Defendant Accused of Shooting Man in the Neck Given Trial Date

By Inacent McKeithan [former] , Ashleigh Joplin [former] - January 26, 2023
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

On Jan. 25, an attempted murder defendant received a trial date during his reception court hearing before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn.

Defendant Dionte Johnson rejected a plea of life, suspending all but 40 years with five years of supervised probation for attempted first-degree murder; a consecutive sentence of 20 years, the first five years without the possibility of parole for use of a firearm in a felony violent crime; and a consecutive sentence of 15 years, the first five years without the possibility of parole. The defendant would have also been required to stay away from the victim and register as a gun offender. 

Johnson, 25, elected to retain his Feb. 6 Hick’s date – which is his right to be tried within 180 days of her or her lawyer’s initial court appearance. However, Judge Phinn found probable cause to override the defendant due to the unavailability of his defense counsel, Natalie Finegar.

Judge Phinn scheduled the defendant’s trial date for July 28 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Kendra Y. Ausby.  

According to the Baltimore Police Department (BPD), Johnson was arrested on July 1, 2022, and charged with the shooting of a 40-year-old male in the neck on the 2300 block of East Biddle Street. 

Johnson is charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, use of a firearm in a felony violent crime, reckless endangerment, possession of a firearm with a felony conviction, firearm possession with a drug conviction, carrying/wearing a handgun on his person, and discharging a firearm in relation to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on March 27, 2022.