Man Accused of Attempted Murder, Animal Cruelty Rejects 11 Year Plea Offer

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A 29-year-old Baltimore man will move forward with a February 2024 trial date for attempted murder, animal cruelty and various weapons charges after rejecting a prosecutor’s plea offer of 11 years in prison on Oct. 20.

Darian Decator is currently being held in a Baltimore City prison for charges of attempted first-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony or violent crime, firearm possession with a felony conviction, having a handgun on his person, aggravated animal cruelty, intentionally discharging a firearm, animal cruelty and possession of a firearm without a serial number. His charges stem from an incident from June 7.

During Baltimore City Circuit Court’s reception court on Friday, an assistant state’s attorney standing in for the assigned prosecutor offered Decator a plea of 20 years, suspending all but 8 years, the first five years without parole, for first-degree assault, a consecutive three years for aggravated animal cruelty, a concurrent five years without parole for firearm possession with a felony conviction and a concurrent two years for possession of a firearm without a serial number.

Decator would also be required to have no animal ownership, register as a gun offender and stay away from the victim.

Defense attorney John Cox, standing in for Natalie Finegar, confirmed the defendant’s decision to reject the plea. Counsel and Judge Melissa M. Phinn then agreed on a four-day trial to begin Feb. 20, 2024, before Judge Lynn S. Mays.

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