Northshire Drive Homicide Case Dismissed After Judge Denies Prosecution’s Postponement Request

By Andrew Michaels - August 3, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

A homicide case against 22-year-old Draquan Smith was dismissed on July 31, following what a Baltimore City Circuit Court judge described as “improper conduct” from the prosecution.

Smith—who is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to first-degree murder, firearm use in a crime of violence and conspiracy to firearm use in a crime of violence—was initially slated to begin a jury selection on July 28, but was delayed because the prosecutor was out sick.

During Friday’s reception court, an assistant state’s attorney standing in for the prosecutor assigned to the case told Judge Melissa Phinn that counsel could begin jury selection Monday before Judge Jennifer Schiffer and be ready for the case to begin on Aug. 1.

However, on Monday, another stand-in for the assigned prosecutor requested to postpone the trial—a request that was rejected by Judge Phinn. The case, once again, returned to Judge Schiffer, where it was dismissed.

Charges against the defendant stemmed from an incident on March 27, 2022. According to charging documents, two men were seen getting out of a blue vehicle and jumping fences to get to the victim, 20-year-old Joshua Camara, who they assaulted in the front yard of a home on the 2600 block of Northshire Drive. The two men returned to their vehicle in the backyard and speak to three other men, one of whom was later identified as Smith.

In search of Camara, video surveillance shows, one of the three men is seen running down a nearby alley followed by four gunshots. A fifth gunshot is heard after the two other men run down the alley and all of the suspects are seen running from the scene moments later.

Police believed that Smith was looking for Camara “so he can get his money from him,” charging documents state.

Camara died from his injuries about four months later on July 15, 2022.

The defendant was recently found guilty of attempted murder for another crime that occurred three months after this incident.