Judge Melissa M. Phinn Archives

Prosecution Argues Shooting Was ‘Willful and Deliberate’

By Laura Flores - March 14, 2025
Court | Homicides | Shooting | Videos |

Details On March 13, the prosecutor told a jury that the defendant’s actions were “willful and deliberate” during closing arguments in a homicide trial before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa... Read More

Man Accused of Fatal Stabbing in Jonestown Takes March 2025 Trial Date

Details A 41-year-old Baltimore man rejected a plea offer of two decades incarceration on Dec. 20 for the fatal stabbing of Dondre Quickley in Jonestown in July. During Friday’s reception court... Read More

Lawnview Avenue Murder Defendant Says Military Records Will ‘Mitigate’ The Charges

Details Defense counsel for the accused killer of 32-year-old John Parrish said she believes her client’s case “is not going to be a trial,” but will resolve once she retrieves “mitigation... Read More

Attempted Murder Defendant Takes March 2025 Trial Over 50-Year Plea Offer

Details Attempted homicide defendant Corey Coleman opted to take her case to trial on Dec. 19, rejecting the prosecution’s plea offer of 50 years in prison. Charges currently against the 39-year-old... Read More

Judge Sentences Homicide Defendant to Life In Prison, Suspending 50 Years

Details On Dec. 10, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn sentenced a 19-year-old homicide defendant to life in prison, suspending all but 50 years. William Holloman was charged and... Read More

Jury Selection Begins in East Baltimore Murder Trial

Details Jury selection for the murder trial of Tyrell Williams began before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn on Dec. 4. Williams was detained... Read More

Sentencing for One of Four Murder Co-Defendants Postponed

Details A 19-year-old defendant’s sentencing was postponed before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn on Dec. 2. William Holloman, 19, is charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, conspiracy to... Read More

Judge Postpones Trial for Murder Defendant Due to Evidence Delays

Details The trial of a 24-year old defendant was postponed at the request of his defense attorney before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn. Aamir Benton is charged with ... Read More

Defense Attorney Requests Postponement of Road Rage Trial

Details The trial for a 21-year-old defendant involved in a road rage incident was postponed at the request of his defense attorney before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn.... Read More

Accused Shooter Rejects Plea Offer, Gets December Trial

Details A non-fatal shooting case from an incident earlier this year was scheduled for trial this December following the defendant’s decision to reject a plea offer on Oct. 16. During reception... Read More

Non-Fatal Shooting Case Pushed One Week to Assign New Defense Attorney

Details A 27-year-old man accused of a non-fatal shooting in May will return to Baltimore City Circuit Court’s reception court next week once he is assigned a new defense attorney. Delvon... Read More

April Murder Defendant to Be Tried in February 2025

Details A 35-year-old received a trial date in Baltimore City Circuit Court Oct. 11. Defendant Michael Dwight Conley represented by defense attorney Marci Johnson, is charged with first-degree murder, firearm use... Read More

Judge Reschedules Defendant’s Second Attempted Murder Trial

Details Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Levi S. Zaslow rescheduled the attempted murder trial of a 31-year-old defendant due to the prosecutor’s having another trial. Larry Winder III is charged with... Read More

Second Suspect Shot Victim for ‘Beating On’ His Mother, Defense Argues at Co-Defendant’s Trial

Details “He’s into it up to his neck, but not by choice.” According to defense attorney Marci Johnson, defendant James Jenkins III had no idea what the accused shooter had planned... Read More

Defense Points to Other Suspect in Fatal Shooting Outside Pimlico Elementary School

Details At the start of trial on Sept. 16, defense counsel Marci Johnson was adamant that it was not her client, James Jenkins III, who killed 31-year-old Phillip Wallace. Instead, Johnson... Read More

Scheduling Hearing Postponed for Eastern District Murder Co-Defendants

Details Two men accused of an Eastern District murder late last year continued to wait for a trial date after a hearing in Baltimore City Circuit Court Sept. 20 only yielded... Read More

February Trial Date Set for McCulloh Street Murder

Details Despite a large amount of evidence still pending, counsel scheduled a trial date for a 28-year-old murder defendant in Baltimore City Circuit Court Sept. 20. Maurice Jones is charged with... Read More

Three Co-Defendants Receive Trial Date for March Shooting

Details A trio of co-defendants received a 2025 trial date for spring shooting Friday, Sept. 20, in Baltimore City Circuit Court. Jermaine Johnson, Khyree White and Tyuan White are each facing... Read More

Non-Fatal Shooting Defendant’s Trial Postponed

Details The trial of a 31-year-old Baltimore man was postponed on Sept. 19 for a non-fatal shooting in May. Ervin Dantzler, who is represented by defense attorney Joseph Owens, was initially... Read More

Shooting Suspect of Elderly Victim Facing Multiple Charges

Details A Nottingham man charged with the attempted murder of a 62-year-old man over the summer made his first appearance in Baltimore City Circuit Court on Sept. 19. Walter Jeremy Bush... Read More

Suspect Pleads Guilty to Vehicular Manslaughter at 105 Mile Per Hour

Details A man pleaded guilty in a Sept. 18 hearing to driving 105 miles per hour on the 3600 block of Northern Parkway, striking a vehicle stopped at a traffic signal,... Read More

Loch Raven Boulevard Murder Defendant to Face Trial in December

Details A 23-year-old murder defendant received a trial date after her attorney rejected the prosecution’s plea deal in Baltimore City Circuit Court Sept. 6. Niyiraha Berry is charged with first-degree murder,... Read More

Man Pleads Guilty to One-Year-Old’s 2020 Death

Details Nearly four years after a one-year-old girl was killed, her godbrother pleaded guilty to the abuse that ended her life in Baltimore City Circuit Court Aug. 19. Paul Dion Hardy... Read More

Attempted Murder Defendant Rejects 25 Year Plea Offer

Details An attempted murder defendant declined a plea offer during a hearing before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry G. Williams Aug. 13. Jonte Gilmore, 27, faces more than 60 charges,... Read More