Judge Goes Past Attempted Murder Defendant’s Hick’s Date Due to Prosecutor’s Availability

By Andrew Michaels - August 8, 2023
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

A Baltimore City Circuit Court judge found probable cause to schedule an attempted homicide defendant’s trial beyond his Hick’s date because of the prosecutor’s availability.

Defendants are given the right to be tried within 180 days of their first court appearance or the first appearance of their counsel, also known as their Hick’s right. During reception court on Aug. 8, 36-year-old Marvin Edmonds chose to maintain his Hick’s date of Sept. 24. However, an assistant state’s attorney standing in for the prosecutor assigned to the case informed the court that the prosecutor would not be available prior to the September date.

The stand-in prosecutor and defense attorney Rodney Gray agreed to a four-day trial to begin Nov. 8. Judge Melissa Phinn did not assign a judge to the case, but told counsel should would notify them at a later date.

Earlier in the proceedings, Edmonds and his defense counsel rejected the prosecution’s plea offer of 80 years, suspending all but 40 years, for attempted first-degree murder and 20 years, the first five years without parole, for firearm use in a crime of violence. The plea also required Edmonds to pay the victim $4,500 for the victim’s vehicle.

The Baltimore Police Department previously reported that on Feb. 19, 2022, Edmonds allegedly shot a 39-year-old man on the 1500 block of E. Eager Street. He was arrested at his home on the 800 block of Murphy Lane nine days later.

Edmonds is also charged with conspiracy to first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, conspiracy to first and second-degree assault, conspiracy to firearm use in a crime of violence, firing a gun in Baltimore City, illegal possession of ammo and two counts of firearm possession with a felony conviction.