Defense Attorneys in Phylicia Barnes Murder Seek New Trial
Attorneys question state's key witness, jury's verdict.
Lawyers representing the man who was convicted of killing 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes are asking for a new trial, the Baltimore Sun reports. Attorneys for Michael Maurice Johnson say that the state made improper statements and withheld information about its main witness, James McCray, who testified that Johnson asked for help disposing of Barnes’ body. According to the Sun, McCray gave the wrong date of the crime and the wrong floor for Johnson’s apartment, Prosecutors, however, said he did know details about the defendant that had not been released to the press, for example, that Johnson called Barnes “little sis.” A jury took two days to convict Johnson of second-degree murder; he faces 30 years in prison. His attorneys, the Sun report…
In this Article:
