years and six months in prison, suspending all but nine months with three years supervised probation to any other charges.

On March 1, 2018, Plowman, 47, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection to an incident on Jan. 12, 2017.

According to court documents, the victim, referred to in court as Kathy, was allegedly shoved to the ground by Plowman and suffered a fatal brain injury due to the physical altercation. 

Present in court, the victim’s family told the judge that the defense counsel’s description of the sentencing being a “ginormous favor” to Plowman was disrespectful. The family also stated that Plowman refused to take accountability for the tragic incident and described him as beyond redemption. 

“We’re not going to let Kathy’s death be in vain,” said the victim’s brother-in-law. “When is enough, enough? This man does not deserve a ginormous favor.”  

Judge Sampson addressed the victim’s family and told them that his sentence was based on evidence in a video of the May 22 assault. 

“Plowman was not the initial aggressor in this matter,” he explained. 

Judge Sampson said that while the context and circumstances of the dispute showed Plowman allegedly defending himself against another man, he was still guilty of violating his parole. “This is where we are,” the judge concluded.