What’s happening?
At a bail hearing on Friday, defense attorneys for the squeegee worker accused of fatally shooting a motorist argued that the 15-year-old was acting in self defense and should not be tried as an adult, Jessica Anderson reports for the Baltimore Sun. The shooting occurred in the Inner Harbor on July 7 after Timothy Reynolds, 48, crossed several lanes of traffic to confront squeegee workers with a baseball bat.
Why are his defense attorneys advocating for a lesser charge?
According to the teen’s defense attorneys, Reynolds initiated the incident when he approached the squeegee workers with the bat.They called the first degree murder charge an overreach, as it requires prosecutors to prove premeditation. “This isn’t your typical first-degree murder charge,” said J. Wyndal Gordon, one of the attorneys for the squeegee worker, who was 14 at the time of the shooting. “This is a 14-year-old child paralyzed by fear.”
Gordon and other defense attorneys urged the state’s attorney’s office to reduce the charge and move the case to juvenile court, which typically offers lighter punishment and focuses on rehabilitation.
Anything else I should know?
The teen was arrested on Thursday morning. At the hearing on Friday, District Judge Theresa C. Morse denied bail to the squeegee worker, requiring him to remain in custody.
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Editorial Disclaimer: Reporting for this story was provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and we thank them for their support. However, the findings and conclusions presented in this article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Foundation.
