La Plata, MD – A Charles County man acquitted of attempted first-degree murder charges in October 2015 was still convicted of second-degree assault and carrying a deadly weapon with intent to injure. The defendant had to face Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West Thursday, Feb. 25 for sentencing.
He didn’t like what he heard.
James Macauthur Spears, 36 of Waldorf, was sentenced to six years in the Maryland Department of Corrections for his role in the stabbing of Donnell Jordan Dec. 13, 2013 in a Waldorf neighborhood.
“This is sort of a bizarre case,” West said while handing down the sentence. “Mr. Spears took the stand during the trial, which was surprising to me, but parts of his testimony were enlightening. At one point, he said, ‘I grabbed the kitchen knife and I was on the attack.’ That stuck with me, that, ‘I was on the attack.’ Was it wounded pride? I don’t know.”
Spears stabbed the victim, his wife’s ex-husband, after he showed up at their front door at 10 o’clock at night after being told many times by Spears’ wife to stay away.
“He told the victim, ‘You come to my house, I’m going to kill you,’ ” Charles County Assistant State’s Attorney Francis Granados told the court. “He chased him down the street and stabbed him in the back. The victim never attacked the defendant or his wife.
“All Mr. Spears had to do was call the police,” Granados added. “Instead, he got a weapon and went on the attack.”
“Mr. Jordan showed up at my client’s house at 10 o’clock at night high on cocaine,” Charles County Assistant Public Defender Michele Harewood stated. “It was my argument during the trial that the jury should know what was in his system.”
Harewood argued that Spears had been attacked by the man on previous occasions.
“He came to his house and barged his way in,” she asserted. “Mr. Spears’ wife had told him repeatedly not to come. He came looking for a fight. Well, he got one.”
“Mr. Granados sees my record, things I’ve done in my past, things I can’t even remember now,” Spears said.
Spears told the court he found God and has been involved with a men’s mission in St. Mary’s County speaking to troubled kids. He said the incident had “destroyed me financially.”
He said his wife had surgery for cancer and begged the judge to allow him to continue to care for her.
“This hasn’t been easy,” he said. “It’s not something I’m proud of. It’s not a fun time for me.”
When West pronounced his sentence, the defendant began weeping openly.
The judge sentenced him to three years for wearing and carrying a deadly weapon with intent to injure and another 10 years for the second-degree assault, suspending all but three years for that charge. He also placed Spears on five years of supervised probation upon his release.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com
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