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By
Shiloh Eschbach [former]
- September 21, 2023
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Suspects
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Victims
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Family members and supporters of Safe Streets employee and vehicular manslaughter defendant Gardnel Carter appeared in Baltimore City Circuit Court in large numbers, describing the defendant as an asset to the community during his sentencing on Sept. 21.
Carter was charged with grossly negligent vehicular manslaughter and criminally negligent vehicular manslaughter in connection to the December 2020 death of 58-year-old Charles Banks. Carter accepted a plea offer for grossly negligent vehicular manslaughter on May 8.
Several of Carter’s family members and supporters were called by his defense attorney, Rodney Gray, to stand as character witnesses. Many of them talked about his work with Safe Streets, a community based program working to end gun violence.
“He’s necessary because of the work he does — uplifting work,” a minister and decades-long friend of Carter’s said.
Carter’s sister described herself as grateful for his previous experience in jail after he was convicted of assault with intent to murder in 1988 because, “In jail, my brother found his purpose. He led the Reason Straight program [and] worked cohesively with the police… He came home a better man.”
The family of the victim shared a letter they composed on Father’s Day, which called for justice without favoritism. Their concerns were related to the legitimacy of an email from the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement expressing support for Carter.
Gray argued for a suspended sentence for his client because he has shown that he wants to take responsibility for his actions. Gray noted that Carter stayed at the scene of the accident on Dec. 20, 2020, the day Banks was hit and killed while bicycling on the 1000 block of East North Avenue.
Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Kendra Y. Ausby sentenced 61-year-old Carter to a suspended six-year sentence with five years of probation and a $5,000 fine for grossly negligent vehicular manslaughter.
Judge Ausby disagreed with the prosecutor’s position that every time a life is lost, there needs to be a punishment. She told the court that she can’t see that Carter would be a threat to public safety or the community.