Jury Acquits Man Accused of January Shooting Outside City Line Bar and Grill

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A Baltimore City jury sided with attempted homicide defendant Ira Linton on Nov. 1, finding the 45-year-old man not guilty of all charges.

Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer presided over the two-day trial during which Linton was accused of shooting another man outside City Line Bar and Grill on the 6500 block of Belair Road on Jan. 2.

On Wednesday, the jury acquitted the defendant of the charges, including attempted first and second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, firearm possession with a felony conviction, illegal possession of ammunition, having a loaded handgun on his person and firing a gun in Baltimore City.

A verdict was not rendered for firearm use in a felony or violent crime and the charge of having a handgun on his person was not sent to the jury.

Over the course of the trial, the prosecution explained to the jury that Linton and two other men, including the defendant, were watching the Baltimore Ravens versus the Pittsburgh Steelers football game that evening. “Something was off,” the prosecutor said, leading the victim and his friend to go to another bar.

Linton eventually joined the two men and an altercation ensued. Later that evening, the victim was shot in the back of his head, his neck and both shoulders when he returned to City Line Bar and Grill to retrieve a forgotten belonging.

During closing arguments on Oct. 31, defense attorney Stephen Tully argued his client “would need a helicopter” to make it from the second bar and back to City Line Bar and Grill to be the shooter. Tully suggested the victim created a cover story for accidentally shooting himself.