Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland agreed to schedule three attempted homicide trials in early 2026 within three weeks of each defendant’s speedy trial dates, despite her initial hesitation with looming postponements.
The judge expressed her concerns in a discussion with the prosecutor and defense counsel for defendant Deshaen Depaul Carroll near the top of the Dec. 4 reception court docket. This month, Judge Copeland said, there have been many cases where attorneys are requesting trial dates near defendants’ Hicks dates.
Also known as the Hicks right, Maryland Law cites defendants have the right to be tried within 180 days of their or their attorneys’ first court appearance. A defendant may choose to waive or retain Hicks; however, the judge will determine whether there is probable cause to go beyond that roughly six-month timeframe.
During Carroll’s hearing, defense attorney Augustine Okeke initially requested to begin Carroll’s three-day trial on March 10, 2026 — six days before the defendant’s Hicks date. The judge was going to grant the March 2026, but warned she may not find probable cause if a postponement comes down the line.
Counsel was able to adjust their schedules moments later and agreed to schedule the trial on Feb. 25, 2026, before Judge John A. Howard.
Carroll previously rejected the prosecution’s plea offer of life, suspending all but 50 years, for attempted first-degree murder and a concurrent 15 years, suspending all but 10 years, for using a firearm in commission of a violent crime. Okeke noted that he’s received discovery evidence “in piecemeal,” a delay caused the prosecutor said was due to the case’s reassignment in the Baltimore’s State’s Attorney’s Office.
The defendant is facing multiple counts of attempted first and second-degree murder, assault, reckless endangerment and weapons charges.
Court documents state Carroll is allegedly behind the shooting of two men and firing a gun into a crowd during an argument with one of the victims. Around 10 p.m. on July 13, Baltimore Police were called to multiple locations for ShotSpotter alerts and found the first victim with a gunshot wound to his right shin on the 2000 block of Kennedy Avenue. The second man was found on the 2000 block of Robb Street, where he had multiple gunshot wounds to his left forearm, shoulder and groin.
Police identified the suspect’s vehicle, a silver 2006 Mercedes R500, and found video footage allegedlu showing Carroll and the second victim arguing. According to the statement of charges, Carroll then pulled out a handgun and shot Davis five times.
Video evidence then shows the defendant allegedly firing the gun at a group of people who were running away from the shooting. Carroll proceeded to fire more in the first victim’s direction, according to the evidence. Police identified Carroll after he was seen leaving a residence on Robb Street 11 minutes before the shooting.
Defendants Jhony Lajuj-Capriel and Christopher Peacock also received trial dates on Feb. 10, 2026, and March 4, 2026, respectively, each less than two weeks before their Hicks date. The prosecutor said he has yet to discuss any potential plea offer with defense attorney Samuel Seidler, who represents Lajuj-Capriel; however, the prosecutor said the defendant’s guidelines fall between ten-to- 27 years.
Lajuj-Capriel will stand a four-day trial before Judge Jeannie Judge Hong for attempted first-degree murder, assault, reckless endangerment and weapons charges for allegedly shooting his former high school friend on May 26. Court documents state police were already at the scene when an officer saw a white Honda Accord and black Honda Accord crash into each other in the grass on a hill off the 2400 block of Wegworth Lane.
The driver of the black car told police that he crashed into the other car because four Hispanic men dressed in all black were shooting at him. The victim was not injured and said he “believes he knows” the four men from a prior incident involving an unreported car crash.
One bullet hole was found in the front windshield of the black car in addition to four spent shell casings on Eastshire Drive between Wegworth Lane and Rittenhouse Avenue. Police found four more spent casings between the white car’s windshield and hood.
A walk-in shooting victim was later reported at St. Agnes Hospital, where he told police that he knew Lajuj-Capriel. The victim said the defendant was hanging outside of the white car’s front passenger’s window and shooting at the black car when the victim was walking in the area and struck by a bullet.
Okeke, who also represents Peacock, rejected the prosecutor’s plea offer of 25 years, suspending all but 10 years, for first-degree assault and a concurrent five years without parole for using a firearm in commission of a violent crime. The plea would have also required Peacock have no contact with the victim and register as a gun offender after his release.
Peacock was scheduled for a three-day trial 12 days before his Hicks date in early March before Judge Sylvester B. Cox.
On July 20, police responded to an aggravated assault on the 900 block of Fell Street. Charging documents state the victim was visiting a friend at their apartment when he saw Peacock with a gun. After trying to alert his friend, the defendant allegedly got upset, pointed his gun at the victim’s head and pulled the trigger. The gun did not fire and the magazine fell to the ground.
Peacock then put the magazine back in the gun and fired toward the floor, causing the victim and other people to flee. Police found two live .22-caliber cartridges in the apartment’s living room near a plate of suspected cocaine and a rolled up dollar bill.
Police arrested the defendant without incident on the 1700 block of Thames Street the same day and say found a black Firefly GSG .22-caliber gun, six live .22-caliber cartridges and one live round in his pocket.
