There are a bunch of stories on the killings that occurred over the weekend. Well, there are a ton of stories on the two murders in Federal Hill, there's a story and some photos about the two murders on Bloom St. (and the Federal Hill murders), and everybody has already forgotten about the lady who got slaughtered in Pigtown and Marcus Caldwell, the young man who was found by his mother. (Although it's bass-ackwards to praise a newspaper for not covering the news, kudos to the Examiner for not jumping on the Federal Hill bandwagon. I'd much rather read Luke B.'s end-of-month murder summaries than a bunch of hysteria over 2% of the city's murders.)
Something seems very, very wrong with this headline: "Killer may face return to prison." (Something seems very, very wrong with Christopher O'Brien, too, if you ask me.)
Honestly, this whole Sheila D. mess is really confusing to me, so I'm going to wallow in my ignorance and skip the latest batch of articles. Here are some links, though, so you can read up. If you can explain it to me in 25 words or less, that'd kick ass. The Sun, the Examiner, WJZ, WBAL, WMAR, and another one from the Sun.
Since Kevin Johns is too dangerous for the crazy prison, he's staying at Supermax. So let's have a Baltimore Crime contest. Where do you think Kevin Johns should be sent? And c'mon, be creative. "Put him down like the rabid dog he is." Blah, blah, blah, heard it before. Let's have some Tuesday morning fun. I propose that the state sell him to the guys who made those stupid Saw movies and he can work as a "violence consultant."
30 comments:
Dear God, even the picture in that article of Kevin Johns gives me a case of the screaming meemies.
This is why I hate lawyers:
"A convicted killer who was found not criminally responsible this month for his third homicide will remain incarcerated at a maximum-security prison while receiving treatment for his psychiatric illnesses from the state health department - a decision that defense attorneys say effectively "guts" the laws designed to protect the criminally insane."
Protect the criminally insane? Kevin Johns has killed THREE people, two of them while he was locked up! Maybe we should be more worried about how to protect the rest of the world from him!
More lawyer stupidity:
""The reason Kevin Johns is dangerous right now," McCabe added, "is because he is in a prison where he's not being treated for his mental illnesses.""
"Dangerous right now?" Kevin Johns is a lunatic who will be dangerous for as long he's alive. Any defense lawyer who's like to invite Johns into his or her home after his "treatment" is complete is more than welcome to do so though.
As for Chuck's contest, I still say that the best place for Johns would be in the same cell as Trayvon Ramos. He could also be hired out to engineering firms that're designing maximum security prisons. They could test new buildings with him, and I think it's safe to say that any facility which is Kevin Johns proof has met the gold standard for prison safety.
I'm guessing the victim of the Pigtown murder was a prostitute. Take the apathetic media response, despite the involvment of a white female victim. Also, um, it's Pigtown.
Given that Pat Jessamy won't seek the death penalty against Mark Castillo, why don't we just have him share a jail cell with Kevin Johns?
By my count, that's exactly 25 words.
Mr. Meph, I need someone to explain the Sheila D. investigation to me in 25 words or less because I'm, like, kinda stupid about that sort of stuff. Or maybe you could write a haiku. How's this?
Mayor Sheila D.
rotten like the fallen leaves
that hide in new snow
Okay, that was weak. Whatever. I'm tired.
As for Johns sharing a cell with Castillo, I'm guessing Marky C. wouldn't last very long. Johns and Ramos would be a much more interesting pairing.
Ahhh... if only we could add Hannibal Lecter to the mix.
Sorry, I mixed up the two contests.
Martin O' worries
Bobby Haircut's comeback near
Does Sheila have dirt?
Apt. Manager in Woodlawn has died
http://wjz.com/local/man.dies.woodlawn.2.755897.html
WJZ also notices that in Baltimore City, some neighborhoods are more equal than others. The District Commander insists he doesn't know what we're talking about.
So,... Not Separate But very, very Unequal... sounds like a twisted version of Plessey v. Ferguson to me.
per the contest: Dixon is corrupt as her environment; getting the big picture means dismantling Maryland’s political elite, so the investigation focuses on mink coats.
Fur is a-flying
Indictment hangs in the air -
Fall promises change
Iron clinks iron;
That's the sound as the Mayor
works on the Chain Gang,
Sister Got Her Some...
Lipscomb danced her life away,
No sympathy here.
Patin, it's not good to hate. Just set it down buddy.
