Court Grants Request to Reconsider Trying Murder Defendant as a Juvenile

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A 16-year-old murder defendant stood before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland requesting that the court reconsider transferring his case back to juvenile court on June 17. Ultimately, the judge agreed for a review of the matter.

Kamal Brown is charged with first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and possession of a firearm as a minor for a March 23, 2023, incident.

Defense attorneys Brian Levy and Catherine Tarantino asked Judge Copeland during a Jan. 17 hearing to decide if Brown’s case should be tried in juvenile court.

An administrator at the Youth Detention Center (YDC), where Brown is currently held, told Judge Nicole K. Barmore that the facility has rehabilitative services.

Prosecutors previously argued that Judge Barmore should deny the transfer because YDC could provide the needed services to Brown until he is 18, regardless of whether he is tried as an adult or juvenile.

Judge Barmore ruled that Brown would be tried as an adult.

Levy says he’s generated information in another case indicating the facility hasn’t offered rehabilitation services since the pandemic which led to the transfer request for Brown.

The prosecution did not object to a trial postponement. Judge Copeland set a hearing to decide the jurisdiction of Brown’s case for June 27 in front of Judge Barmore.