Saturday, November 1, 2008

>10 Years for Murder of Marine

maurice and ericaFrom the SAO, pic of defendants Crosby and Ammenhauser at right:
A jury convicted Maurice Crosby, 20, of the 5200 block of Ready Avenue of involuntary manslaughter on Friday, and acquitted him of more serious first-degree murder charges and assaults on other victims in the altercation that led to the fatal stabbing of Marine Reservist Michael Simms on June 10, 2007. The maximum allowable sentence for involuntary manslaughter is 10-years in prison.

The jury deliberated about 8-hours after several days of testimony in a trial this week before the Honorable Paul Smith. Sentencing is scheduled for February 3, 2009 before Judge Smith. The defendant testified in his own defense.

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Crosby July 16, 2007 for first-degree murder and multiple deadly weapons counts and assaults on 3 other surviving victims following an altercation June 10, 2007 in the unit block of S. Chapel Street. Michael Simms, 19, a Marine Reservist was fatally stabbed and later died at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

A co-defendant, Erica Ammenhauser, 21, of the 200 block of Durham Street pled guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree assault June 10, 2008. Under terms of the plea agreement, announced in open court, she was required to testify truthfully, if called, in the murder trial of Maurice Crosby. She was not called as a witness by the State in Crosby’s trial this week.

Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa Phelps prosecuted this case.

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Ammenhauser will serve seven years. She had originally been charged with 1st-degree murder.

... in other news, Three people shot last night; a man shot in the face at Bel Air and Hamilton, and on Marble Hall Rd "One was shot in the groing, the other in teh leg."

One a-hole arrested for the kidnapping and robbery of the U of M medical student

is 10 years too long for slinging crack?

More trouble at York Rd. Plaza-- carjacking on Wednesday, copious puking Friday

14 comments:

Cham said...

Is 10 years too long for slinging crack?

Okay, from the previous discussion @$2600/month x 120 months = $312,000 for 10 years for a small amount of crack selling and a first time offender.

That's your money, that's our money, that's everyone's money. If sending this woman away for 10 years gives you a warm and fuzzy perhaps you should be given the opportunity to foot the bill and leave those that disagree with these mandatory RICO sentencing guidelines out of the equation.

Gregoree said...

I can't find MJB's email. I'd like to forward some emails regarding a rash of armed robberies/home invasion around UMBC that haven't been covered by the media. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

Maurice Bradbury said...

at the very bottom of the page there's a link that says "Mail admin"

ppatin said...

I'm no fan of the War On Drugs, however until the law changes we need to vigorously prosecute and punish those who violate it. The woman in question wasn't just sent away for selling drugs, she was a member of a dangerous, violent criminal organization. We're better off with her behind bars.

Cham said...

The drug dealing lady was associated with a gang, but does that make her a big evildoer? So she had the wrong friends, is that worth 10 years of her life and a big chunk of our money?

The justice department had no choice but to hand her 10 years, and they did that. It's the legislative branch that makes the laws, and we elect those people. The fault of this mess falls with us.

ppatin said...

"The drug dealing lady was associated with a gang, but does that make her a big evildoer?"

It's better to be safe than sorry and lock people like that up.

ppatin said...

"The justice department had no choice but to hand her 10 years, and they did that."

That's not really true. The US Attorney's office leaves most drug prosecutions to state prosecutors. They do have a choice about which cases go federal. The fact that the feds targeted this woman suggest she was not your average dope peddler.

Cham said...

Prosecutors a much like sales people, they like to be successful and win, it is good for their records and for their careers. The US Attorneys office may have taken the case because there was strong evidence and they could make a good case which they knew they could win. They could chalk one up in the win column for themselves. This lady could very well be your average dope peddler, a few months of incarceration would have been appropriate and enough to encourage her to take a better path.

ppatin said...

"Prosecutors a much like sales people, they like to be successful and win, it is good for their records and for their careers."

All the news coverage I've heard recently about Rod Rosenstein's office has been saying that they're doing a pretty good job of singling out the most dangerous criminals for federal prosecution. The Baltimore Sun isn't exactly a pro-War on Drugs or pro-Bush administration source, so I doubt they'd mindlessly praise a Bush-appointed US Attorney unless he was doing something pretty right.

John Galt said...

Cham, consider that we could save a whole lot of money by releasing those on death row. Between daily maintanence and their endless appeals at taxpayer expense, it adds up to a lot of money.

No question.

At issue is:

if you don't want to pay the cost of keeping them in a box, do you

a) release them back onto my street to save your money, or

b) put them out of our misery to save that money.

I'm not really willing for you/(us) to save money by jeopardizing my safety, thank you.

So,... until we authorize incapacitation of dopedealers by capital punishment, you're just going to have to foot that bill.

Sorry, Hon.

Cham said...

Not necessarily Mr. Galt. We can change the laws if we wish. Low level dope dealers aren't compromising your safety, they stand on the corner in the heat and in the cold all day but aren't guilty of holding anyone up at gunpoint. Yes, they are a bit of a nuisance and need not to do what they do, but drug dealing doesn't make one a violent person. Of course, after 10 years in prison with violent people, they may be pretty violent when they get out.

ppatin said...

"drug dealing doesn't make one a violent person. "

In Baltimore it sure does. Any non-violent drug dealer who tries to do business in this town would be chased off or killed by his or her more violent competitors.

Cham said...

Street level drug dealers aren't violent killers, but some yutz that has been fronted some vials of crack by a distributor and expected to turn them into money by the end of the day, or preferably noontime.

John Galt said...

Just a working guy?

Don't kid yourself.