What to Know
- The body of Phylicia Barnes, 16, was found in the Susquehanna River months after she disappeared while visiting family in Baltimore in 2010.
- Michael Maurice Johnson was convicted of second-degree murder in 2013 but was granted a new trial after a judge ruled evidence was withheld.
- Maryland Court of Special Appeals ruled judge didn't have authority to grant acquittal after mistrial was declared in second trial.
A Maryland court ruled a new trial can proceed against a man charged with killing a North Carolina teenager.
The Maryland Court of Special Appeals, the state's intermediate appellate court, issued the ruling Wednesday.
The case involves Michael Maurice Johnson, who was charged with killing 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes. Her body was found in the Susquehanna River months after she disappeared while visiting family in Baltimore in 2010.
Johnson was convicted of second-degree murder in 2013. But he was granted a new trial after a judge ruled prosecutors withheld evidence. In December, a judge declared a mistrial in the second trial.
But the higher court says the judge didn't have the authority to grant acquittal after a mistrial was declared and the jury was dismissed.
