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By
Sara Palmer
– February 14, 2024
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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On Feb. 14, murder defendant Donte Simms appeared in court docket for closing statements earlier than Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Dana M. Middleton for his alleged involvement within the 2022 murder of 35-year-old Eric Plater.
Simms, 45, was represented by legal professional Bradley L. MacFee, who instructed the jury about an “infamous jailhouse snitch” witness.
The witness testified Simms admitted his barber store, the place the crime took place, was a entrance to promote medication with Plater. He was on the lookout for money Simms owed him when Simms allegedly shot him.
MacFee refuted the witness’s claims by telling the jury, “You know he’s a liar and a snake” and that he “has nothing but contempt for people like him.” He stated the witness was “more than happy to throw an innocent man under the bus.”
The witness is ready to face trial in March for his personal tried homicide case. The prosecution instructed the jury no deal was made to the witness for testifying, and that he wrote down every little thing Simms stated in a letter.
Other witnesses for the prosecution testified to seeing Simms throw Plater out of his barber store on the 300 block of Park Avenue simply after midnight on Aug. 15, 2022. The witnesses believed Platter was affected by an overdose and referred to as 911.
Surveillance footage introduced by the prosecution confirmed Simms stepping over the sufferer twice to place issues in his car earlier than locking up his store and driving away, allegedly saying, “I don’t have anything to do with this s**t,” to Plater.
Once medics arrived on the scene, they found a single gunshot wound to Plater’s chest. He was pronounced lifeless three hours after arriving at a neighborhood hospital.
MacFee instructed the jury his consumer was by no means concerned in promoting medication with Plater and was merely performing in self protection to a theft risk. He concluded his closing statements saying it was “time to send Donte Simms home.”
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