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By
Allyson Rogers
, Riley Mathews , Andrew Michaels – June 9, 2025
Court
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Daily Stories
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Data
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Featured
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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Violent crime cases rarely get through the Baltimore City Circuit Court system unscathed for delays or postponements. Out of 12 homicide trials scheduled in June, only four have had little to no interruption from arraignments to trial, according to Baltimore Witness data.
Eight homicide cases scheduled in June have had at least one postponement since the defendants’ initial appearances, according to Baltimore Witness data, further indicative of the difference in pace between cases.
Damion Thomas45, is among the few scheduled for trial at the end of the month and will appear before Judge Michael A. DiPietro. Baltimore Witness data shows no postponements in Thomas’ case, which began in Circuit Court with a bail review in November 2024.
The defendant had an initial appearance the following month and a pre-trial conference in March when his June trial was scheduled.
Martin CohenThomas’ defense counsel, said he currently has only one homicide trial scheduled in June; however, several of his other homicide cases are scheduled for pre-trial conferences.
“Common reasons such as delays or postponements usually have to do with the prosecutor either being sick or in trial,” Cohen said, adding he expects his one June trial to proceed as planned.
Thomas’ murder charges stem from the death of 37-year-old Brian Nesbitt during a confrontation between the two men on the 800 block of South Paca Street in August 2024. During their investigation, the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) found private surveillance footage showing the two men arguing shortly before shots rang out, the sound of which was heard in the video.
Thomas is scheduled to stand trial on June 30.
Unlike Thomas, homicide defendant Khaleb Edmonds25, has encountered two postponements since his initial appearance in July 2024, Baltimore Witness data shows. Edmonds is accused of fatally shooting two men, Myron White and Darius Hillon the 2200 block of West North Avenue on Aug. 24, 2023.
He is now awaiting trial for charges of first-degree murder and related firearm offenses.
According to Baltimore Witness data, Edmonds’ most recent court appearance was in January when he was originally set for trial. Just PipkinEdmonds’ attorney, requested the postponement while waiting to receive video evidence from the prosecution.
Judge Melissa K. Copeland pushed Edmonds’ homicide trial to June 16, nearly a year after his first court appearance.
“Overlapping trials is definitely one of the biggest, if not the biggest [reason for postponements],” a Baltimore City prosecutor told Baltimore Witness. “At its root is pressure by the reception court to schedule cases as early as possible even if that means ‘stacking’ the [cases].’”
The prosecutor is referring to the reception court judge’s process of assigning judges more than one case that is expected to move forward to trial on the same day. If the first case does not proceed, the judge will continue to the next case. However, if the first case does proceed, the second case will return to reception court where it will either be assigned to a new judge or rescheduled.
