Ready Avenue Attempted Murder Defendant Rejects Plea Deal

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On July 11, a 31-year-old attempted murder defendant rejected a plea deal of 25 years in prison during reception court before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland.

Eric Nelson is charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, firearm use in a felony violent crime, possession of a firearm with a felony conviction, reckless endangerment, having a handgun on his person, having a loaded handgun on his person, firing a gun in Baltimore City and illegal possession of ammunition in connection to an incident on Dec. 20, 2023.

According to a Baltimore Police Department press release, on Feb. 22, Western District patrol officers arrested Nelson for his alleged participation in the shooting of a 54-year-old man on the 5300 block of Ready Avenue.

The prosecution offered a plea deal of 40 years, suspending all but 20 years, with three years of supervised probation for attempted first-degree murder and a consecutive 10 years suspending all but five years without the possibility of parole for firearm use in a felony violent crime. The total offer would have been 50 years, suspending all but 25 years, with three years of supervised probation and the first five years without the possibility of parole.

Anne-Marie Gering stood in for Nelson’s defense attorney, James Sweeting III.

A three-day trial is scheduled as a back-up to another case on Sept. 30 before Judge Troy K. Hill.