Trial Date Set for 23-Year-Old Attempted Murder Defendant

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A Baltimore man charged in a September 2022 non-fatal shooting had the start of his trial postponed as requested by his defense attorney on Feb. 28.

Defense attorney Roland Harris requested a postponement before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn to discuss the plea offered by prosecutors with his client because he has a pending federal case.

According to the Maryland Judiciary website, defendant Tavion Thomas is charged with attempted first and second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, firearm use in a felony violent crime, having a handgun on his person, discharging firearms, illegally possessing ammo, firearm possession with a felony conviction and the illegal possession of a regulated firearm for an incident that occurred on Sept. 5, 2022.

During the hearing on Tuesday, the prosecutor offered the 23-year-old defendant a plea of 15 years, suspending all but five years with four years of supervised probation for attempted second-degree murder; and three years for the amended charge of having a loaded handgun on his person. All of these sentences were set to run concurrently.

Following the rejection of the plea, Judge Phinn granted the postponement request and scheduled Thomas’s trial to begin on Aug. 9, and it is expected to last three days before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Brooke Murdock.