June 28

Eight murders last week brought the number to 133 (adding Thomas Batty but not Demone Jackson, whose homicide will almost certainly be ruled justifable). Katiria Delacruz, 24, was a victim of domestic violence; Ryan Cornell Mills, 20, was shot by a man his own age; Demithrius Spears, 32, was found on the 300 block of East 27th street; Anthony Rheubottom, 25, was also a domestic violence vitcim; Janiya Williams, 4, left, was raped and beaten to death by her cousin; Russell Duckworth, 33, was stabbed in the neck during an arguement; and Robert Lee King was shot in his car. The Sun reported 4/7 (57%) of the murders.

At a hearing today, Brian Jones, 18, pled guilty to second-degree murder and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. Judge Wanda K. Heard scheduled sentencing for September 18. On December 11, 2005 at approximately 8:20 p.m., Jones fatally shot Damian Mitchell, 28, once in the head. Jones confessed to the shooting, telling police Mitchell had threatened him. However, a witness in close proximity to the victim interviewed by police shortly after the shooting did not corroborate that claim.

Jury selection in the Adan Canela and Policarpio Espinoza case continued through yesterday afternoon, but court is off today and tomorrow. Jury selection will resume on Friday, room 234 Courthouse East.

An Oakenshawe resident posted an account of a home invasion/ hostage situation on Monday night.

Jack Odom, Jr. and Michael Brassell pled not guilty at their arraignment this morning and the court set a trial date of September 5, 2006.

A man shot in the thigh on Bond Street, an old Ford set on fire, a robbed pizza man, and the Family Dollar was robbed again. And burglary, etc. in the Blotter. Hey, who's Tyrone?

Martius Harding's fiancee: he turned to drug dealing to pay the legal fees for his child-custody battle.

The ATM-machine bandit was arrested in a Tennessee Wal-Mart after a security guard recognized him from a picture. Wow! Also from Drug dealer and murderer Charles Garrison, 36, got 22 1/2 years for the drug dealing, is yet to be sentenced on the murder part. And 52-year-old Charles Allen got 112 months for running the smack.

Mary Ann Saar: we're not rewriting the execution manual.

Baltimore living adds a lot of mileage. Murder victim Thomas Batty was 66, not 86.

Web finds: Sperling's BestPlaces lets you search the demographics of any zip code. GreatSchools lets you compare schools by test scores, ethnicity and other factors (did you know? 32 city schools are 100% black!) And the city has a handy "Citizen Resources" page, with links to news sources, maps, courts and other public facilities.

Oops, she did it again: She's famous for saying she'd shoot Britney Spears if the chance arose, and that she'd like to punish newspapers like lying 5-year-olds. Now Kendel Ehrlich appears to have stuck her foot in it again, saying that early voting makes a mockery of men dying overseas. No way to verify her exact words yet, as there was no transcript, but the local ABC affiliate was filming... let's hope WMAR gets the tape and airs it so we can find out what she really said!

Where are they now?

A reader wrote to ask whatever became of Brent Allen Gates, which is a very good question.

In 2004, Gates was indicted on felony theft charges. Said the Sun in 2004,

An officer in the city Police Department's organized crime division has been charged with stealing $1,400 from a man he had stopped for running a red light on a scooter, prosecutors said.

Officer Brent Allen Gates, 30, surrendered yesterday after a grand jury indicted him on charges of felony theft and misconduct in office. Gates, who was hired in 1999, has a role in about 40 pending criminal cases that could now face additional scrutiny, according to court records.

Neither Gates nor his attorney could be reached for comment yesterday. If convicted of theft, Gates could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of misconduct, he would face whatever penalty a judge deemed fair.

The charges against Gates stem from a June 2 traffic stop in the 2300 block of Ashland Ave. in East Baltimore. According to Assistant State's Attorney A. Thomas Krehely Jr., the man on the scooter pulled out his identification and with it came at least some of the $6,300 he had in his pocket. The city state's attorney's office has confirmed that the man received money in a settlement for a traffic accident, Krehely said.

Krehely said Gates requested the money and took it to his car. Another police officer told prosecutors that it appeared Gates counted the money, according to Krehely.

Krehely said Gates returned a wad of money to the man, issued him three traffic tickets and, when the man started to count the cash, told him to drive away. The man rode the scooter a short distance, counted the cash and discovered he was missing $1,400, Krehely said.

The scooter's driver, Tony Julius Robinson, called police to report his money missing, Krehely said. The other officer followed Gates to a liquor store, where Gates entered the bathroom, Krehely said.

