Murder Defendant has Trial Pushed Back Again by Almost Six Months 

By Braden Hamelin [former] - July 19, 2022
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A Baltimore man accused of murder and robbery was visibly and verbally frustrated as he had his trial pushed back six months due to the prosecutor being in the hospital.

Christopher Straham, 25, was charged with first-degree murder, use of a deadly weapon with intent to injure, armed robbery and attempted armed robbery in connection to the fatal stabbing and robbery of 73-year-old Andra Horvath in a Popeyes in 2016. 

Straham was initially found incompetent to stand trial on June 7, 2017. He was been held at a mental health care hospital before being found competent by Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Gale E. Rasin on June 19, 2019. 

On July 19, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeannie J. Hong presided over a hearing in which the prosecution motioned for a continuance. Judge Hong granted the motion as Straham arrived for his trial.

Straham’s defense attorneys requested that the motion to be denied and voiced frustrations about the long-awaited trial date being pushed back again.

However, Judge Hong told counsel that the stand in prosecutor had little knowledge of the case and wasn’t fit to proceed to trial.  

Straham’s new trial date is set for Jan 17, 2023, according to the Maryland Judiciary Case website.