Jury selection got underway yesterday afternoon in a downtown Baltimore shooting case that prosecutors say left a man wounded in late January, with 22-year-old defendant Antonio Mackey seated at the defense table as potential jurors filed in. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to his lower right hip and was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment. The court was set to resume the next morning so lawyers and the judge could continue questioning the jury pool.
Those details, including the Jan. 29, 2025, location near the 200 block of Clay Street and investigators' reported reliance on surveillance video to track a suspect by clothing and a distinctive circular-emblem necklace, were first laid out by Baltimore Witness. The outlet also lists the charges facing Mackey: attempted murder, firearm use, first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and several other weapons counts. According to that coverage, Mackey is represented by defense attorney John Deros, and the proceedings are taking place before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry G. Williams, with the case scheduled to continue the morning of March 11.
Inside Jury Selection
Voir dire in Baltimore is not known for being quick. The city's jury plan calls for a large panel to be drawn and gives judges wide latitude to question and screen prospective jurors. Under that plan, at least 150 prospective jurors are selected for panels, and the document spells out qualification questions, exemptions, and other procedures that shape how juries are built. All of that can stretch courtroom days as lawyers exercise strikes and the judge sorts through claims of bias or reasons someone might be disqualified. The full framework is laid out in the Baltimore City Circuit Court jury plan.
Charges And Evidence
Prosecutors allege Mackey fired a handgun in broad daylight and left a man wounded. They say investigators recovered a .40-caliber shell casing at the scene and that surveillance footage shows a clear facial image along with the distinctive necklace that helped point them to a suspect. Earlier coverage by Baltimore Witness reports that the state offered a 45-year plea, with the first five years to be served without the possibility of parole, an offer the defense rejected. The shooting was reported in the area of Lexington and Eutaw streets, near the 200 block of Clay Street.
Legal Implications
Under Maryland law, using a firearm during the commission of a felony or other crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum prison term of five years in addition to any sentence for the underlying offense, as outlined in Maryland Code §4-204. That statute means convictions on both attempted murder and a separate firearm count can translate into substantial consecutive prison time. Mackey, like any defendant, is presumed innocent unless and until the state proves otherwise in court.
Proceedings are scheduled to continue on March 11 with more jury selection at the Baltimore City Circuit Court. How quickly lawyers can seat a panel during voir dire will decide whether the case moves straight to opening statements or spends additional time in pretrial maneuvering.
