‘I Don’t Know What Magic Happened Here,’ Judge Says About 2022 Shooting Plea Deal

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An attempted murder defendant accepted a plea on Aug. 6 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer who questioned the terms.

Daquan Maliek Allen, 25, is charged with two counts each of first and second-degree attempted murder, two counts of armed robbery, two counts of robbery, two counts each of first and second-degree assault, use of a firearm during a felony violent crime, having a handgun on his person, discharging firearms, firearm possession with a felony conviction, and illegal possession of ammunition in connection to an incident on April 24, 2022.

Allen decided to take an Alford plea, continuing to assert his innocence, while accepting responsibility for the incident. He pleaded guilty to first-degree assault resulting in a sentence of 20 years, suspending all but 10 years, with five years of supervised probation.

Allen also pleaded guilty to firearm use in a felony violent crime, resulting in a concurrent five years without parole.

In addition to the sentence, Allen would also be required to register as a gun offender on release.

The plea would be concurrent to Allen’s sentence of 20 years in prison on a separate conviction for drug dealing.

“I don’t know what magic happened here,” Judge Schiffer stated, expressing her surprise at the plea deal’s generous terms.

According to documents from the District Court of Maryland, on April 24, 2022, the victim said she and her boyfriend were approached by a suspect who told the victim’s boyfriend to empty his pockets. A gun was used to threaten the victims during the robbery and four shots were fired by the suspect missing both victims.