Monday, September 24, 2007

September 24

"Mayor Sheila Dixon's former campaign chairman, Dale Clark, has pleaded guilty in Anne Arundel County to three counts of willful failure to file income tax returns for 2002, 2003, and 2004 ... Clark first made news in the ethics probe surrounding the mayor. His company billed nearly $600,000 to the city without a contract. Dixon's office has admitted to a major oversight in that matter."

The Hampden dead body was a white guy killed by blunt-force trauma. #225 according to the Sun, #234 to those who know better.

Not again: Three inmates at the city Detention Center were stabbed during a fight yesterday.

Crazed Rednecks!! Dept
Essexer Perry Webb, 18, was arrested in Bowleys Quarters for "gunplay" outside of a Wal-Mart that sent a woman to the hospital.

Melville Mason, 29, scored drugs, took city police on a ride to Sykesville, rammed a cruiser, was tear-gassed at grandma's, wound up arrested. All in a day's work y'all!

Biters! The Examiner's "Baltimore Police Blotter" compiles crime stories from local media reports.

The good news from the Wally Jay:
the majority of law-school graduates are suffering from a supply-and-demand imbalance that's suppressing pay and job growth. The result: Graduates who don't score at the top of their class are struggling to find well-paying jobs to make payments on law-school debts that can exceed $100,000. Some are taking temporary contract work, reviewing documents for as little as $20 an hour, without benefits ... A slack in demand appears to be part of the problem. The legal sector, after more than tripling in inflation-adjusted growth between 1970 and 1987, has grown at an average annual inflation-adjusted rate of 1.2% since 1988.
There's always an opening in the State's Attorney's Office, kids!

14 comments:

taotechuck said...

I must've missed something. Why is Monae Gorham crossed off the list?

Maurice Bradbury said...

"Emptyman" reminded me of the "Year and a Day" rule; she was shot in 1999 and died this year, so it's officially "natural" causes.

Of course, that's not to say these rules aren't sometimes against all common sense. Like, I'm pretty sure if you run someone over with a car ON PURPOSE, it's not counted as a murder but a "traffic fatality."
(Thresher, yes. tricked-out dirtbike, yes. Car, no) Such was the case with #115 Alvin Parson.

burgersub said...

hey, i just noticed that in your homicide list sidebar, you've been writing '8' (august) instead of '9' (september) since the 15th.

burgersub said...

what are you talking about with this "year and a day" archaic english law nonsense? there's been at least 12 "official" murders in the last 3 years just in baltimore city where the victim died more than a year after the initial assault. the only reason monae gorham isn't officially a murder yet is because they medical examiner hasn't made a ruling yet.

also, intentionally hitting someone with your car does count as a murder, that's happened twice in baltimore this year, including alvin parson. i mean you linked to a blurb about him in "murder ink," and he is being counted as a murder.

Maurice Bradbury said...

Ok, you're right about the rule.. it was abolished in 1996.
I'm looking into the car thing. I swear I'm right about this... this Ink has made classification errors in the past, and I'm pretty sure I've seen it on an FBI UCR page talking about who's counted and who's not.

Almond Smash said...

If someone runs you over on purpose and you die ... it is indeed counted as Murder...and I don't need to look it up.

If you do not die it is counted as an Aggravated Assault.

Intent to use your car as a weapon to cause injury is a Criminal not Traffic offense.

Anonymous said...

So, Dixon runs with criminal scum. You know, I'd usually be pretty disgusted and annoyed and ramble.

But hell - screw it. Since the people in this town elected her, fine. Let them reap what they sow.

ppatin said...

How do they decide whether a crime is aggravated assault or attempted murder?

burgersub said...

i think attempted murder is an actual charge whereas aggravated assault is just a category of crimes used mostly for statistical purposes.

Stewie del Gato said...

Aggravated Assault is an assault with an intent to cause more severe harm or injury (but not death) than a simple assault. Agg. assault usually involves a deadly weapon. Assault is the threat of physical or psychological injury, not actual injury (which is battery, manslaughter, murder, etc.). Attempted murder is exactly that; attempt to cause deathly harm to another individual. Most of it has to do with intent which is extremely difficult to prove. The bigger gray area is murder vs. manslaughter.

Maurice Bradbury said...

Seriously, Almond, if it happens with a car it's 'vehicular homicide'-- it counts as murder as far as any sensible person is concerned, but NOT to the FBI UCR statistics.

As for Alvin Parson, #115, turns out that's not a good example. says the SA's office:

"After a complete investigation, including interviewing many witnesses, and reviewing all the evidence, the SAO could not corroborate the evidence and witness statements to prosecute a murder case. There was evidence that could show that this incident was an accident and evidence that could show the suspects charged acted in self defense and evidence that could show criminal intent with no way to corroborate the differing versions. Therefore, the State dismissed the charges."

burgersub said...

well, the official murder tally this year is 225, which gibes with my count that includes alvin parson and charles erdman. and the official count for 2005 was 269, which gibes with my count including kurt fulp. i think you're wrong. people getting killed by cars USUALLY counts as vehicular homicide/manslaughter/whatever because it's normally an accident. people getting run down on purpose is kind of rare.

Maurice Bradbury said...

Then Alvin Parson poses a different problem (poopsie).
The SA's office says there isn't enough evidence to support the theory it was a murder.
So should police keep him on the list of murders that they give to the FBI at the end of the year... The Number? Should we?
Because if it wasn't murder then it would have to be an accident or negligence, right?

burgersub said...

i don't know. similarly, will worcester county keep the freeman baby in its Number, even though the M.E. decided it was impossible to determine if it was full-term or not when it died? after all, she did admit while being interviewed by detectives that she gave birth to a live baby and then watched it drown in the toilet, but i guess that statement for some reason wouldn't have been admissible in court, hence the dropping of charges?