Vehicular Manslaughter Defendant Rejects Plea Offer, Setting Trial for 2023

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A Baltimore woman charged with vehicular manslaughter and gross negligence rejected a plea offer on July 29 and is going to trial early next year. 

Samanda Marie Bradds, 29, is charged with manslaughter with an automobile and criminally negligent vehicular manslaughter relating to an incident on Sept. 23, 2020, according to the Maryland Judiciary Case website. 

Bradds was offered a plea offer of 10 years, suspending all but three years, with five years of supervised probation for grossly negligent vehicular manslaughter, a deal she and her defense attorney, Marc Zayon, declined. 

Both the prosecutor and defense told Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn they needed ample time to get their witnesses together, with the prosecutor having at least 15 witnesses and the defense looking into hiring an expert witness. 

In addition, Bradds waived her Hicks date, which is her right to be tried within 180 days of her or her attorney’s first court appearance. 

Bradds’ trial date is set for Jan. 24, 2023.