Donald C. Wright:
It's not good to have killing-machines like Kevin Johns outside of a cell in Supermax.
Mr. Wright,
I'm curious as to your take on Mr. Pettit's observation that even if the subpoenaed testimony compellingly incriminates Dixon, a Baltimore City trial jury just won't convict.
Isn't this kind of indicative of a jurisdiction full of folks unworthy as a class to shoulder the ethical burden of jury duty ?
The jury system was a good idea back in the day, but living in Baltimore has convinced me that its time has past. We should do what most of the world does and have judges decide cases. The average person is too dumb/ignorant to make those kinds of decisions.
It'd never work, P. Some of our judges seem even more clueless than our juries. Only some, granted, but all it takes is a few.
How about if we changed it from "jury of your peers" to "jury of law students and 1st graders?" Six law students and six 1st graders. That way, at least we'll be almost guaranteed a combination of knowledge and common sense.
We could probably greatly improve the functioning of the jury system if we required a basic literacy/intelligence test (anyone who thinks that CSI is realistic is automatically banned for life from jury service) and excluded anyone with multiple felons in their immediate family.
I think a jury system works perfectly well in a mainstream environment where 95% of the population have no familiarity and certainlky no predisposition with respect to real criminals.
Such people are unconflicted in their pursuit of fairly objective justice and tend to have the requisite educational background to properly execute the instructions of the Court about how to properly approach the job.
A rather active crime blotter includes shootings, robberies, beatings, as well as the usual theft.
I had the pleasure of serving on a baltimore city jury. It was a disaster. Roughly 1/3 of the members were morons, 1/3 hated the police with a vengeance, 1/3 seemed to have sense but were not up to the task of motivating the other 2/3 to render "guilty".
Aside from the unpleasantness of having to deal with people I would not give the time of day to, I really did not like the fact that we could not consider the context of the crime and prep. We could not use the fact that the prep has been in an out of CJS since age 18, nor the fact that he was "hanging out" in the epicenter of a drug infested area near midnight. BUT, during jury selection, the lawyers were free to use stereotypes, our job titles and whatever else they could divine out of our appearance.
The next time I get called for jury duty (and it's been about a year so I should be getting another summons again soon...) I'm going to dress like a loser on the day I'm summoned. Maybe that'll make the defense think that I'm a juror they want.
During my first career, I often went to do my duty at jury duty, and of course I knew the entire day would be wasted because I would never be picked. It was kinda a waste of everybody's time and city money, but I knew that they had to go through with the process.
After retirement, I tried the technique of wearing a tie: bingo: the defense attorney always excluded me!
But last year, despite the tie, (which I offered to rent for an unreasonable sum to a guy who really wanted out-of jury duty), they picked me for a civil case wherein I had to sit for over 4 days learning more than I never needed to know about piles of dirt! And then, after copious note-taking, the judge told me and another guy we could not sit thru deliberations because we were always alternates.
Perhaps Kevin Johns can be contracted by the state to provide security to enforce the overnight curfew "strictly" in Federal Hill Park. After all, his last trial did not end in a conviction, and it might help with his treatment and rehabilitation. He could be housed in one of those buildings the arrogant developer built a story too tall and could not/would not dismantle, but merely paid a small fine for.
The jury system is the best and fairest system of justice developed by free people in human history.
But juries reflect their communities. Is it really that shocking or confusing why a City jury would be reluctant to convict on cases (like 99% of narcotics cases) built almost entirely around an officer's testimony? I know anyone who knew Bryant Worrell will probably have some trouble with that.
I'm not a police basher in front of a jury by any means. However, if all the State has is the word of an officer, in this town you are certainly justified in wanting some corroborating evidence to eliminate reasonable doubt.
And Galt, seems unfair to both the Mayor and the State to have to try this case in Baltimore City Circuit Court. This seems like it should be a federal case, or not a case at all.
Perhaps you can help me understand the basis for federal jurisdiction in such matters.
What is the relevant federal oversight legislation?
There are general federal statutes for fraud, corruption and bribery. Many of the fed laws overlap state statutes and you have concurrent jurisdiction.
Generally, federal prosecutions of corruption at the state and local level is preferred because it avoids the appearance of being political.
"The jury system is the best and fairest system of justice developed by free people in human history. "
Says who? There are plenty of civilized countries (most of Europe comes to mind) where cases are decided by judges. What evidence do you have that our justice system is fairer than that of Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, etc?
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