Defense Attorney Removes Himself from Frankford Avenue Shooting Assault Case

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A defendant who was expected to start his retrial in an attempted murder case on May 30 had his trial postponed due to his defense counsel being reassigned.

Defense attorney Andre Mahasa told Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn on Tuesday that due to a “conflict of interest,” he could no longer represent defendant Donte Price.

Judge Phinn postponed the 29-year-old defendant’s trial to June 12 to give him time to find new counsel.

On Jan. 19, Price was found guilty of first-degree assault, firearm use in a felony violent crime, having a gun within 100 yards of a public space, having a handgun on his person, and two counts of reckless endangerment before Judge Jones.

Then on May 8, he was sentenced to 20 years, suspending all but ten years, and five years supervised probation for the use of a firearm in a felony violent crime; a consecutive suspended one year and five years of supervised probation for having a gun within 100 yards of a public place; and a consecutive 30 years, suspending ten years and five years of supervised probation for attempted second-degree murder.

According to court documents, officers with the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) were called to 5300 block of Frankford Avenue for a reported shooting. Upon arrival, patrol units located shell casings in the parking lot. It was later found that the victim had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was being treated at the Hopkins Bayview Hospital in connection to an incident that occurred on April 22, 2021.

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