Jury Trial Scheduled for Attempted Murder Defendant

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Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland scheduled a June 24 jury trial for 57-year-old attempted murder defendant Cephus D. Lawrence on March 24. The trial is set to last three days before Judge Hope Tipton.

Lawrence is charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and various related firearm and conspiracy charges in connection to an Oct. 29, 2024, shooting that occurred outside the 2100 block of East North Avenue.

According to charging documents, Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert on the 1800 block of Collington Avenue and located an unidentified Black man suffering from a gunshot wound to his right leg. Officers applied a tourniquet to the victim’s leg and transported him to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.

Nearby video surveillance captured the victim and two other unidentified Black men standing outside of the East North Avenue building before being shot at by an occupant inside a 2014 Nissan Altima that was register in Maryland. The victim said he did not recognize the men who shot him.

Officers recovered seven .45-caliber shells and a projectile. Officers were also able to link the car to Lawrence and towed the car to be processed. Lawrence successfully identified his vehicle by its distinct rims.

Stand-in defense attorney Catherine Tarantino told Judge Copeland she required additional time to share new evidence with Lawrence’s original attorney, Karyn A. Meriwether.