Judge Postpones Trial for Second Time for Co-Defendant Charged in Fatal 2020 Drive-by Shooting Case

By Inacent McKeithan [former] - January 24, 2023
Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On Jan. 23, a Joppa resident charged as a co-defendant in a drive-by shooting appeared for a reception court hearing before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn.

During Monday’s hearing, defendant Kevin Hall rejected a plea of life, suspending all but 50 years with five years of probation for first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder; and a concurrent sentence of 20 years without the possibility of parole for the first five years for two counts of use of a firearm in a felony violent crime.  

The assistant state’s attorney informed the court that the state would not be able to move forward with the trial prior to July 10 due to competing trials on counsels’ calendar. 

Baltimore Witness previously reported that Hall’s trial would not be scheduled due to the inability of counsel to agree on a trial date and the busy trial schedule of the prosecutor.

The assistant state’s attorney added that the availability of witnesses would need to be confirmed before a trial date could be agreed upon. 

William Buie III, who represents Hall, indicated he would be filing a speedy trial motion – which is a court document intended to request the release of a defendant until trial. Hall, 34, has been incarcerated and denied bail since his arrest in 2020.

Judge Phinn scheduled the first day of trial for May 1 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yolanda A. Tanner. Judge Phinn granted an extension of the trial until May 8 to allow Buie to submit the speedy trial motion.

According to Maryland Judiciary Search, Hall, 32, is facing over 30 charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, multiple counts of first and second-degree assault, and several gun-related charges in connection to a fatal shooting of Antoine Crowder. 

The statement of charges reveal that, on Oct, 10, 2020, Baltimore Police Officers (BPD) responded to a call on the 4200 block of Erdman Avenue. Video footage shows two black men exiting the Garden Bar and entering a dark gray Hyundai Elantra. After pulling up next to Crowder in the bar’s parking lot, gunshots were fired at Crowder and three other acquaintances as they sat in Crowder’s Acura Legend. Witnesses on the scene identified Hall and Terrell Carter as suspects. 

Crowder succumbed to his injuries after being transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital by his acquaintances.  

According to court documents, Hall has a prior conviction for having a handgun on his person and was sentenced to three years of probation in 2016.