Posted on 06/29/22
| News Source: WMAR2NEWS
The same Baltimore City judge made plea deal with previously convicted felons who came back to commit violent crimes while out of jail.
Judge Melissa Phinn previously ordered supervised probations for Austin Davidson, who was arrested for killing a Wicomico County deputy on June 12, and Joseph Black, accused of dragging a Baltimore City police officer for two blocks on Tuesday, according to court documents.
Judge Phinn has been serving as the Associate Judge of Baltimire City Circuit County, 8th Judicial Court since 2013.
Judge Phinn sentenced Austin Davidson to three years supervised probation on July 29, 2020 after he pleaded guilty to armed robbery in Baltimore.
The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office issued a statement, saying prosecutors had sought jail time and it was the judge who decided to sentence Davidson to probation.
"After securing a conviction, prosecutors make a sentence recommendation to a judge, who is responsible for imposing a sentence," said a State's Attorney's Office spokesperson. "The prosecutor secured a conviction and made a sentence recommendation of jail time. The court imposed a sentence of probation before judgment."
The office however recommended a suspended 10-year sentence that would have only kept Davidson behind bars for 13-months, meaning he would have still been out on the street the night of June 12, 2022, when he allegedly shot and killed Wicomico County deputy Glenn Hilliard.
WMAR-2 News learned Judge Phinn, sentenced Joseph Black to two years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to firearm possession with a felony conviction in November 4, 2021. Black was sentenced to 15 years in jail with all but nearly 14 years of it suspended for a 2020 firearm possession charge.
He ultimately served only 20 months behind bars including time served, before the judge let him out.