BALTIMORE — It's been more than three years since a Baltimore woman was charged in connection with the death of her wife's 4-year-old biological son.
Shatika Lawson's trial has been postponed 11 times, according to her defense attorney Roya Hanna.
A judge granted the latest delay on November 30, in order to give the City State's Attorney's Office more time to assign a new lead prosecutor to the case.
The original prosecutor, Rita Wishtoff-Ito, was abruptly removed from the State's Attorney's homicide division over her alleged handling of another murder case.
Lawson's ordeal dates back to August 2019, after the body of Malachi Lawson was discovered inside a dumpster.
She and her wife, Alicia Lawson, claimed Malachi suffered severe burns after accidentally making the water too hot while giving him a bath.
Prosecutors say they neglected to take Malachi to the hospital for several days, out of fear he would be taken by CPS.
On August 1, 2019, Malachi was found dead inside the Lawson's home. She later called a Lyft to drive her to Haddon Avenue, where she dumped Malachi's body.
A false missing persons report was then filed with police.
Charging documents show Alicia later confessed that her son was actually dead, and not missing.
In August 2021, Alicia was sentenced to 30 years behind bars.
Shatika meanwhile has remained jailed without bail the entire time, which according to Hanna equates to 1,214 days.
A new trial date has been scheduled for May 2, 2023. Hanna says by that time Shatika would have spent nearly four years in prison.
"We will be filing a motion to dismissed based on a violation of her right to a speedy trial," said Hanna.
As for Wishtoff-Ito, she was also heading up the prosecution of a squeegee kid accused of killing Timothy Reynolds following a July altercation downtown.
She allegedly, without authorization, offered the teen in that case a plea deal which would have put him behind bars for 60-years.
After the teen's defense council rejected the proposal, the State's Attorney's Office agreed to have the the case moved to juvenile court.
Leading up to a hearing on the matter, Wishtoff-Ito was accused of leaking sensitive court documents to Reynolds' family attorneys.
MORE: Family of Timothy Reynolds launches petition to reinstate original prosecutor in murder case
A judge eventually ruled that the teen's case would remain at the adult level.
However, Wishtoff-Ito had already been taken off the case. The Reynolds family has since demanded her reinstatement.
The State's Attorney's Office has refused to comment on Wishtoff-Ito's status, but it's clear her removal from the homicide division has impacted the timeline of multiple high profile murder trials in the City.
"I don't particularly care [which prosecutor has the case], we just want to go to trial," said Hanna. "The 3 1/2 year incarceration and the anxiety and stress that comes with each postponement has been hard on Shatika."
