In Annapolis, Maryland, a judge declared a mistrial in a high-profile case involving Charles Robert Smith, the man charged with the murder of three individuals and the injury of three others during a 2023 altercation allegedly sparked by a parking dispute. The decision was made after Judge J. Michael Wachs noted that the prosecuting attorney committed multiple violations that compromised the integrity of Smith’s testimony.
Smith, who is white, was formally indicted in July 2023, facing six counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree murder, which are claimed to be driven by bias against Latino individuals, alongside other charges. This incident was reportedly provoked by an argument involving Smith’s mother and their neighbors concerning a parking space dispute that tragically escalated into violence within the Maryland capital. The deceased, all identified as Latino, included father and son Nicolas Mireles, 55, and Mario Mireles Ruiz, 27, along with a family friend, Christian Marlon Segovia Jr., 24. Additionally, three more individuals sustained injuries.
Smith’s defense attorney called for a mistrial, asserting that Anne Colt Leitess, the State’s Attorney, misrepresented the evidence and introduced information deemed irrelevant by the court. Judge Wachs acknowledged that Leitess breached several evidentiary protocols, leaving him with no alternative but to call a mistrial.
According to the judge, the case’s retrial is unlikely to occur before 2026. Meanwhile, Smith remains detained without the option of bail, as confirmed by the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s office.
In her statement following the mistrial declaration, Leitess expressed that both the prosecution and defense engaged in a diligent and intense courtroom effort. She affirmed the State’s commitment to retrying the case in pursuit of justice for the victims affected by this tragic incident.