The prosecutor said the second officer waited until Gates left the bathroom, entered and found about $500 hidden behind a mirror.

Krehely said the second officer left the money in the bathroom and called his superiors. A short time later, officers with search warrants recovered the $500 in the bathroom and $400 from Gates, Krehely said. No other money was found, he said.

In June 2005, we reported, "the theft and misconduct in office trial of Baltimore City police officer Brent Allen Gates, 30, of Essex, Maryland, is scheduled to begin 9:30 in the morning on Monday, June 6 before Judge Joseph Kaplan, 227b Courthouse East."

I didn't think of the case again until I was reminded. Looked it up on the case search, and it says that he divorced his wife Heather Lynn in 2003. Also that both the theft and misconduct charges were "NOLLE PROSEQUI."

So what happened? Said the State's Attorney's office, "Brent Allen Gates had his charges dismissed on June 5, 2005. In exchange for the State dismissing his charges he had to resign from the Police Department and is not to work in law enforcement any more."

A pretty sweet deal. So now you know.

June 27

An arraignment for Baltimore City police officers Jack H. Odom, Jr., 44, and Michael D. Brassell, 34, is scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow morning before Judge John M. Glynn. The Baltimore City State's Attorney's office filed a Criminal Information (which, I hear, is when the State's Attorney's Office files charges directly, replacing an indictment) against Odom and Brassell on May 26. Odom is charged with three counts of second-degree assault and Brassell is charged with one count of second-degree assault. If convicted of the count of second-degree assault, a defendant faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison per count. Court documents allege that on or about October 22-23, 2005 Odom and Brassell committed assault against patron(s) of a restaurant in front of Maria's in Federal Hill.

Media biz news: Is a bloody battle (aka proxy fight) on the way in the drama of the embattaled Tribune Co.? The Tribune is buying back shares, probably as a way to pay last year's $1 billion tax bill. The buyback will make the Chandler family the largest shareholders of the company that owns the Sun. Team Chandler, which wants the Tribune broken up, calls the buyback "hasty and ill-informed" and "fundamentally flawed."

An 80-year-old man, Clyde Lewis, shot and killed 86-year-old Thomas Batty (#133) at a seniors' high rise in Bolton Hill. Lewis is being held without bail at the BCity detention center.

Defense attorneys for the Rice Organization: we didn't read the whole agreement.

Leroy Young got 27 years for the robbery and murder of Terrence Smith.

In Baltimore County, prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty in the case of Brian Keith Rose, accused of robbing and murdering Warren T. Fleming at Security Square Mall.

Three people were arrested at Howard County General Hospital after trying to push their way into a triage area as medical staff tried to resuscitate murder victim Anthony Owen-Smith.

Businessman Wilkins McNair Jr. was indicted on money laundering charges for a fraudulent investment scheme involving an obesity-treatment clinic.

Thirty-five years later, the identity of the Freeway Phantom serial killer is still a mystery.

June 26

The office of the State's Attorney announced the following indictments made by the Baltimore City Grand Jury today:

Damon Holmes, 16, of Baltimore, Maryland, has been indicted for first degree murder /and robbery with a deadly weapon. Holmes is alleged to have shot and killed Oumar Bah, a taxi cab driver in northeast Baltimore, in late May. His arraignment is scheduled for July 19. Assistant State's Attorney Samuel Yee will prosecute this case.

William Fuller, 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, has been indicted for first degree murder. Fuller is alleged to have stabbed Kiam Moody this March. Moody was rushed to Johns Hopkins Hospital shortly after the alleged assault where he died as the result of stab wounds. His arraignment is scheduled for July 19. Assistant State's Attorney and Homicide Division Chief Mark P. Cohen will prosecute this case.

Chris Ward, 23, of Baltimore, Maryland, has been indicted for first degree murder. Ward is alleged to have shot and killed two individuals at 1600 E. 25th Street in Baltimore in February this year. His arraignment is scheduled for July 18. Assistant State's Attorney Robyne Szokoly will prosecute this case.

In a completely unscientific poll, looks like Mary Pat Clarke is the people's choice for mayor in '08! Second choice, Keiffer Mitchell Jr. Third place? O'Malley again!

Good news (or as good as it gets around here): County police have arrested a man, Raymond Peter Boyer, 42, for the sexual attack on the nonagenarian woman.

In the County, Daniel Rushton was charged with first-degree murder for the beating death of Robert Proescher, 53, outside of a Rosedale bar.

Jeffrey Lanahan and Michael Kelley go on trial tomorrow for their guitar-stealing scheme.

