March 8-9

The much-needed witness-intimidation bill is being held up by PG county legislator Josheph Vallario (left). When asked about his vote, Vallario explained, "YALL THINK YALL GOT SUGE AND MELO BUT WE GOING KILL EVRYLAST BITCHASS POP SNITCHIN NIGGANOWHATIMSAYN."*

Is 38 years enough for throwing acid in someone's face?

Is loving someone of the same sex a crime? The legislature is tring to figure it out.

* my mother insists that I label this clearly as satire

March 6-7

The sex abuse trial of Darryl Purefoy, 34, of the 9100 block of Liberty Road in Randallstown, is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.tomorrow before Allen L. Schwait at the Mitchell Courthouse on Calvert Street. A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Purefoy December 6, 2004 on more than 100 counts of sexual child abuse and other counts. Why this story hasn't been picked up by local news I don't know, it seems right up JZ's lurid little alley...

Three officers have been dismissed and two more have been punished as a reault of the prison bus strangling of Philip Parker. And the state is seeking the death penalty for strangler Kevin Johns, who was in jail for choking his uncle with a belt, trying to saw his head off and leaving him in a closet.

There'll be one more criminal in town when wife-beater Samari Rolle joins the Ravens. And there's currently one less as Orioles pitcher Sidney Ponson is being detained in Aruba for hitting a judge in the face.

A $2,000 reward is being offered for leads in the shooting of two teenagers in Landsdowne Feb. 22.

In Frederick County cops nabbed some Brooklyn buttleggers.

March 5

The Sun has more details about Dundalk Murder Mom Denise Sims.

Crooked currency trader and former Mt. Washington resident John Rusnack (who lost $691 million of AIB/Allfirst's money) says that being in jail makes him feel "20 years younger."

"Only" one murder last week in the city-- 18-year-old Reginald Gray. But there was still an accidental shooting, a justifiable homicide, and a guy stabbed by someone named "Peaches."

Bmore's organized crime division is not impressed that 50 Cent's penned a song that, they say, touts Baltimore as a great place to deal heroin.

Interesting article from Toledo about the Catholic church's secrecy policies... it portrays the Baltimore archdiocese as the most open and proactive in reaching out to victims of sex abuse. Go Keeler. Baltimore's Catholic church has paid out $4.1 million to victims, which sounds shocking until you note that the Church has now paid $840 million to victims and $139.6 million to attorneys. According to the church, 4,392 priests have been accused of molesting minors in 10,667 cases between 1950 and 2002.