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By
Sage Cho
- August 13, 2025
Attempted Murder
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Court
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Daily Stories
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Juveniles
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Non-Fatal Shooting
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A Baltimore man allegedly found in possession of narcotics while on probation was recommended for a drug treatment program on Aug. 12 after the offense violated the terms of his sentence.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Piper F. McKeithen set a Nov. 13 disposition hearing for James Bridgeforth, 36, to allow the court time to find an appropriate program for the defendant’s needs.
Bridgeforth, who was convicted on May 1, 2008 on charges of attempted first-degree murder and handgun use, was described by the prosecution as “a reasonably good candidate for drug treatment.” The prosecution also expressed willingness to allow Bridgeforth “a chance to prove himself” through participation in treatment while continuing his probation.
Bridgeforth was charged in connection to a shooting incident that occurred April 21, 2007, and was sentenced and incarcerated as an adult despite being a juvenile of 17 years old at the time.
He was released in 2020 after serving 13 years of his sentence of life with all but 20 years suspended, and rearrested in November 2024 after relapsing in 2023.
Defense attorney Creston P. Smith noted Bridgeforth experienced a difficult childhood, with a mother who struggled with drug addiction and an absent father. Bridgeforth himself allegedly struggled with drug addictions since his mid-teenage years, an affliction that seemed to run in his maternal family.