A 46-year-old inmate died mysteriously at Jessup.

Hmm, I wonder if Judge Panos has any older brothers...

Only Baltimoreans could come up with this: "To Catch a Pervert" -- a "Dateline NBC "spoof featuring erotic acts with the Friends School crab, a garlic press and a strange obsession with Checkers.

June 25

Gov.: firing zealous rumor-mongers and people religiously opposed to homosexuality= the same thing. Firing staffers who happen to be Democrats= totally different.

Christ. Janiya Woodley, the four-year-old who was beaten and raped has died. Her cousin has now been charged with first-degree murder.

Since when is "gay" a noun? Also appointed to the Circuit Court, by the way: Yvette M. Bryant, defense lawyer for insurance companies (the gov. ♥s him some insurance companies!); John A. Howard of Towson, a white male heterosexual with an indistinguished law career; and Timothy J. Doory, Loyloa Don, UB Law, lawyer for 22 years, judge for 10.

Someone was shot in Columbia.

Antonio Murray got 139 years for robbing drug dealers and reselling the plunder.

Legislators: maybe we shouldn't let pedophiles keep their teaching cerificates.

This just in: it really blows to be poor and live in a crappy neighborhood.

Two employees were fired last week from an Eastern Shore juvie facility after two teens Did It in a classroom.

June 24

Aaron Spelling is dead!

June 23

Writing contest: speculate on the origins of items for sale at propertyroom.com. ("I am a rug; reeking ... reeking...")

Two men, Latar Bradshaw and Phillip Carter, have been charged for robbing and beating Sun writer Carl Schoettler. Feel bad for him and all, but is it fair to devote two pages of reportage when other robberies and beatings get a paragraph or less?

JFC! Ronald Hinton, a 15-year-old boy and son of a police trainee who died mysteriously in 1992, beat and raped a four-year-old girl within an inch of her life.

WTF? Neighbors had a cookout within feet of the bedroom window where Kenya Lincoln was chained to her bed.

Yike, a serial killer right in Harford County! ... now police are wondering if there's a connection to nine missing women and teenage girls.

A Baltimore man, Terence Turrell, got 30 years for his part in a home invasion and murder in Northern New Jersey.

Glynn: No change of venue for the officers accused of beating Raymond Smoot to death.

Police are looking for a jowly man who robbed the Royal Farms where the Channel 2 reporters stand in front of every time it snows, plus a 7-11 on East Baltimore Street.

The Duncan story: his violin and clarinet aren't playing the same tune. The Post compares it to the 1972 admission by VP candidate Thomas Eagleton that he'd had electroshock therapy (how refreshing to read something by a reporter with experience and a sense of history for a change ... !)

The lastest installment of the Post's "Being a Black Man" follows two high school students who rejected Catholic-school scholarships to make their local high school a better place.

William Steeg, 48, pled guilty to pantsless dancing in OC.

Supreme Court: if you complain about discrimination or harassment you're legally protected on the job. But if you work for the government and blow the whistle on wasteful or dangerous practices you can be fired. Gotcha.

Op-Ed
I like this essay... but "rebirth" on North Avenue? I'm sorry Jacques, you're a great Baltimorean, but that's the dumbest idea I've ever heard! Why does everyone want to sink so much into hopeless neighborhoods where no one wants to go (see the "rebirth" of the West Side), while Hampden and CV are covered with garbage, right at Lanvale and Charles is a property that's been derelict for more than 15 years, our public transportation goes nowhere, and if you want to visit the Harbor parking is $10? I'm sorry, Baltimore, you don't get a new neighborhood until you show me you can take care of the ones you have!

June 22

THIS JUST IN... Doug Duncan has dropped out of the governor's race because he's depressed !!
(imagine how No'Malley Dems feel...) I believe it, every time I've seen him he's seemed leaden and unenthused... But why would someone prone to depression want a job that requires so much extroversion in the first place? Anyways here's hoping the Dougnut gets some him-time to chill out, go fishing with Moose, pop some 'zac and get his groove back.
Is it too late for someone else to run? Simms (Stuart or Barry)? Mary Pat? Who do you nominate, readers?

Opening motions in the retrial of Adan Canela and Policarpio Espinoza start today.

A month in jail for Joe Cary, principal of the Owl's Nest club.

Steven Janis is on fire today... unlike those other lazy quitters! The Examiner had crime scene experts look over the Robert Clay autopsy report. Their conclusion: fishier than a Norwegian cathouse. And where are the gunshot residue reports? Well?

