After a three day trial on Jan. 23, a 46-year-old man accused of injuring a victim in a drive-by shooting was acquitted on all charges by jurors.
Travis Cothran faced trial before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Hope Tipton for his alleged role in the incident, which occurred Oct. 29, 2024 on the 2100 block of E. North Avenue.
Cothran was found not guilty of attempted first- and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, use of a firearm during a felony violent crime, reckless endangerment, and five other gun violations.
The prosecution’s case relied upon the testimony of Cephus Lawrence, 58, who was previously identified as the owner of the car seen in CCTV surveillance footage and was originally accused of committing the crime. They stated Lawrence, allegedly drove the car during the shooting, was the only person able to recount the events of that evening.
In her closing argument, defense attorney Natalie Finegar claimed Lawrence had an ulterior motive for identifying Cothran as the shooter because he was charged with conspiracy to commit attempted murder for his role in the incident. He faces a hearing on Feb. 23.
Following closing statements, jurors were sent to deliberation. Just several hours later, they returned with a not guilty verdict for each of Cothran’s 10 charges.
