Judge Yvette Bryant Archives - Baltimore Witness

Jury Trial Set for Defendant in Attempted Murder

Details Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland scheduled a jury trial for 29-year-old attempted murder defendant William Demetrius Elliot for April 17. Elliot is charged with attempted first- and... Read More

Man Accused of 2022 New Year’s Eve Shooting to Serve Rest of Sentence on Home Detention

Details A Baltimore man charged with firing a handgun on New Year’s Eve in 2022 will serve the remainder of his sentence on home detention, following a plea agreement between the... Read More

North Carolina Man Gets 25 Years for Baltimore Robbery Turned Shooting in 2019

Details “I can’t change the pain I’ve caused. I just hope, over time, the pain does heal.” As the family of Antonio Modica sobbed in the gallery of a Baltimore City... Read More

Man Accused of Attempted Murder Outside Goodfellas Lounge Set for September Trial

Details A 39-year-old man will proceed to trial this September after rejecting a 15-year prison sentence for attempting to fatally shoot another man outside Goodfellas Lounge last year. During reception court... Read More

Judge Schedules Trial for 26-Year-Old Charged in 2022 Assault Case

By Ting Hong [former] - March 3, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Shooting | Suspects |

Details During a reception court hearing on March 3, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn scheduled a trial date for an assault defendant after he rejected a plea offered by... Read More

Judge Sentences Man to Five Years for Cousin’s Death

Details Emotions ran high inside the courtroom of Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yvette Bryant on Feb. 17 when family members of homicide defendant Demetrick Lewis tearfully awaited his sentencing for the death of his... Read More

Man Found Guilty of Manslaughter after Pushing Cousin Down Stairs During Argument

Details A 32-year-old Baltimore man was found guilty of manslaughter on Feb. 16 after pushing his cousin down the stairs during an argument last year. Following a five-day trial before Baltimore... Read More

Defendant Convicted in 1993 for Murder Says He Will Work to Avoid Returning to Jail as He Moves to New York

Details “I don’t want to break my mother’s heart,” eagerly said a murder suspect on Feb. 15 as he started his post-incarceration program after serving 30 years in prison. Defendant Omar... Read More

Murder Defendant Receives Reduced Sentence After Serving 30 Years in Prison

Details A murder defendant says he found faith during his 30-year incarceration period and asked victims for forgiveness during a collateral hearing on Feb. 15. Defendant Jacoby Bennett appeared in front... Read More

Attempted Murder Charges Dismissed Against Man Accused of Shooting Wife’s Lover

Details Attempted murder charges were dismissed against 32-year-old Willian Flores on Jan. 26 following a trial in which he was accused of shooting a man who was allegedly sleeping with his... Read More

Love Affair Led to 2019 Attempted Murder on Chase Street

Details A love affair was behind a man’s attempted murder on Oct. 21, 2019, a Baltimore City prosecutor told jurors during opening statements in the trial of Willian Flores on Jan. 25. According... Read More

Non-Fatal Shooting Defendant’s Zoom Hearing Postponed

Details A Zoom hearing for a convicted non-fatal shooting defendant was postponed on Jan. 19 and rescheduled for another date in March. Thomas Alston III, 37, was scheduled to appear in... Read More

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

Details 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... Read More

Man Convicted of Fatally Beating Woman and Setting Home Ablaze Asks for Another Retrial Postponement

Details A Baltimore City Circuit Court judge had difficulty getting a defendant to pick a date for his retrial on Dec. 14 as he asked for yet another postponement. In 2016,... Read More

Defendant Charged with Attempted Murder Rejects Plea for Assault

Details An attempted murder defendant rejected a prosecutor’s plea of 10 years in prison for first-degree assault on Nov. 16 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn. Willian Flores... Read More

Jury Finds Man Guilty of Strangling Ex to Death in 2020

Details “I looked at her like she was some kind of evil, not like she was a human being.” Roderick Griffin, 58, admitted to the killing of 72-year-old Lillian Herndon that... Read More

Defendant Describes ‘Playfully’ Choking Ex-Girlfriend Before Her Death

Details The trial for a man charged with fatally choking his ex-girlfriend continued on Sept. 27 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yvette Bryant. Roderick Griffin is charged with first-degree murder, false imprisonment,... Read More

72-Year-Old Woman’s Ex-Boyfriend Begins Murder Trial For Her 2020 Death

Details The daughter of 72-year-old Lillian Herndon grew increasingly concerned for her mother’s well-being in April 2020 after only communicating with her over text messages—a form of communication her mother rarely,... Read More

Attempted Murder Defendant Pleads Guilty After Victim Refused to Cooperate

Details On Sept. 22, a 40-year-old attempted murder defendant scheduled for trial today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with a felony conviction before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yvette Bryant. Christopher... Read More

Bail Hearing Postponed for 72-Year-Old Man After Successful Appeal of 2019 Murder Conviction

Details A 72-year-old man whose life sentence was overturned for the 2018 fatal stabbing of his girlfriend was among two bail reviews postponed on Aug. 16 due to conflicts with defense... Read More

Jury Finds Defendant Not Guilty of Attempted Murder at Forest Park Market Last Year

Details A jury found defendant Gerrod Maddox guilty of firing a handgun but not guilty of attempted murder on June 10 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yvette Bryant. Initially, Maddox... Read More

28-Year-Old Man Has Yet to be Offered a Plea

Details A 28-year-old Baltimore man charged with attempted murder had no plea offered to him on May 10 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn. Rasheed Jones is charged... Read More

Son Kills Father, Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

Details A 30-year-old Baltimore man convicted in 2020 of murdering his father was sentenced to 25 years for second-degree murder on Feb. 25 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yvette M.... Read More

Defendant’s Health is A Concern After Trial Set for May 2022

Details Defense counsel for an attempted homicide defendant raised concerns over his client’s health on Nov. 17 during reception court in Baltimore City Circuit Court. Lyndon Pettiford is currently facing attempted... Read More