Judge Melissa K. Copeland Archives

Teenager’s Murder Case Delayed Pending New Counsel

Details Defense attorney Jason Miles submitted a motion before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland to recuse himself from 15-year-old murder suspect Alex’Xander Marasa’s case on Aug. 29, noting... Read More

Pending Transfer to Juvenile Court For Attempted Murder Suspect

Details A Baltimore man accused of attempted murder appeared in Baltimore City Circuit Court on Aug. 28 to review a pending motion to transfer his case to juvenile court. Keon Brooks,... Read More

Defense’s Schedule Conflict Postpones Attempted Murder Case By 3 Months

Details A 35-year-old Baltimore man’s attempted murder trial was delayed on Aug. 27 as his defense counsel is trying another case. Attorney Donald Wright, who represents Timothy Lee Briggs Jr., was... Read More

Late October Trial Set For Fayette Street Shooting Suspect

By Aubrey Mbimba - August 26, 2025
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting |

Details Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland set a three-day trial starting Oct. 28 for defendant Tyrone White after he rejected a plea on Aug. 25. White, 40, faces... Read More

Greenmount West Shooting Suspects Look to Join Trial Cases

Details Two Baltimore men accused of conspiring to assault a man in the Greenmount West neighborhood on April 24 are set to return to court Sept. 23 for a motion to... Read More

Trial Postponed For Murder Defendant Representing Himself

Details Jamal Smith’s murder trial was postponed for medical reasons on Aug. 22 following a request from the prosecution before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland. Smith, 46, who... Read More

Teen Shooting Suspect a Court No-Show, Trial Delayed

Details A 17-year-old teenager charged in a firefight in McElderry Park last September was given a strict warning on Aug. 20 after refusing transportation to Baltimore City Circuit Court for trial.... Read More

Prosecution Seeks Attempted Murder Conviction for 15-Year-Old Accused of Shooting 2 Teens

Details A 15-year-old teen is expected to be tried as an adult this fall for the attempted murder of two teenagers last October. Tracen Anthony and his attorney, Hunter Pruette, made... Read More

Defendant Set for November Trial in Southeast Baltimore Shooting

Details A 37-year-old defendant accused of shooting a man in the back earlier this year is expected to go to trial for attempted murder this November in Baltimore City Circuit Court.... Read More

Homicide Case Delayed, Another Resolved in Reception Court Hearings

Details The trial of Joseph Coates, 42, was delayed on Aug. 15 due to scheduling conflicts on the prosecution’s side. The prosecution told the court neither she nor two detectives to... Read More

Judge to Consider Joining Two Defendants in a Homicide Case

By Nicholas Carter [former] - August 11, 2025
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Homicides |

Details At a reception court pre-trial hearing today, Joseph Coates, 41, appeared on charges including armed robbery, firearm use in a felony crime of violence, and multiple conspiracy counts in connection to the Dec. 15, 2023 killing of 26-year-old Marvin Jason Jackson Jr. on the 1800 block of Aiken Street. Coates is accused of acting as an accomplice to Joseph Walker, who was convicted last month of second-degree murder in the case. Defense attorney Gregory Fisher, newly on the case after the previous attorney was removed, told the court he will need a week to review the file. The matter is set to return Aug. 15 to appoint new counsel and set a trial date. Read More

Reception Court Hearing in Double Shooting, Homicide

Details Darren Tomlinson, 31, appeared in a reception court hearing on August 8 for charges including first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. The charges stem from a double shooting on January 19 that resulted in one man's death and another's injury. During the hearing, it was noted that Tomlinson had rejected a prior plea offer, and his next court date was scheduled for November 18. Read More

Mistrial in Murder Case Results in New Trial Date

Details Following a mistrial in the murder trial of 20-year-old Montay Anthony Brown, a new trial was scheduled before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland on Aug. 8. Brown... Read More

Motion to Merge Trials of Attempted Murder Defendants Scheduled for September

By Maya St. Hillaire [former] - August 8, 2025
Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects |

Details A motion hearing to join the attempted murder trials of Javon Brown, 21, and co-defendant Michael Yerby, 20, was scheduled on Aug. 8 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa... Read More

Man Charged With Murder, Criminal Conspiracy Receives December Trial Date

Details Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland scheduled 27-year-old Phillip Morton’s criminal conspiracy trial for mid-December during a reception court hearing on Aug. 8. Morton is facing 38 charges,... Read More

Pre-Trial Murder Hearing Waits For New Defense Attorney

By Nicholas Carter [former] - August 8, 2025
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Homicides |

Details In the murder case against Joseph Coates, 41, a pre-trial hearing was postponed on August 8 to give his new defense attorney, Gregory Fischer, time to prepare. Coates is charged as an accomplice in the December 15, 2023, killing of Marvin Jason Jackson Jr., 26, in Baltimore. His charges include armed robbery and firearm use in a felony crime of violence. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Coates picking up an item near the victim's body after co-defendant Joseph Walker shot and killed Jackson. Both parties agreed to reconvene on August 15 to set a trial date and appoint a permanent attorney for Coates. Read More

Morgan State Shooting Suspect Re-indicted, Receives Trial Date

Details The 20-year-old Washington, D.C. man accused of participating in a 2023 Morgan State University Homecoming Shooting has been re-indicted and is on course for an October trial–that after his case... Read More

Trial Set for Carjacking, Murder Co-Defendants

Details Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland set a date for the murder trial of three co-defendants accused of murdering a teenager and injuring two women during a fatal... Read More

New Evidence Postpones Shooting Trial

By Kabir Broker [former] - August 6, 2025
Court | Daily Stories | Data | Shooting |

Details Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland granted a postponement in Donald Blackwell’s assault trial for emerging factors, including a possible replacement of counsel, newly discovered evidence allegedly linking... Read More

Patricide Trial Postponed For Change of Attorney

Details Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer granted a motion by defense attorney Thomas Morrow to withdraw from Shanelle Reed,’s homicide case on Aug. 4. Reed, 38, is charged... Read More

Drug Trafficking, Shooting Trial Postponed to Late August

By Maya St. Hillaire [former] - August 4, 2025
Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects |

Details Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland postponed the trial of 23-year-old K’Hova Barfield on Aug. 4 following a request from the defense. Barfield is charged with discharging a... Read More

Pre-Trial Hearing For Suspect in Shooting, Carjacking

By Jena Queen [former] - July 28, 2025
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting |

Details Ronald Hogg III, 20, appeared before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland on July 28 for a reception court hearing in the case against him. Hogg is charged... Read More

2022 Attempted Murder Suspect Receives Trial Date

By Natalie Voorhees [former] - July 25, 2025
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Shooting |

Details Javon Hines, 24, appeared in reception court before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland on July 25 to receive his trial date for an attempted murder case from... Read More

Shooting Trial Set in Dog Waste Dispute

By Allyson Rogers [former] - July 24, 2025
Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects |

Details Defendant Candice Holden appeared before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland to set a trial date in a shooting. Holden, 40, is charged with two counts of attempted... Read More