JZ: PowerPoint graphs don't prove the existence of arrest quotas. Examiner: yes they do.

Finally some good parenting: A HoCo mom is suing the man who molested her daughter for $16.1 million. And mom of a 14-year-old girl from Virginia who ran away to Baltimore says, 'I think I'm going to get her some counseling.' Good idea!

David William Richardson, 55, died a mysterious death in Stoneleigh.

A man was stabbed in the arm and a man and woman were arrested for crack and paraphernalia on Dru Hill.

Los federales are handing down huge drug sentences this week. And hey, we're getting a cyber-crime and intellectual property unit!

Now, that's funny. A Hagtown motorist claims he was "defending himself" when he shot at a PT Cruiser that wouldn't let him pass (3rd story from the top).

June 21

Ryan Cornell Mills, 23, was murdered (#127) in Southwest Baltimore, in view of four police officers.

Duane Elkerson was arrested for the murder of Antoinio Alford (N. Bentalou St., #118).

Just as I suspected... Baltimore's arrest rate is a complete anomaly, and "abated by arrest" is a new term, coined here. Also not just your imagination... Baltimore (with the exception of the Jewish community) is shrinking.

Linda Bullock, 41, has been missing for almost a month ... so why are we hearing about it now?

An officer shot a man in the stomach in Dundalk Monday night.

Victims June 13 to 18: Cynthia Riley (#119), Kevin Sewell (Towanda Avenue, 120), Trey Branch (E. Chase, 121), Donald Lewis (East Preston, 122), Said Sawab, 123, arson. Blackburn John (Ellicott Drive, 124) and an unidentified man (Smallwood, 125). I wonder what the extra number is. Julia Boussari, or someone else who is 'pending'?

Holy Gonzaga! A 15-year-old girl was found in Northwest Baltimore chained to a bed by her mom and mom's boyfriend. And a couple is in jail after leaving a handicapped five-year-old in a motel room.

Shit! The disappearance of newspaperman Phil Merrill was no accident!

yay, something new to arrest people for.

What an asshole. Not only is Kenneth Ellis' tag so shiteous other writers turned him in, he's also the wanker that drops chicken bones on the street! The Examiner also throws up a story.

The City will get $800,000 from a construction company that used a fake minority-owned firm to get contracts.

June 22

Harford County Police are wondering if there's a link between the Havre de Grace and Perryman murders ... think one Charles Burns (not left) may be involved.

HoCounty has acted against the Pack Shack.

Newspapers have no clue how to grow online (and I'm not telling).

That was quick: A Baltimore City jury convicted Joseph Omar Smith, 24, and Cyrus Lee Beads, 20, today of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder respectively after five days of testimony and approximately five hours of deliberation over two days. Judge Allen L. Schwait will sentence Smith and Beads August 29. Says "The State":

The jury convicted Smith of the second-degree murder of Lawrence Johnson, attempted second-degree murder and assault of Ryan McCutcheon, attempted second-degree murder of Jeremy Drake, conspiracy to murder McCutcheon and Drake, three counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and illegal Possession of a regulated firearm.

The jury convicted Beads of the attempted second-degree murder of McCutcheon, attempted second-degree murder of Drake, conspiracy to murder McCutcheon and Drake, two counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and illegal possession of a regulated firearm.

On June 7, 2005 police responded to 3832 Roland View Avenue and found three males suffering from gunshot wounds inside the location. Investigation revealed that the victims had been on the front porch when individuals suddenly opened fire from across the street. Multiple 9mm casings were recovered from the scene and were matched to a Glock 9mm handgun recovered from Cyrus Beads on June 13, 2005 when he was arrested in the 2600 block Keyworth. Eyewitnesses encountered the defendants immediately after the shots were fired rushing into an apartment. Both had guns and both used the bathroom to wash up and change clothes.

Juneteenth

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Ronnie Jones, 27, and Todd Mikal, 31, for 22 counts of armed robbery with a deadly weapon and attempted armed robbery. Jones and Mikal tried to rob Greektown playaz (including Prevas' brother) at an illicit poker game. Police responded while the alleged robbery was in progress and officially recovered $23,827 in U.S. currency from 20 victims.

Wouldn't that be wild: The Abell Foundation would like to buy the Sun from the Tribune. Says the foundation president: "it's important that the Sun aspire to its previous level of excellence." Word up there Bob.

Homicide #126 is a woman in an apartment east of Canton, dead from a gunshot wound to the head.

