Defense Attorney Implies His Client’s Ex-Girlfriend Framed Him With Attempted Murder in Opening Statement

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“This should bother you. This should bother everyone,” a Baltimore City defense attorney told a jury during his opening statement on Aug. 11 in reference to the charges brought on his client.

Defense attorney Alex Leikus implied the victim staged the gunshot and framed Rice. He cited the fact that she had no injuries, no damage was made to the car, no shell casings were found at the scene of the crime and she refused to identify the person she was with at the time of the incident.

Defendant Brandon William Rice is charged with the Dec. 3, 2022 attempted murder of a woman he formerly had a relationship with. The 32-year-old defendant had broken up with the woman prior to the incident.

The two got into an argument inside a store that turned physical and crossed into the street. Rice allegedly retrieved a gun from inside the store and pointed it at the victim and shot at her. The victim jumped into her friend’s car and drove off.

“We don’t start off as fair. You must look at him and consider him not guilty,” said Leikus while encouraging the jury to use their “common sense” when considering the facts of the case and to not be prejudiced against his client out of sympathy for the victim.

“[The victim] will tell you herself that Brandon Rice was the one who shot at her,” said the assistant state’s attorney assigned to the case during his opening statement. The prosecutor maintained the victim’s account of the incident.

Rice is charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony violent crime, having a handgun on his person, having a loaded handgun on his person and reckless endangerment.

The trial will continue on Aug. 14 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lawrence P. Fletcher-Hill.