Facing Nearly 80 Charges, Baltimore Youth Accepts Offer of 20 Years

By Rudy Malcom [former] , Evan McNeil [former] - June 23, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects |

A 20-year-old defendant accepted a plea deal in connection to two armed robberies and a non-fatal shooting during reception court at the Baltimore City Circuit Court on June 23. 

Baltimore resident Carl Spencer accepted an offer of 20 years, suspending all but 12, with 5 years without parole and 3 years of supervised probation, provided that he stay away from the victims, for two charges of armed robbery and one charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree assault charge; 5 years without parole for two charges of firearm use in a violent crime; and 3 years for two charges for carrying a handgun on his person.

Under the deal, these sentences, which are for three separate cases, will run concurrently.

The prosecution described Spencer as “thoughtful and intelligent,” noting that evidence suggests he did not pull the trigger in the non-fatal shooting case. The state’s attorney added that Spencer accepts responsibility for his mistakes and hopes his co-defendants, Rashard Dixon and Jarell Speaks, “find the right path.”

Spencer, who has spent 500 days in jail, was involved in two armed robberies and an armed carjacking in February 2020. During that month, he was using a stolen red Prius.

According to the Baltimore Sun, officers were called for reports of an armed robbery on the 4000 block of W. Cold Spring Lane at around 10 p.m. on Feb. 8, 2020. The victim said he was robbed at gunpoint by two men while making a pizza delivery.

Despite managing to escape, the victim was shot in his right shoulder.

If not for the plea deal, Spencer would have faced nearly 70 additional charges: more than 40 weapons charges, as well as one count of first-degree assault, attempted robbery, attempted carjacking, and conspiracy to commit carjacking; three counts of second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit robbery, and reckless endangerment; and two counts of robbery, theft between $100 and $1,500, and conspiracy to commit theft between $100 and $1,500.

Accordingly, the defendant could have been sentenced to up to 116 years.

Judge Melissa K. Copeland explained that though she might have had reservations about such a lenient offer, she allowed it due to the defendant’s young age and her confidence in his assistant public defenders, Janet Andersen and Robert Cohen, and the state’s attorney. Because of these factors, she said Spencer “got the perfect storm.”

“This is huge,” Copeland said.

Reception court is usually not held on Wednesdays. However, cases from the felony and misdemeanor incarcerated docket for June 18 were heard because of Juneteenth’s recognition on Thursday as a national holiday.