Today, a jury found Teon Hall guilty of the murder in the second degree of Craig Morris and first-degree assault of Stephen Kendall. Mr. Hall was convicted for shooting these two men outside of the Ritz Caberet in the early morning of February 18, 2005:

On the night of February 18, 2005, [before] Teon Hall shot and killed Craig Morris and seriously wounded Stephen Kendall, [Morris and Kendall] along with one of their friends were accosted by two Asian men outside of the Ritz. As a fight broke out between the men, Mr. Hall grabbed a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic hand gun and ran up to the fight and fired 6 shots at the victims striking each one 3 times. Mr. Morris, who stumbled into the club after being shot twice in the chest, was rushed to the hospital but died there. Mr. Kendall was struck in both legs and survived.

Police were at the scene almost immediately after the shooting. A witness at the scene provided police with a description of Mr. Hall, including the car he drove away in and the direction in which he fled. Baltimore City Police apprehended Mr. Hall approximately 2 miles from the Ritz on Eastern Avenue with the murder weapon directly between his feet. Fingerprint analysis discovered his finger prints on the magazine of the murder weapon.

The case was tried over the past 6 days before the Honorable Paul Alpert and the jury began its deliberations yesterday afternoon at 2:15 p.m. After recessing for the evening, the jury returned this morning and delivered its verdict at approximately 10:45 a.m. Sentencing is set for Tuesday, August 18, 2006, 18 months to the day after the incident.

At a hearing today, Judge Roger Brown sentenced Tremaine Jenkins, 27, to 25 years. A Baltimore City jury convicted Gibson more than a year ago for attempted second-degree murder and robbery with a deadly weapon. On Christmas Eve 2004 at around 11:30 p.m. Jenkins stabbed a victim in the forehead with a knife. When the victim fell to the ground, Jenkins went through his pockets, taking $90. The man lost his right eye as a result of the stab wound; the knife severed his optic nerve.

Two homicides this weekend , #s 124 and 125.

One of the less-pushy customers at the Charles Street Eddie's.

Taking Love to the Streets Dept:
This week the city will be beseiged by Baptists and other screaming elephant circuses.

Rumor around the courthouse is that Robert Clay was the "boyfriend" of Delegate Jill Carter {D-41} ... isn't that always the rumor about bossy girls?

Bruce Miller, left, reports on some local screenwriters who're peddling a pilot for a show about Baltimore that's all about the real: "The tagline is 'There is a lot of love to be had on the street,'" Mason said. "It's really dealing with people out in the night and what can happen and it also enlightens about AIDS, epidemiology and addiction. Baltimore has a lot to say in those areas."

Web finds: a site for Jewish child abuse and sexual assault survivors. Sorry to have missed yesterday's rally ... "Get" In On It, Efraim!

June 18

Back to this story. Is "abated by arrest" a legal outcome for an incident? Either a citation is issued on the spot, like a ticket, or someone's arrested and the a verdict is settled by the court. It can't be legal that an individual police officer could decide the sentence for "loitering" is subjecting someone to a body-cavity search and 24 hours in jail, can it?

Corpses in sports: Former Ho-riole David Segui admits to injecting human pituitary juice (synthetic, we hope).
"Len Bias: 20 Years Later - Lesson not learned" explores the challenges of earning college credits after death.

Texas, Mt. Hebron ('00), Loyola College, Carribean medical school, the Last Stand: the Mujtaba Rabbani Jabbar story. And more details.

Motz: No bond for prank-calling Hagtown creepazoid Jeffrey Shifler.

In Upper Marlboro, a bank robbery suspect shot himself. Meanwhile, Dontae T. Jefferson, 28, and Robert A. Paniagua, 19, of Towson, Md., are in custody.

In Annapolis, Wendi Davis, 42, formerly with the state treasury, has been indicted for stealing more than $52k from the insurance trust fund.

Duncan used his new Charles Village perch to dis the mayor's crime numbers. And indeed, crime's way up in MoCo.

Dogfaceboy details the endless quest for graffiti removal in Herring Run Park.

June 17

McDonough grad, father of five, special ed teacher, pharmaceutical sales entrepreneur : BC nominates Martius Harding finalist for the Golden Get In On It Award, bestowed for the most quintessential, well-rounded Bmorean.

Bloomsday

Detective William King got 315 years.

The Sun adds details to the NAACP/ACLU vs. police lawsuit, and an Op-ed on how Bmore's policing strategies are unconstitutional, unhelpful and expensive. The story has gone international and is covered by more than 100 news sources today (so far).

Supreme Court: police don't have to knock.

