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By
Mark McNeill
- July 24, 2025
Attempted Murder
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Court
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Daily Stories
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Data
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Non-Fatal Shooting
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Shooting
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John Saunders III, 40, returned to Baltimore City Circuit Court for a post-sentencing hearing before Judge Martin H. Schreiber II on July 17. Saunders is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence after shooting a man in the leg in the city’s Easterwood neighborhood in January 2023.
During Monday’s hearing, the prosecution revealed that the victim has since died of unrelated causes. In light of this, prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss two of Saunders’ post-conviction claims. Judge Schreiber denied the motion, allowing the hearing to proceed.
In his testimony, Saunders challenged the effectiveness of his legal representation during earlier proceedings. He testified that his former defense attorney failed to canvas the neighborhood or speak with any witnesses following the January 2023 shooting on the 1700 block of North Payson Street. Saunders told the court that if his attorney had conducted a more thorough investigation, he would not have accepted the plea deal.
Judge Schreiber emphasized that to succeed in a post-conviction challenge, a defendant must show that a more complete investigation would have likely uncovered evidence that could have changed the outcome of the case.
The prosecution also noted that Saunders once claimed he believed it was legal to shoot someone below the waist and that such an act would not constitute attempted murder. Prosecutors argued this statement showed a lack of understanding of the law, rather than a failure of counsel.
Ultimately, prosecutors stood by the original sentence, 50 years with all but 15 years suspended, and defended the plea as appropriate given the evidence, which included surveillance footage and e-scooter data linking Saunders to the crime.