Monday, February 5, 2007

February 5

Arkia L. Douglas of Glen Burnie got 12 years for beating her 13-day-old daughter to death. Reports Andrea Siegel, "Doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital stopped cataloguing her injuries because there were too many."

And, a sentencing hearing for Tanea Bullock, 22, of the 4800 block of Liberty Heights Avenue is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. tomorrow before Judge Schwait. Bullock pled guilty November 28, 2006 to manslaughter and child abuse resulting in death.  Under terms of the plea agreement announced in open court she faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison suspend all but 20 years. A co-defendant, Lawrence Watson, 26, pled guilty to reckless endangerment and was sentenced to time served. The heinous facts:
On January 5, 2005 at their residence in the 4800 block of Liberty Heights Avenue, Bullock and Watson awakened at 5 a.m. and found their son, Joshua Watson, one month old, cold and not breathing. They went back to bed. Several hours later they awakened and found Joshua cold and unresponsive.  Watson called 911. Emergency operators performed CPR and transported Joshua to Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner found loop shaped scars and signs of blunt force trauma to the right side of Joshua’s body, skull fractures, hemorrhaging and contusions of the brain and 27 healing fractures to his torso.
Is it really possible that we had no murders over the weekend?

A robbery in Canton and a couple of stabbings over the weekend.

Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler wants to take on violent street gangs.

The Harford County Sheriff is tightening security after Terrance Washington's fourth successful escape.

A ewe was decapitated in Frederick County.

A truckload of TVs was stolen and recovered in Anne Arundel County.

Oh, goody. Sheila's going to talk about the State of the City.

Perv du Jour: Parris James McGhee-Bey, 57, former teacher at Woodlawn High School, was arrested for assaulting a 14-year-old student.

18 comments:

ppatin said...

Sheila Dixon was on WYPR for a couple of minutes this morning, and everything she said was meaningless drivel. Apparently she wants people in Baltimore to exercise more. I expect her to accomplish absolutely nothing of substance during her time as mayor, except maybe to funnel a few more contracts to her family and friends.

taotechuck said...

A question for those of you who are more legally/politically savvy than I am (i.e., everyone here).

What would it take to remove a mayor from office? Does the Baltimore City charter (or whatever it is) allow for impeachment, or recall, or anything of the sort? What about the City Council? Can they be removed?

Since the powers that be are asking us to be outraged, let's use our outrage to remove our ineffective, incompetent, and corrupt leaders from office.

Thoughts?

patches said...

taotechuck-

Rioting usually works.

jon said...

taotechuck:

Educate people BEFORE they actually vote.

DurhamSt said...

Jon,
You hit the nail on the head. Poloticians do not want an educated populice. If we had one they would be out of a job, hence the promise of education reform, but no action. Since the uneducated forget the promises 2-4-6 years later.

John Galt said...

These people are taught to vote party from cradle to grave.

In order to remove them from office, they basically need to be convicted felons. I believe they can be removed if physically incapable of serving, but ordinary, routine Baltimore incompetence doesn't really fill the bill.

Now, interestingly, the Police Department has certain specific obligations under the Public Local Laws of Baltimore City sec. 16-1, to wit:

The purpose generally of the department shall be to safeguard the lives and safety of all persons within the City of Baltimore,
to protect property therein, and
to assist in securing to all persons the equal protection of the laws.

The department shall have, within the boundaries of said City, the specific duty and responsibility
to preserve the public peace;
to detect and prevent the commission of crime;
to enforce the laws of this State, and of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore not inconsistent with the provisions of this subtitle;
to apprehend and arrest criminals and persons who violate or are lawfully accused of violating such laws and ordinances;
to preserve order at public places;
to maintain the orderly flow of traffic on public streets and highways;
to assist law enforcement agencies of this State, any municipality of the United States in carrying out their respective duties; and to discharge its duties and responsibilities with the dignity and manner which will inspire
public confidence and respect.


Now, note the removal provision for the Commissioner:


(e) Removal for cause.
The Police Commissioner is subject to removal by the Mayor for official misconduct,
malfeasance, inefficiency or incompetency, including prolonged illness, in the manner provided
by law in the case of civil officers.


