Postponement Court Includes Murder Case Involving A Plastic Container

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The case of a homicide defendant, who allegedly left a body in a plastic container, was heard during postponement court at the Baltimore City Circuit Court on July 1. Judge Melissa M. Phinn also presided over two other homicide cases and one non-fatal shooting case.

Baltimore resident Timothy Callanan is charged with first-degree murder in connection to an incident on Aug. 29, 2020.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Callanan, 27, allegedly killed 28-year-old Mason Moldoven, stuffed the body in a plastic container, and left it on the 1100 block of Gorsuch Ave.

On Sept. 12, 2020, Callanan was arrested after a high-speed chase in Georgia.

During the hearing, he was offered a plea deal of life, suspending all but 65 years. His defense attorney Isabel Lipman said she has yet to relay the offer to him.

The case will return to reception court on Oct. 1. Although this date is more than 180 days after his first appearance in court, as required by Maryland law, the prosecution said there is a large amount of evidence that needs to be reviewed, including thousands of pages of phone conversations and pending DNA evidence.

Lipman also represented another homicide defendant, Terrence Carter, during postponement court on Thursday.

Carter, 32, is charged with first-degree murder, firearm use in a violent crime, and firearm possession with a felony conviction.

During the hearing, he was offered a plea deal of life, suspending all but 60 years, for first-degree murder. Lipman rejected the offer on Carter’s behalf.

Carter’s case will go to trial on Sept. 14.

Carter allegedly shot and killed 60-year-old Steven Lamont on the 4200 block of Norfolk Avenue on May 22, 2020, according to CBS Baltimore.

Judge Phinn also heard another case connected to a murder that month.

Co-defendants Rinnorris Flowers and Kareem Shearin each face the same 23 charges in connection to a murder on May 31, 2020: two charges of first-degree murder, attempted first and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment, as well as firearm use in a violent crime, conspiracy to use a firearm in a violent crime, firearm possession with a felony conviction, possession of firearms, carrying a handgun on his person, discharging a firearm, and illegal possession of ammunition.

Flowers, 46, and Shearin, 39, were offered a plea deal of 30 years, the first five years without parole, for two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of firearm use in a violent crime. Defense attorneys John Cox and Julie Shapiro rejected the offer on behalf of Flowers and Kareem, respectively.

Their cases will be heard in reception court on Oct. 12.

A plea deal was also rejected in a case for non-fatal shooting defendant named Gregory Johnson.

Johnson, 22, faces 12 charges in relation to a homicide on Feb. 17, 2020.

Johnson was offered a plea deal of life, suspending all but 25 years, the first five years without parole, for attempted first-degree murder and firearm use in a violent crime. The plea offer was rejected by defense attorney Tony Garcia.

Johnson is also charged with attempted second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, firearm use with a felony conviction, illegal possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm on his person, carrying a handgun for 100 yards, reckless endangerment, discharging a firearm, and illegal possession of ammunition.

Shortly after the incident, Johnson was committed to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. He was diagnosed with Unspecified Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorder.

In 2019, a case was filed by Johnson against the Maryland Department of Health, claiming that, while at the facility, he was involuntarily medicated in order to stand trial.

The Court of Appeals held that the Maryland Department of Health can involuntarily medicate a person for this purpose as long as procedural process is followed.

Johnson is scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 27 for the attempted murder case.

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