Your tax dollars at work vol. II

The two DPW workers who spent hours at S & J's Deli drinking a gambling while on the clock get to keep their jobs!!!

People, animals, opiates

A second trial concluding for Kenneth D. Perry, found guilty in 2001 of killing pregnant Kelly Bunn and his former girlfriend, LaShawn Jordan, as Jordan's 4-year-old watched, then "stayed in the apartment with the bodies for two days, caring for her 1-year-old brother and trying to treat her mother's wounds with toilet paper and a toy stethoscope."

HarfCo man arrested for raping a 5-year-old girl

Jury begins deliberations in twin brothers' dog-burning trial.

Scene killed at Select Lounge

Suleiman Zakaria, 27, of Pikesville, got 10 years for hiding 6 pounds of Ghanian heroin in his luggage

WBAL: Baltimore has a high police-to-citizen ratio

That movie sounds hilarious!

"Mexican cartel on trial in Baltimore drug case: Informant describes driving cross-country with cocaine-filled mobile home"

13 years

for serial drunken driver Thomas Lee Meighan Jr., who fatally plowed into Hopkins undergrad Miriam Frankl as the tried to cross St. Paul St.
The Sun has posted the 911 calls made by drivers

Wieners aplenty

Demetrius Arrington arrested for murder of Jeffrey R. Purnell, 51

CP's Van Smith "A recent California drug-trafficking and money-laundering case [showed] how hundreds of pounds of cocaine allegedly reached Baltimore’s streets last year thanks to Hollywood-based traffickers, and how millions in drug proceeds left town: by private jet"

Fifteen years in prison for Joseph Lawhorn, 35, convicted of taking "sexually explicit" pictures of little boys with his iPhone

Burning dog trial: Sgt. Jarron Jackson "can't testify as to whether [Tremayne] can fly or not," today, jurors nodding off

The Daily Record asks, "Wrecking buildings or lives in Middle East?" (Fumes "Prez Jack" Young, "What if I become governor and they want me to show them where I lived? I will have nothing to show them.")

Howard County senator Allan H. Kittleman becomes first Republican to jump on the big gay senate bandwagon. Kittleman's civil-unions bill was withdrawn, and he stepped down as Senate minority leader soonafter. Yesterday Republicans closeted themselves to privately vote to officially oppose the bill. And the the National Organization for Marriage is robo-calling.

History corner: 10 years ago last week, then-mayor O'Malley told a Sun reporter re. the dropped case against officer Brian Sewell: [State's Attorney Pat Jessamy] "doesn't even have the goddamn guts to get off her ass and go in and try this case, and I'm tired of it... If she doesn't have respect for the police, if she doesn't have respect for the people of this city, maybe she should get the hell out and let somebody else in who's not afraid to do the goddamn job."

You booze, you lose?

Serial drunk-driver Thomas Meighan will be sentenced today after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the death of Miriam Frankl.

Dead body in a field in Northeast Baltimore.

Counterfeiting arrest on the Eastern Shore.

Two people are in serious trouble for helping an inmate escape from theWashington County jail last week.

Bigger fish to fry

County Judge Robert E. Cahill Jr has ruled that Karla Porter's whole 10-hour police interview will be admissible.

Fabulousness! Charles Village residents (or mostly Stephen Gewirtz) form "Court Watch" to track cases. Says Gewirtz, "I get the sense it's really been a revolving door downtown." ...so wonder what happened with Thomas Meighan Jr.? Every court reporter in town (that is to say, Tricia Bishop) was at the dog trial. Almost makes me miss old Joe Sviatko. He would know!

And urBanite asks, "Is there hope for quality local news after all?"

$15,000 for three tons of rockfish? Those poachers really should get into drug dealing.

A septuagenarian hit with a brick, sisters who whacked their mom's boyfriend with a bicycle tire pump and a golf club and couples fighting over cold food and who should make the bed in the "Baltimore Guide" blotter.

In the Catonsville Times blotter, an attempted carjacking at the WalMart parking lot and other teenage misbehavior.

... and the "hontroversy" rages on, that never-ending intellectual-property "uproar" that "casts unflattering light on the priorities of people ... who have spent their time on this subject in a city with bigger problems." Nevertheless, good readin' from Ed Ericsson.

Justified

Please note that the deaths of Sean Gamble and Officer William Torbit Jr. are considered justified until determined otherwise. Baltimore city has had 15 official homicides so far this year.
Thanks,
Mgmt.

Meanwhile...

The man shot on Pratt St on Friday (homicide #16) was id'd as Raynard Benjamin, 30

Court of Appeals throws out a murder conviction obtained by a detective telling the suspect, "This is between you and me, bud."

Tooty-two years for Manny, the coke dealer who tried to intimidate a witness. And up in Gettysburg, PA, trial for a grandma accused of bringing Baltimorean white drugs up from the KMart parking lot to sell in the TGI Fridays parking lot.

A witness out to "get paid" says she saw the Johnson boys running away from the scène du pit bull flambee, and jurors watched the crime camera video. And then there's the two teens arrested for the burning of Mittens the cat.

Police and fire unions plan to picket the June Mayor's conference, and members from other states are invited. Maybe they can stay at the city-owned Hilton, plenty of empty rooms there ....

