Judge Postpones Start of Trial for 18-Year-Old Defendant Accused in 2022 Murder

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On April 11, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn postponed an 18-year-old murder defendant’s trial because his lawyer was out of town.

Defendant Devin Curry and his stand-in defense attorney requested a postponement because Curry’s attorney, Isaac Klein, was out of town.

The prosecution asked Judge Phinn to reschedule the trial for October, but Judge Phinn was only willing to schedule it then if there was a senior judge available.

Judge Phinn set the defendant’s trial to begin on Oct. 10 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Martin P. Welsh.

According to the Maryland Judiciary website, Curry is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of use of a firearm during a felony violent crime, first-degree attempted murder, and possession of a firearm as a minor in connection to an incident that occurred on April 14, 2022.

As stated in court documents, on the day of the incident, officers arrived at the 6200 block of Pennington Avenue and found the victim Daniel Pitts Jr. deceased in the driver seat of his car. Curry was brought in for questioning when a photographic array and witnesses positively identified him as the individual who shot the victim.

During a hearing on Oct. 3, 2022, Curry rejected a plea of life, suspending all but 60 years for first-degree murder; 20 years with the first five years without parole for the use of a firearm during a felony violent crime; and life, suspending all but 60 years, for first-degree attempted murder with all charges running concurrently.

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