Judge Kaye Allison sentenced Mohammed Biglari to life plus twenty years yesterday. On April 26, after his third trial, Biglari was found guilty of murder in the 1991 murder of his Charles Village neighbor, Barbara Halsey.

The death of 36-year-old Said Sawab has been ruled a homicide, #123. And the man shot on Towanda Avenue was identified as Kevin A. Sewell, 20.

A third suspect, Jermile N. Harvey, was charged for the murder of Randolph Terrance.

Darius Tyrone Jones, 35, who police say tried to run over two officers in his car in Rosedale, was charged with attempted first-degree murder. And Jamaal K. Abeokuto, killer of Marciana Ringo, 8, will be resentenced.

The man shot to death inside the Valley Center 9 Cinema was identified as 62-year-old Paul Schrum. The shooter was Mujtaba Rabbani Jabbar, 24.

Three men have been indicted for the 2004 murder of 16-year-old Renard Graves in the county.

Fifteen-year-old Kelly Franklin was arrested for killing 16-year-old Vernell Streams yesterday.

Yow: Lee Boyd Malvo admitted to four more killings, in California, Texas, Louisiana and Florida. This brings the snipers' total victim count to 27.

The body of a woman found in Bel Air was identified as Shiela Ann Turner, 42, of Aberdeen, who had been missing for a week. And the body found in Havre de Grace was identified as that of Lillian Abramowicz Phelps, 43.

County police are looking for Anthony Derrell Guy, who resisted arrest and injured an officer in the process.

Deals on wheels: two Baltimoreans and about 20 Westminsterers were arrested for dealing drugs out of Meals on Wheels vans.

More on the Eddie's purse-snatching.

Lots of stolen cars, a few muggings and a creepy guy climbing in a bedroom window in the Northern.

Weed's popping up all over: someone's been stashing their cache in the vanities of Massachusetts Home Depots. (Not Baltimore, but irresistable.)

In honor of Pride Week, the governor fired his Catholic appointee to the Metro transit authority board for saying he believes that homosexuality is "deviant." We love us some gays, but isn't it illegal to fire someone for their religious beliefs?

June 15

Cedrick Bowman, 24, pled guilty to using explosives and conspiracy to commit witness tampering in the Jan. 15, 2005 attack on Edna McAbier's home.

Have you seen this sex offender? If so, do please call 410-838-6600. Thanks.

A 60-year-old man was shot during a showing of X-Men II at the Reisterstown Lowes.

Three more homicides: Trey Branch, 21, was shot on the 2700 Block of East Chase Street; an indentified man was shot on E. Preston Street; an unidentified man on the 2900 block of Towanda Ave. Total killings #122.

A man was shot in Middle River.

A woman's body was found near Route 40 in Havre De Grace.

Baltimore truck driver Stephen Harlee will be arraigned in Camden County NJ for vehicular homicide in death of Dirk Dudek, 49. Dudek was in a Turnpike Authority truck when a coked-up Harlee hit the guardrail, then rammed his vehicle, fracturing Dudek's spine and setting the pickup on fire.

Carjacking, burglary, robbery in the blotter.

City Council's Helen Holton: arrest quotas are real. Matt Jablow: no, they're not. Meanwhile, the ACLU and NAACP have filed a class-action lawsuit.

Rey Rivera's window: there was no suicide note.

Hey cutie: former Homeland Security press aide Brian Doyle says he's no pedo-sex predator, he just sent dirty movies to a fake teen because it was "kind of a power trip." Oh, ok then. Meanwhile, MD legislators have approved laws that allow for stricter penalties and better monitoring for sex offenders.

Note to drug dealers: buckle up for safety. And in Jessup, Chester Griffiths, 43, was driving around with 400 pounds of 'pot.'

Baltimorean Dejuan Carrol, aka Donte Brown, was arrested in a Cecil County motel for possession of heroin, cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute.

Attoney General Curran is cracking down on the purveyor of illegal Yam Cream.

Do you know someone who likes to dump ink? Dump ink in the ground and not the sink? You should call the police then, I think.

Flag Day

Don't worry, though the number of homicides may be down, Charm City retains the "Bodymore" title, with the highest per capita large-city murder rate.

Fucked. Up. From Dan Ostrovsky in today's Duly Wretched:
"Take a deep breath. Have a good day"

Firefighters, police officers, postal inspectors and sheriff's deputies descended upon a room in Baltimore's Courthouse East yesterday, after an employee of the clerk's office discovered white powder inside an envelope addressed to the circuit court. The incident left some courthouse employees uneasy -- not just about the scare, but about the response to it.

