Youth Jail’s Services for Teen Murder Suspect Inadequate Says Defense

By Kayla Blietz - June 27, 2024
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Juveniles | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

A defense attorney requested an evidentiary hearing on June 27 about an alleged lack of rehabilitation services at the Baltimore Youth Detention Center (YDC) for his first-degree murder client. The motion came during reception court before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland. 

Kamal Brown, 16, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, six counts of firearm use in a felony violent crime, five counts each of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and a single count of possession of a firearm as a minor in connection to a incident that occurred on March 23, 2023. 

During the hearing, Brown’s defense attorney Brian Levy asked to review rehabilitation services in the YDC, where Brown is being held. Levy told Judge Copeland that he will bring in YDC staff members as well as Brown to testify. Levy stated that the defense believes that while rehabilitation services are present, they’re inadequate. 

During the hearing, Judge Copeland said the motion for the evidentiary hearing needs to happen somewhere else, as Thursday’s hearing was primarily for setting a trial date. The defense requested this case to be moved into the juvenile courts, but that request was previously denied by Judge Nicole K. Barmore. 

The prosecution asked Judge Copeland if the trial dates could be set back-to-back with Brown’s co-defendant Jabre Griffith in this case for a total of a 12-day trial. The prosecution said that the co-defendants will not be tried together because there are additional motions that need to be filed and Griffith’s trial is already scheduled to begin on Oct. 30.

Judge Copeland said that she needed to find a judge to put this case before and she will hopefully have that assigned by the end of July. 

Brown’s case will take up the first half of the allotted 12 days. His trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 30. Judge Copeland told Brown that there may be additional dates added when she finds a judge.