A Baltimore judge has denied bail for a man heading toward a third trial in a 2021 shooting that left one person dead and three others hospitalized. The ruling keeps Michael Harvey behind bars as the long-running Laurens Street case returns to court this week.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Michael Anthony DiPietro denied bail Tuesday, citing Harvey’s previous conviction and the seriousness of the allegations, according to Baltimore Witness. Harvey faces charges including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and firearm use in a felony or violent crime.
The case stems from a December 2021 shooting in which Aaron Adams, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene, while three other victims were taken to hospitals. According to the Appellate Court of Maryland’s opinion, prosecutors presented evidence that a white van and red Hyundai registered to Harvey were used around the shooting, with the vehicles switching places shortly afterward.
Evidence Included Casings, Vehicles And Cellphone Data
Police recovered 24 cartridge casings, a projectile and a live round from the scene, along with a shell casing on the roof of the white van, the appellate opinion said. No firearm was recovered, and the state’s case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence connecting Harvey to the vehicles and the area.
Harvey’s former partner testified that he asked for the van back on the day of the shooting and later urged her to report it stolen, according to the court record. Investigators also presented cellphone-location data placing Harvey’s phone near the area around the time of the shooting.
Third Trial Follows Mistrial And Reversed Conviction
Harvey’s first trial ended in a mistrial, while his second trial resulted in a conviction and a sentence of life plus 35 years, as detailed in an earlier Baltimore Witness report. The conviction was later overturned after the appellate court found that the trial judge improperly answered a jury question about whether Adams had to be the specifically intended target for a first-degree murder conviction.
The appellate ruling reversed and remanded the case for further proceedings rather than ending the prosecution. Harvey’s pretrial hearing is scheduled for Friday, when the court is expected to address the next steps toward the retrial, Baltimore Witness reported.