"Take a deep breath. Have a good day," was the message written in ballpoint pen on a loose-leaf sheet of paper Francis R. "Frank" Sherry found in a letter-sized envelope. The paper was folded into a square held together with tape, and Sherry said the powder became visible only after he removed the tape.
"This white powder fell out on my lap and in my hands," he said.
The return address on the envelope indicated it was sent by an inmate at the Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center ... A hazmat team determined that the substance was likely foot or baby powder and was not hazardous, according to Baltimore City Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright ... When he found the powder, Sherry notified his colleagues in those divisions, one of whom, Pat Smith, called the sheriff's office ... Sheriff's deputies arrived in about 10 minutes and called the fire department, which responded in another 15 minutes; the hazmat team arrived approximately 15 minutes after that, Gillis said. Margaret Biuk, who works in foreclosures, said Gillis told her to leave the area around 9:20 a.m. -- nearly an hour after the powder was first found.
"I didn't like it," Biuk said. "The minute something was found, we should have been evacuated."

Clerk's office employees have been trained for emergencies, but not specifically suspicious powders, Conaway said.
That point was underscored by Adonis Johnson of the civil division, who said he found powder in an envelope he opened approximately a month ago. "I threw it away and kept on slicing the mail open," Johnson said yesterday.

A 52-year-old woman was killed on the west side, and yesterday 22-year-old Anthony Hill was shot in the face but survived, bringing the # to 119.

Trial of "Itchy Man" is starting and... ten tons of marijuana? Former employees of Central Booking? Twenty-eight defendants? Jayzis H!

Tragic: 400 pounds of high-quality chronic is going stale in an evidence room somewhere.

The Ink reports murders to #118. Wayne Matthews, Marlow Hill, Darryl Duppins and an unidentified man have joined the shadowy ranks of the Baltimore dead.

Trial has been delayed for Liquor Board Commissioner Edward Smith Jr., who threatened his babymomma and her special friend with an ax.

Psychiatrist Roman Ostrovsky pled guilty to defrauding Medicaid of $200,000.

An AAC man got three years for slitting a dog's throat to intimidate his ex-girlfriend.

Robbing the Family Dollar, setting fire to a Ford, stealing bikes... that's how we roll in Bumberg, dawg.

Five hundred words might make an editorial. Or 300. But 95? Why bother?

Edward Thatcher, a Howard County police officer, has been suspended for showing a female employee his indecent parts.

Speaking of editorials, happy pride week!

June 13

The first-degree murder and attempted murder trial of Corey McMillon, 29, began today before Judge Wanda K. Heard. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted McMillon September 26, 2005 for first-degree murder and handgun counts for the shooting death of Jamel Jermaine St. Clair, 17 (left). Court documents allege that on April 1, 2005 McMillon approached St. Clair in the 2000 block of East North Avenue and started to go through his pockets. When St. Clair attempted to run, McMillon pulled out a gun and allegedly shot him multiple times. McMillon remains held without bail in the Baltimore City Detention Center. He also faces trial is separate charges of attempted murder and escape.

The evidence shows that on June 12, JZ's Mike Schuh did knowingly commit Gross and Willful fashion violations against the Dignity of the State while riding along on an East Side drug raid; to wit, sterilizingly tight acid-washed jeans, white sneakers, and a dress shirt sandwiched between a beer gut and Kevlar® vest.

Hamm thumbs nose at number-conspiracy theorists: "We're very pleased that we were able to have the numbers trimmed as we wanted in 2005."

Raymond Leemare Burris, a Hampdenizen who'd robbed a lady in the Rotunda parking lot on June 4, and a woman on the 3300 block of N. Charles on June 6, was arrested. Also two stabbings, a shooting, and boys dropping rocks from an overpass.

Baltimore County Police in Wilkens, Essex, White Marsh and Woodlawn are holding community-relations meetings tonight at 7, various locations.

June 12

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that death-row prisoners may contest the humaneness of lethal injection. This permits the appeals of death-row inmate Vernon Evans Jr. to continue.

Judge Wanda K. Heard sentenced Leroy Mayo, 47, of N. Patterson Park Avenue, to 25 years in prison. A city jury convicted Mayo of first-degree assault on February 13 and acquitted him of attempted first and second-degree murder counts. On December 6, 2003, say court docs, Leroy Mayo and his wife, Sherelle, were arguing in their home when he became enraged and took a knife from the kitchen and attacked her. During the attack Sherelle Mayo was stabbed several times.

