Closing arguments were heard June 30 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Charles H. Dorsey III in the joint murder trial of co-defendants Darius Bell, 33, and Joseph Hubbard, 35. In the end, the pair was acquitted of murder charges but convicted on gun violations.
Bell, represented by defense attorney Donald Wright, and Hubbard, represented by defense attorney Jason Ott, are charged in connection to the March 15, 2025 fatal shooting of 30-year-old Christopher Banks on the 5400 block of Park Heights Avenue.
During their final statement, the state said Banks would still be alive if not for the actions of both defendants. Prosecutors told jurors surveillance footage showed the pair acting together throughout the incident, alleging Bell retrieved a loaded firearm from a vehicle while Hubbard remained with Banks inside a convenience store. The state argued Banks repeatedly raised his hands and attempted to avoid confrontation while the defendants blocked the store’s entrance, preventing him from leaving…