A Baltimore judge sentenced a 25-year-old homeless man to a three-year suspended sentence on Nov. 19 after a jury found him guilty in September of four gun charges.
Jurors previously acquitted Joseph Edwards, 25, of attempted murder and assault charges in connection to shooting that occurred April 28, 2024 in Northwest Baltimore. Edwards was arrested nearly one year later on Feb. 4, after detectives located him at a Baltimore County hotel. The victim, a 26-year-old man, was left critically injured on the 3100 block of W. North Avenue, and continues to suffer significant neurological complications.
Before the hearing, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Hope Tipton denied a defense motion for retrial, stating that all proceedings during Edwards’ initial trial were “legal and appropriate” and that none of attorney Daniel Mooney‘s arguments justified reopening the case.
The stand-in prosecutor recommended a sentence of seven years, asking the court to consider Edwards’ prior handgun offense and the severity of the victim’s injuries. The prosecution urged Judge Tipton to impose a sentence at the upper end of the permitted range for the individual charges, emphasizing that Edwards “is not a young kid” and that the victim continues to suffer long-term trauma. The legal minimum and maximum sentences for Edwards’ charges are six months to five years, respectively.
Mooney argued for leniency, reiterating the defense’s position that Edwards acted in self-defense and noting that the jury acquitted him of more serious violent charges. He insisted the prosecutor should not be permitted to “increase” punishment based on conduct the jury rejected. Failure to retreat during the incident, he argued, “doesn’t defeat his self-defense claim.”
“Had Mr. Edwards not acted the way he did, who’s to say he would be alive right now?” Mooney said, responding to comments about the victim’s injuries.
Mooney highlighted Edwards’ age, strong support system, history of self-employment prior to his arrest, and minimal criminal record consisting of one misdemeanor conviction.
“He didn’t come outside that day to maliciously harm someone,” Mooney told the court, proposing a sentence of probation to two years of active incarceration, or five years suspended with probation.
Judge Tipton referenced the “graphic” video footage shown at trial, noting the amount of blood at the scene and weighing Edwards’ testimony against the evidence. She ultimately imposed a sentence of five years, suspending all but three, and a three year period of supervised probation.
