Trial Date Set for Man Accused of Shooting Two Men, One Fatally

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A trial date was set for a Baltimore man charged with two counts of first-degree murder on Sept. 8 before Baltimore City Circut Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn.

The prosecution offered Ernest Smith a plea of life, suspending all but 60 years and five years probation for attempted first-degree murder and a concurrent 20 years for first-degree assault. Smith and his stand-in defense attorney rejected the plea.

Smith, 34, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of using a firearm in a felony violent crime, attempted first-degree murder, and possession of a firearm with a felony conviction.

In March, the Baltimore Police Department arrested Smith in connection with the shooting of two men around 3:45 p.m. on the 1800 block of E. Lafayette Avenue on July 5, 2021. One of the victims, Keith Hughes, Jr., 37, later died from his injuries.

Smith’s trial is scheduled for March 6, 2023 and is expected to last five days before Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Charles H. Dorsey III.