CAMBRIDGE, Md. - A Dorchester County man who was acquitted of murder charges is now suing the State of Maryland and several prosecutors including Dorchester County State’s Attorney Amanda Leonard, claiming he was wrongfully prosecuted and spent more than 20 months in jail for a crime he did not commit.
In January of 2026, Key’Marion Ennals filed a federal lawsuit against the State of Maryland, Dorchester County State’s Attorney Amanda Leonard, former Deputy State’s Attorney Philip Donoho, and Deputy State’s Attorney Ella Disharoon. WBOC has obtained a copy of that complaint.
The lawsuit alleges prosecutors engaged in misconduct and withheld key evidence during the investigation and prosecution of a 2021 Cambridge homicide in which Ennals, 16 at the time, was initially implicated.
Ennals was ultimately found not guilty by a jury in 2024.
2021 murder charges
The federal lawsuit stems from the Nov. 18, 2021 killing of Ja’len Woolford in Cambridge.
According to court filings, police obtained a confession from another man, Deaveon Johnson, on January 4, 2022. Investigators say Johnson told police that Ennals was involved in the crime, leading to charges against Ennals that same day.
Ennals turned himself in to Cambridge Police after learning a warrant had been issued for his arrest. He was charged with multiple offenses including first- and second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment and firearms violations.
Ennals was held without bail from Jan. 4, 2022 until Sept. 27, 2023, totaling more than 20 months in jail, according to court documents.
A Dorchester County judge later disqualified the Dorchester County State’s Attorney’s Office from the case after determining that prosecutors withheld exculpatory evidence for several months, according to Ennals’ suit.
A special prosecutor from Prince George’s County was later appointed to handle the case.
Ennals’ trial began in August 2024 and lasted four days. The jury deliberated for about 18 minutes before returning a verdict of not guilty on all charges.
Ennals’ lawsuit
In the lawsuit, Ennals alleges prosecutors continued pursuing the case even after evidence pointed to another suspect.
The complaint claims investigators obtained a confession from Johnson and later received corroborating statements from another witness indicating Johnson was responsible for and admitted to the shooting.
Ennals’ attorneys argue that evidence supporting his innocence was withheld from the defense for months and was only disclosed shortly before trial. The lawsuit also alleges prosecutors failed to provide discovery materials on time and engaged in improper communications with the court that contributed to delays in the case.
Ennals says he spent 631 days incarcerated before being released ahead of trial and is seeking damages for emotional distress, lost income and other impacts tied to the prosecution.During his incarceration, Ennals says he was also unable to attend his sister’s funeral.
“In addition to all other damages related to his lengthy incarceration, as otherwise set forth herein, Mr. Ennals’ sister died while he was incarcerated,” the lawsuit reads. “Mr. Ennals filed a motion for compassionate release to allow Mr. Ennals to be transported to her funeral, but Defendant Leonard opposed Mr. Ennals’ motion. Ultimately, Judge Dean denied Mr. Ennals’ motion and Mr. Ennals was not permitted to attend his sister’s funeral.”
The lawsuit seeks at least $75,000 in damages, along with attorney’s fees and other relief.
State response
Attorneys representing the State of Maryland and the prosecutors have asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit.
In a court filing dated Jan. 22, the state argues the prosecutors are protected by absolute prosecutorial immunity, a legal doctrine that shields prosecutors from civil liability for actions taken as part of their role in the judicial process.
The motion states the actions alleged in the lawsuit, including decisions about evidence disclosure and trial preparation, are functions tied directly to prosecutorial duties and therefore protected under that immunity.
State attorneys also argue the complaint does not sufficiently demonstrate malice or misconduct necessary to overcome legal immunity protections.
“Based on the allegations of the amended complaint, the State’s Attorney’s conduct does not, as a matter of law, rise to the level of gross negligence,” the motion to dismiss reads. “The allegations here are that the prosecutors were grossly negligent because Mr. Ennals was held in custody prior to trial. The allegations imply that any prosecutor would be grossly negligent any time a defendant was held in custody prior to trial and received a favorable outcome. That result would be absurd and would have a chilling effect on the prosecution of crime.”
A federal judge has not yet ruled on the motion to dismiss. Ennals' legal team was given until Friday, March 6, to file a response to the motion.
WBOC reached out to State’s Attorney Leonard last week and on Thursday, March 5, but have yet to receive a response.