Non-Fatal Shooting Defendant Gets Trial Date Four Years After Incident

By Rudy Malcom [former] - June 15, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Almost four years after a non-fatal shooting occurred, a trial was set in postponement court at the Baltimore City Circuit Court on June 15. Judge Melissa M. Phinn also heard three homicide cases and two other non-fatal shooting cases.

Baltimore resident Michael Dixon, 37, is charged with attempted first and second-degree murder, as well as attempted first and second-degree assault, in connection to a non-fatal shooting in August 2017. He has previously been ruled incompetent to stand trial.

Dixon’s defense attorney rejected a plea offer from the prosecution for life, suspending all but 60 years, and three years probation for attempted first-degree murder.

Because there were no dates that worked for every party in 2021, Dixon’s case was scheduled for trial on January 10, 2022.

Judge Phinn also scheduled another trial for January 2022 in the case of James Bangura, who is allegedly connected to a non-fatal shooting in February 2020. 

Defense attorney Martin Cohen rejected a plea offer on behalf of his client. 

Bangura, a 39-year-old Baltimore resident, was presented a plea offer of life, suspending all but 30 years, for one count of attempted first-degree murder, and 20 years, with the first five years without parole, and three years of supervised probation for one count of firearm use in violent crime. 

He is also charged with attempted second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, firearm use with a felony conviction, handgun on person, and illegal possession of ammunition, as well as three counts of firearm possession with a felony conviction.

Judge Phinn set a motions hearing for Bangura’s case on Nov. 19, 2021. A trial was scheduled for Jan. 12., 2022, before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Cynthia H. Jones.

In each homicide case Judge Phinn heard, all rejected plea offers, including Ashley Marie Thorne.

Thorne, 30, will go to trial on Jan. 19., 2022, for allegedly shooting Amanda Burket in November 2019.

Burket died on the 4400 block of Fairhaven Avenue, according to CBS Baltimore.

Thorne is charged with first-degree murder and assault, as well as two counts of firearm use in a violent crime.

A plea offer of life for first-degree murder, suspending all but 65 years, was also mentioned by the prosecution in a case against Daekwon Walker.

Walker, 24, allegedly killed Antoine Webster on June 24, 2019, on the 3300 block of Coldspring Lane, according to CBS Baltimore.

He is also charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, firearm use in a violent crime, having a handgun in a vehicle, and carrying a handgun.

His defense attorney, Catherine Flynn, said he rejected the plea offer. After a discussion with the prosecution, a trial was scheduled for September 4, 2021.

Another plea offer of life for first-degree murder, suspending all but 65 years, was rejected in the case of Desmond Carter.

Carter, 34, is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, firearm use in a violent crime, and having a handgun in a vehicle. 

Judge Phinn scheduled his trial for Nov. 10, 2021. In addition, a motions hearing was set for Sept/ 14, 2021.

A non-fatal shooting defendant also rejected a plea offer from the prosecution during the hearing.

Joseph Harris, 35, was offered a plea agreement of 50 years, suspending all but 15 years, on one count of first-degree murder, in addition to 5 years, with the possibility of parole after the first two years provided that he stay away from the victim, for a firearm use in a violent crime charge.

His defense attorney Shannon Heery said he rejected the plea offer. 

In connection to the non-fatal shooting, which occurred in April 2019, Harris faces charges for attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, firearm use in a violent crime, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, carrying a handgun, and discharging a gun in Baltimore, as well as two counts of carrying a gun for 100 yards in Baltimore.  

Harris’s case was scheduled for trial on February 1, 2022.

Tashia Bridges, Sarah Driver, Evan McNeil, and Carly Schiller contributed to this article.