Trial of serial killer Raymont Hopewell has been postponed until September.

At a hearing today, Judge Wanda K. Heard sentenced Martinez Brown, 26, to life in prison for the first-degree murder of Kelvin Knight, 18, and an additional 20 years consecutive for use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. A city jury convicted Brown November 3, 2005. Members of Knight's family presented emotional testimony to the court prior to Brown's sentencing. Say court documents,

In the early morning hours of December 7, 2003 the victim, Kelvin Knight, was ordering take-out from New Land Chinese Carry Out at the corner of Montford and Biddle Streets in East Baltimore when he observed Brown arguing with a woman. Upon hearing the victim laugh, Brown turned to the victim and said, "Do you think I am playing?" He then pulled out a handgun, put it to the victim's forehead, and shot him three times in the head and once in the chest. As Brown ran from the scene after the murder, an eyewitness disabled him by striking him with his car, thereby allowing police to arrest him at the scene. Another eyewitness identified him at the scene.

The trial of Cyrus Lee Beads and Joseph Omar Smith starts today. Beads is accused of shooting Lawrence Johnson, 44, Ronald McCutcheon, 19, and Jeremy Drake, 17, on the 3800 block of Roland View Avenue with a 9mm Glock in June 2005. Johnson died of his wounds and McCutcheon was paralyzed. Beads is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and assault and weapons charges.

Three homicides this weekend bring the total to 119. A man was shot last night on the west side, Antonio Alford, 22, was shot in Woodlawn, and Larry A. Thompson was killed on the east side.

A carjacking, a stabbing and lots of robbery and burglary in the blotter.

Baltimorean Matthew Oliphant was stabbed in the parking lot of the OC Denny's.

Bizjournal: Bmore accounting firm Ellin & Tucker critical in case against Enron.

Why are abortion-clinic bombers always male vigins? (See Robert Weiler Jr., left).

Old news, but what the hey: In Greektown, 21 people at an illegal poker game (including Judge Prevas' brother) were robbed of 15k.

June 10

Examiner: as of Friday, 37 percent of homicides have been solved. (I count 116, police say 115... either way, not much to speak "glowingly" of.)

Julie B. reports on yesterday's sentence of Reginald Coppage, who robbed, attacked and nearly killed special-ed teacher Cicely Simpson, who lived in the same apartment building.

Should a seven-year-old have been arrested for throwing chemicals on a playmate?

Three people were arrested for running a meth lab in a room at the Super 8 motel.

Andrew Klepper, 19, of Walt Whitman High in Bethesda, is charged with pandering.

June 9

Reginald Markquel Coppage, 22, of the 2500 block of N. Edgecombe Circle, pled guilty Wednesday to attempted first-degree murder of his neighbor and to wearing/carrying/transporting a deadly weapon (a knife). Judge Alfred Nance sentenced Coppage to 25 years in prison and five years probation. Coppage pled guilty just before his jury trial was scheduled to begin. Say court docs,

On June 25, 2005 Coppage forced his way inside the victim's apartment located in the 2500 block of Edgecombe Circle and announced a robbery. He proceeded to slash the victim's throat and stab the victim several times in the stomach and chest. Before leaving the apartment, Coppage poured bleach on the victim's body. The victim played dead, waiting for Coppage to leave, and then called police. The victim survived but has permanent scars and has been unable to return to work since the attack.

A drive-by shooting in the Northeastern hit a man in the face and a boy in the foot. And in the Southeastern, a man shot in the shoulder refused to cooperate with police.

Lajuan Davis, 23, got life plus 120 months federal for killing Baltimore cab driver Sean Powell in 2000.

Three lawyers agree: charges should not have been dropped against Davon D. Temple, alleged killer of 2 white people.

Robert Wesley Heier, 39, was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder for stabbing newspaper deliveryman William Shull.

BalCo police are wondering if the body found in Owings Mills was that of missing Nina Tarovskaya.

In Kent County, Raymond S. Ward, 41, and Trevor Moncrief, 32, were shot by 19-year-old David Hamilton and buried in shallow graves in Goldsboro, MD.

Marcus Brown was on WBAL, defending the arrest of Greg Faherty, taken to Central Booking for sitting on a park bench.

Robert Weiler of PGC is charged with building a bomb that he planned to use on an attack on a Greenbelt abortion clinic.

Teresa Hodge, 43, of Upper Marlboro, with a co-conspirator from Michigan, swindled churches out of more than $1.3 million.

The Post strives to answer the question, "what does it mean to be a black man?" in their new series, "Being a Black Man."