Sentence Reduction Under Discussion in 30-Year-Old Murder Case

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After serving three decades in prison for murder, Omar Johnson is pursuing a reduced sentence to transition back into society with support from his defense counsel and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office.

Johnson, now 47 years old, was convicted alongside his co-defendant, Anthony Brown, for the murder of 41-year-old James McCray after a payment dispute over a drug transaction in the earlier 1990s. McCray was shot three times.

According to an opinion from the Court of Special Appeals, Brown was originally convicted and sentenced to life for first-degree murder and a concurrent 20 years for handgun use in the commission of a crime. After receiving post-conviction relief in 2006, Brown was granted a new trial and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, receiving time served.

Brown, who served 15 years in prison, was released in 2007.

Meanwhile, Johnson was convicted of the same charges and received the same sentence; however, he was denied a petition for post-conviction relief in 2004 and 2009, the Maryland Judiciary website states.

During a Zoom hearing on Dec. 14 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yvette Bryant, defense attorney Erica Suter requested a reduction in Johnson’s sentence, citing him as a perfect candidate for the Juvenile Restoration Act since he was convicted of the crime as a juvenile. While the prosecution recommended a sentence reduction to 50 years, she said, the state’s attorney’s office would not recommend Johnson’s release, suggesting he committed perjury by not admitting to the crime in 2014 but later admitting his guilt three years later.

The clinical director of T.I.M.E Organization, mental health clinic, informed the judge on Wednesday that Johnson was accepted into the organization’s program where he would receive substance abuse and mental health treatment. The defendant has been diagnosed with depressive and mood disorders as well as a learning disability and multiple brain injuries.

Judge Bryant said she would like to grant the motion, but was not satisfied with the plan to transfer Johnson to the T.I.M.E. Organization, noting that she wanted more substantial. The judge then rescheduled a hearing to discuss the matter on Feb. 15, 2023, to give defense counsel time to rework its plan.