The issue here is to elect a Mayor who can recognize INCOMPETENCY when she sees it.

DurhamSt said...

Heard through the grapevine that a guy was shot in the face Saturday night in Dru Hill. Haven't seen any reports, maybe Wed in the Ink. Though if it doesn't get reported it didn't happen.

Anonymous said...

D's i sent your name for the free ticket to stoop storytelling... let me know if you can't make it{Feb15th}

Si Fitz said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Maurice Bradbury said...

Thanks!
You know what, I need to call Verizon-- another one of my friends with Comcast can't send me anything either. They may have a block on that ISP for whatever mutarded reason...

John Galt said...

Sheila Dixon states that Lenny Hamm [will use every technological tool at his disposal to address crime.]

Guys,.... it's actually a very 18th century technology called.... foot patrol. It doesn't require a Ph.D. Good thing too, because Lenny Hamm doesn't have a whole lot of educational creds. But it does require manpower.

I'd really like for him not to get lost in trying to do something adventuresome. Just staff up your bloody department. 5,000 would be a great target, with 3,500 attained this year. Without fail. No exceptions or excuses.

But then, this is Baltimore, where excuses are everything.

John Galt said...

I'm starting to think that I'll soon long for the the familiar low-level incompetence of the O'M relative to our current Herroner, who seems to be blazing new trails in uselessness.

I'm thinking more and more favorably on the notion of armed insurrection.

Maurice Bradbury said...

I think that's a 10,000 BC technology galt!
Walk around the cave with a club!

John Galt said...

Hey, what can I say. I'm just a Cro-magnon kinda guy.

Anonymous said...

So Much worthlessness, so little time...

1) Gansler is little more than a showman who is going to compete with O'M for "biggest mugger in maryland" since the days of the beltway sniper case - something that was to me a flagrant case of showmanship above respect for the law - it was clear that he cared more about looking good than doing good. This legislation of his will be a patent case of disrespecting jurisdiction - and the legislation will give him the right regardless.

Don't be surprised if one of the following happens:

1) Gansler runs for Governor after O'M exits office for a White House run or,
2) Gansler gets a boost into the DOJ if a Democrat goes into the white house in 2008

2) Dixon being a worthless scoundrel is far from new news. That being said, I am doubtful that we'll get a single good candidate for this upcoming election. Perhaps Hammbone should run on his successes as the city's top cop...?

Someone remind me why i'm here again?

Anonymous said...

I wish i could remind you, but I forget sometimes why I'm here too...

And that Bullock/Watson case? For real, how do we get soo many people with kids that they just abuse to death? I wish i could put those two and the rest of the sick child abusers over the years up in front of a firing squad.

Child abuse is one crime that pisses me off to no end, and I have a 6yo, and no matter how bad or wild he acts, i would never cause him bodily harm anywhere near the degree of these morons. I barely spank him on the butt.... it's called parenting, Baltimore parents chould give it a try sometime

Maurice Bradbury said...

I know, I don't get it either. Women have fought and died for the right to birth control, and now we have it, it's very effective, if you don't like taking pills, there's a patch. If you don't like a patch, we have the IUD. If you don't like that, there's Depo-Provera, and if that doesn't work for you there's condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, spermicides, 'femidoms'... and failing all of that, adoptions, foster care, and good old abortions.
There is no excuse in the world for children to be treated in such a way.

And if a dog, fuck, a gerbil was treated that way, there would be real outrage. But because it's human childen, ho hum. Next story.

My neighbor takes in foster kids. They show up in the middle of the night, unannounced, and she doesn't know how long she'll have them, and she gives them everything she can for how long, and then then go back to god-knows-what.

If you don't like what "people" do, the only solution is to do it right yourself.

I can't take in foster kids, I'd like to. Someday I will. It's not just having a crib and some diapers, it's resigning yourself to being as much of a solution as you can and being able to let horrible, horrible things go to be of service and see those kids go back. But that's the human condition, right? You can only help your teeny little corner of the world.

John Galt said...

I'm sorta looking favorably on the idea of forced sterilization for eggregious child abuse where the 'parent' just keeps poppin' 'em out. Or if not, then the child should become a ward of the state at birth, with parental rights terminated.