Judge Reschedules Attempted Murder Defendant’s Trial

By Racquel Bazos - November 14, 2023
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

On Nov. 14, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland pushed a 26-year-old attempted murder defendant’s trial back by five months.

Dionte Johnson is charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony violent crime, reckless endangerment, firearm possession with a felony conviction, possession of firearms in a controlled dangerous substance offense, having a handgun on his person and discharging firearms in connection to a March 27, 2022, incident.

Johnson’s second trial was slated to begin yesterday, but counsel returned to reception court Tuesday to find another date. 

Judge Copeland scheduled Johnson’s three-day trial to begin on March 27, 2024, before Judge Anthony F. Vittoria. 

Johnson vehemently objected to this new date being so far out, citing the fact that his trial was supposed to have started yesterday and that he has been incarcerated for 16 months already.

Despite Johnson’s protests, March 2024 was the earliest both the prosecutor and defense attorney Natalie Finegar were available to try his case.

In August, an evidence violation ended the case in mistrial. 

Documents from the District Court of Maryland state that the suspect approached the victim in the road on the 2300 block of East Biddle Street. The suspect shot the victim in the back and neck before fleeing the scene on foot. Baltimore Police Department investigators identified the suspect as Johnson.