Prosecutors want the 17-year-old charged in the murder of a legally blind Bel Air man earlier this month to be tried in the Circuit Court for Harford County, Deputy State’s Attorney H. Lewis Scott said Monday.
Donnell Graham waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Harford County District Court. His request was presented to Judge Mimi R. Cooper by Assistant Public Defenders Thomas Ashwell and Eric Macdonell in a brief hearing Monday morning. Scott said he intended to file a request Tuesday to indict Graham on state charges and try him in the higher court. A trial date has not been set.
Graham was transported to the district courthouse from the Harford County Detention Center, but was not present in the courtroom. Two women and three young children, believed to be members of Graham’s immediate family, sat quietly in the back of the courtroom during the hearing. Both women declined to comment on their relation to Graham after leaving the courthouse.
Graham faces five charges in the Aug. 5 stabbing death of Patrick Ward, 29, of Bel Air. Police said Ward encountered Graham during an attempted robbery, while other sources said the incident was the culmination of ongoing conflict between Ward, his neighbors, and his neighbors’ friends, which include Graham.
I’m sure the Public Pretender will attempt to get a change of venue to Baltimore County and it’s largely liberal jury pool.
Why are you sure? What qualifies you to make such a an comment?
Native has no clue what he’s talking about. Juries in Baltimore Co are quite sensible.
Judge Cooper is a tough one who definitely doesn’t mess around. Judges HATE when lawyers and “public pretenders” (lol) ask for continuances because they get tired of seeing the same faces in their court room .I think she’d say no to a change in venue, and hopefully she’ll send the little s.o.b. off to juvenile detention till he’s 18 then to jail with the other murderers. Bet he won’t think he’s such a badass then.
It’s a high profile murder case. I beleive there’s plenty of precedence to get the venue changed if that is what the defendant asks for. It’s not uncommon for the defense in a murder case to seek a change of venue because of pre-trial publicity and the (perceived) inability to find an impartial jury in the jurisdiction where the murder took place.