A Daily Record investigation reveals that when it comes to East Baltimore development, "Elected officials short on financial details"

In the crime beat blog, police appeal for the public's help to solve the Jan 2. murder of autistic Hezikah Wilson, the mayor introduces new legislation that includes a mandatory-minimum illegal-firearm sentence. Meanwhile, in South Dakota, legislation to require gun ownership.

and on this blog, a new comment in the self-defense vs murder debate

Alleged serial killer convicted in 1st trial

William Vincent Brown is convicted in 1st of 3 trials of raping and then strangling a woman who survived to testify against them.

15

An unidentified 51-year-old man was fatally shot in the head while sitting in the driver's seat of a car in the 5700 block of Eastbury Ave.

Segregation-a-licious

City that Breeds on the un-diversifying of city council districts

Says "Pistol Pete" Welch, "I hope that we can one day select a council person via Facebook"

in other neighborhood news, a Hopkins consultant opines that the Middle East neighborhood needs to be "rebranded"

Your tax dollars at work Vol. 34

DPW employee to co-worker who was caught drinking in an Eastern Avenue deli by an IG investigator while on the clock: “What the f**k do you do all day besides stand behind that f**kin’ counter?

14

Unidentified man, age 30, shot multiple times, 6:35 p.m. last night in the 800 block of West Pratt Street

Fenton tells the tragic tale of two brothers named Curtis

Court of Appeals: waistband adjustment and fidgeting isn't reasonable enough suspicion to merit a pat-down (aka 'Terry stop')

Yes, we have no abortions today ...

U.S. District Judge Marvin Garbis just shot down the "pregnancy disclaimer law" on account of it being "unconstitutional" and "unenforceable". Well, duh. No one could see that coming? And George Nilson will advise the Mayor to appeal? It's all very strange. Doug Gansler doesn't seem to have done anything all week but issue one single totally obvious press release, doesn't he have a buddy in the FTC he could call or something?

and legislation for direct wine shipments was introduced (again) today in the House & Senate. Last year Joan Carter Conway allowed a similar bill to die in committee.

Lost and found

WBAL's Barry Simms reports that Judge Charles Peters sentenced "demons made me do it" dad Stephen Nelson to 50 years for throwing his 3-year-old son Turner off the Francis Scott Key Bridge, no word yet if any of that is suspended. Judge George Russell had previously rejected a deal that would have given Turner 30 years.

Three union timekeepers were sentenced for wire fraud in a scheme to defraud the terminal operator at the Port of Baltimore

Another day, another BPD lawsuit: three men arrested without charges or explanation outside of the liltlingly named Don't Know? what you are doing tonight? Tavern are suing for $420,000.

Crazy story down in Takoma Park: police shot a robbery suspect who used a bank teller as a human shield after he slipped on some ice, and it was all caught on tape

O'Malley's budget contains some massive new fees for speeding tickets and DUIs

A suspicious brown paper bag downtown. Don't stomp on it if it's flaming!

Update on Solothia Thomas: she was found with friends in a fast-food restaurant in Rosedale about 90 minutes after the police posted the bulletin, though no explanation as to why police waited more than a day to tell the public that.

Today's the one-month-aversiary of the day Phylicia Barnes went missing, and the police posted a video update that makes you watch a crappy movie preview before you can see it. Interesting tidbit on Nancy Grace: her dad said that Phylicia's half-sister's ex-boyfriend was the last person to see her alive, and said half-sister's ex-boyfriend has now lawyered up.

And Rachel Reilly, 16, another one of Maryland's missing teens, was found in San Antonio, Texas

From JHU security:

Arrest of Student – Malicious Destruction (Alcohol Related) – 300 Blk. E. University Parkway – On Jan. 28th at 2:33 AM, a senior undergraduate was arrested by Baltimore Police for breaking a window in a non- affiliate’s front door and then entering the non-affiliate’s residence. The student who was intoxicated thought he was entering his own residence which is actually across the street. Baltimore Police transported the student to Union Memorial for treatment of minor cuts. The student was charged with malicious destruction of property.

Public shaving, private drinking

A jury was seated today in the trial of the twins accused of setting fire to Phoenix the pit bull, and one can't help but to notice the twins' facial features & ears look pretty Fetal-Alcohol-Syndrome-ish.

Missing Solothia Thomas was found unharmed... but no explanation of where she was or what she was doing

A 4th circuit judge upholds the 2009 Baltimore foster-care system consent decree, which ended court oversight of Baltimore's fucktified foster care system

Judge J. Frederick Price denied defense motions to exclude the death penalty in the Thomas Leggs case

Shaving-bump-afflicted former city officer sues over forced public shaving

Carl Snowden is appealing the tossing-out of his 3rd DUI PBJ

Crime-unrelated Baltimoriana: Rafael Alvarez eulogizes Burke's Restaurant; Marty Bass stoop storytells the day he lost his toupee.

Phantom suspect

The man who allegedly shot a city homicide detective has vanished without a trace.

Another missing girl

Solothia Thomas, 14, left Overlea High School yesterday but never made it home.

Dancer a whistleblower

Fenton reports that murdered mom Cherrie Gammon, left (from Facebook), was also a drug addict, crack and heroin dealer, and police informant.