Man Charged in Alleged Family Dispute Rejects Plea

By Racquel Bazos - November 2, 2023
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

On Nov. 2, a 22-year-old attempted murder defendant appeared before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Dana M. Middleton to receive a trial date. 

Tavon Jones is charged with first- and second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony violent crime, illegal possession of a regulated firearm, having a handgun on his person, having a loaded handgun on his person, having a handgun in his vehicle, having a loaded handgun in his vehicle, illegal possession of ammunition and firing a gun in Baltimore City in connection to a June 28 incident. 

The stand-in prosecutor offered Jones 30 years, suspending all but 10 years, with three years of supervised probation for the charge of attempted first-degree murder and a concurrent 10 years, the first five years without the possibility of parole, for firearm use in a felony violent crime. Jones would also have to register as a gun offender and stay away from the victim. He rejected this offer.

Jones’ attorney, Roya Hanna, told the court she has not yet been able to review the discovery in the case with him, but that he intends to hire a private attorney. 

Regardless of his new attorney’s schedule, Judge Middleton scheduled Jones’ trial to begin on Feb. 20, 2024, as a back-up case before Judge Yolanda A. Tanner.

According to documents from the District Court of Maryland, a Baltimore Police Department officer responded to two calls from the victim that there was gunfire on the 5300 block of Valiquet Avenue. The victim was the uncle of Jones’ ex-girlfriend, who came to her house to cut the grass. The two men got into an argument and physical altercation inside the home. As the victim was leaving, Jones allegedly pulled his car alongside the victim’s car and shot at him.