BALTIMORE, Maryland (AP) -- Maryland's highest court overturned
three minor handgun convictions against a former altar boy who shot a
priest he claimed had molested him.
Wednesday's ruling by the Maryland Court of Appeals could enable
Dontee Stokes to clear his criminal record in the attack on the Rev.
Maurice Blackwell, who was shot three times.
The court ruled that Baltimore Circuit Judge John N. Prevas should not
have allowed four alternate jurors to participate in deliberations in
the case against Stokes, 27.
Stokes was cleared of attempted murder, reckless endangerment and
assault, but was convicted of the three gun charges. Stokes admitted
shooting the priest but claimed temporary insanity.
At the trial, the judge decided four alternates would remain with the
12 jurors as observers during their deliberations. But the appeals
court decided that the mere presence of an alternate juror in the jury
room was improper.
Margaret Burns, a spokeswoman for Baltimore State's Attorney
Patricia Jessamy, said Jessamy would decide in a couple of days
whether to retry Stokes on the gun charges.
"These types of cases -- gun violence -- are taken very seriously, and
it will be reviewed very carefully," Burns said.
Warren A. Brown, Stokes' attorney, said he spoke to Stokes after the
ruling. "He's riding high, feeling good. Now we can move on and have
this matter expunged," he said.
Blackwell, 57, is scheduled to go on trial in March on four counts of
child sexual abuse involving Stokes between 1989 and 1992. Blackwell
has pleaded innocent.
three minor handgun convictions against a former altar boy who shot a
priest he claimed had molested him.
Wednesday's ruling by the Maryland Court of Appeals could enable
Dontee Stokes to clear his criminal record in the attack on the Rev.
Maurice Blackwell, who was shot three times.
The court ruled that Baltimore Circuit Judge John N. Prevas should not
have allowed four alternate jurors to participate in deliberations in
the case against Stokes, 27.
Stokes was cleared of attempted murder, reckless endangerment and
assault, but was convicted of the three gun charges. Stokes admitted
shooting the priest but claimed temporary insanity.
At the trial, the judge decided four alternates would remain with the
12 jurors as observers during their deliberations. But the appeals
court decided that the mere presence of an alternate juror in the jury
room was improper.
Margaret Burns, a spokeswoman for Baltimore State's Attorney
Patricia Jessamy, said Jessamy would decide in a couple of days
whether to retry Stokes on the gun charges.
"These types of cases -- gun violence -- are taken very seriously, and
it will be reviewed very carefully," Burns said.
Warren A. Brown, Stokes' attorney, said he spoke to Stokes after the
ruling. "He's riding high, feeling good. Now we can move on and have
this matter expunged," he said.
Blackwell, 57, is scheduled to go on trial in March on four counts of
child sexual abuse involving Stokes between 1989 and 1992. Blackwell
has pleaded innocent.
