Julian Davidson, 29, is betting on a Baltimore jury instead of a plea deal after prosecutors said he opened fire during a group fight at Jake’s Skatepark earlier this year. The shooting, which did not result in any fatalities, happened on Feb. 28 on the 600 block of Light Street. A three-day jury trial is set to start Oct. 1.
Prosecutors told the court they had put a sizable offer on the table, according to Baltimore Witness. The proposed deal totaled 30 years, with all but 12 years suspended, for attempted second-degree murder, plus a concurrent five-year, no-parole sentence for using a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence. Defense attorney Jason Miles turned that offer down on Davidson’s behalf during reception court, the outlet reported, and both sides confirmed that video evidence had already been exchanged.
Court records reviewed by Baltimore Witness say police obtained video from cameras at the nearby Maryland Science Center. The footage allegedly shows a fight breaking out around 7:23 p.m., a muzzle flash, and the victim reacting as if struck. Officers later reported finding Davidson on the 1000 block of Light Street and say he identified himself in a still image pulled from that video.
The Maryland Science Center sits at 601 Light Street along the Inner Harbor promenade, right by the waterfront park space that includes Jake’s Skatepark. The area draws a steady flow of skaters, families, and tourists, and neighborhood overviews on Homes.com note that public and private security cameras in the vicinity routinely capture the heavy foot traffic.
Defense counsel Miles told the judge he has filed a motion to suppress some of the evidence, Baltimore Witness reports. That challenge is scheduled to be heard on Aug. 7 before Judge Piper F. McKeithen. Both sides agreed to a three-day jury trial beginning Oct. 1 before Judge Yolanda A. Tanner, giving prosecutors and the defense time to hash out remaining discovery issues before jurors are seated. The Maryland State Archives’ list of Baltimore City judges shows both McKeithen and Tanner on the Circuit Court bench, according to the Maryland Manual.
Legal Implications
Davidson is charged with attempted murder, assault, and several weapons offenses, a lineup that carries substantial prison exposure under Maryland law. State materials treat the "use of a firearm in the commission of a crime" in the Criminal Law Article as its own offense, with a statutory maximum and specific limits on parole eligibility. Regulations and guidance from COMAR and the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy outline how firearm-use counts factor into consecutive sentencing and the setting of minimum parole thresholds.
The Aug. 7 suppression hearing will be the first major showdown over what the jury ultimately gets to see. If the science center footage survives that challenge and is admitted, prosecutors have already signaled they plan to make it a centerpiece of their case when the trial opens in October.
