Jessamy vs. Bernstein

Here's a stream of yesterday's debate between State's Attroney hopefuls Bernstein & Jessamy on the Rodericks show, and a live-blogged recap by Page Croyder.

.. and Fenton & Bishop check out the candidates' claims

WBAL says some city residents are offended by Jessamy's "public school" remark

Pensions versus pools

It may cost $400,000 to keep a few pools open, but it costs hundreds of millions to fund police pensions.

It's getting twisted

Okay, the case of the sex offender getting paid by the city while in jail gets even stranger...the fake doctor's notes turned in by his mother were forged in the name of Dr. Keiffer Micthell Sr., the father of our former mayoral candidate and city councilman.

Feud for Thought

You're probably sick of hearing about the Jessamy/ Bealefeld/ Bernstein feud. But it's so darned entertaining! A good point from Page Croyder : "Bealefeld hasn't feuded with anybody. He's been nothing but publicly respectful." (This is true. Last year he told Exhibit A's Melody Simons, "Listen, I don't do public battle with Pat Jessamy.") Cryoder also throws in a bonus Jessamy press-conference spoof.
If you just can't get enough of the fisticuffs, here's other bloggers blogging on this:
Rob Carlson: "[Bealefeld's] one plastic sign, now removed, has already planted the seed of an idea in thousands of minds in less than a week."
Red Herring: "When Pat Jessamy is re-elected City State’s Attorney -- as she surely will be --those who vote for her will deserve the criminal justice system that an indolent and irresponsible prosecutor such as she brings to the city."
The Baltimore Spectator: "Larry Gibson, Mrs. Jessamy, Mayor Rawlings-Blake; non[e] of them have spent much time, if any, at active crime scenes. So to put it frankly, when they speak on the issue, in all due respect, they typically don't know what they hell they're talking about."

Ok, so enough about that. Here's this week's Ink. Five murders this week for a total of 129 so far this year. I wonder what the backstory is with the Corwin murder?

Dine & Dasher Gets 18 Months of Free Meals

From the SAO:

Andrew Palmer, 43 years old, of the 500 block of
S. Broadway Street pled guilty to one count of theft scheme and received the maximum penalty of 18 months incarceration on August 3, 2010 after prosecutors presented evidence of his restaurant theft scheme to a district court judge.

According to the arresting officers, from April 26, 2010, through July 21, 2010, Palmer ate meals and consumed alcoholic beverages at several area restaurants in Baltimore City; including the Capital Grille, Burke’s Café, Ding How Restaurant, Maisy’s Restaurant and Borinken Bar and Restaurant. In each case, when Palmer did not have funds to cover the restaurant bill, he feigned a seizure that required the presence of medical personnel. In each instance, the value of the goods consumed was less than $100; therefore the maximum possible penalty for each offense was 90 days of incarceration.

After reviewing the individual cases, the State’s Attorney’s Office filed a criminal information incorporating multiple pending cases and proceeded on an additional charge of theft scheme, which carries a maximum penalty of 18 months of incarceration. After hearing Palmer’s record, which includes over 40 convictions for theft, Judge George Lipman followed the plea agreement recommendation and sentenced Palmer to 18 months of incarceration, which is the maximum allowable sentence on the theft scheme charge.

Can't a couple of guys get together and talk on North Avenue?

a few photos of Bernstein, the commish, and delegate Billy Taylor crossing paths, it is really worth an investigation?

Jessamy vs. Bernstein.. Live in Your Earhole

tune in Thursday at noon to 88.1 for a debate that's bound to be muy caliente!

Jessamy Mad as Wet Hen

...gets in scary-mommy mode and hand-delivers letter calling for an "independent fact finder" to probe Bealefeld's "serious credibility issue" and "establish whether our police commissioner is a person of truth and veracity."
Uhm, is that really the best campaign strategy?
WJZ has video of the press conference, and Hermann has Bernstein's reaction.

Mary Koontz of Glen Arm gets life w/o parole for murder of husband

Prosector sign wars

Director John Waters weighs in on city prosecutors' race.

Court laments

Former Pigtown resident finds that trying to press assault case in city court can be pretty frustrating

128

A 25-year-old on Germania Ave

In addition to the three homicides, lots of "gsw"s

And a homicide in Harford? That's unusual...

.. and a father of three killed in his home in Randallstown

An arrest in Fell's Point robberies, one Leonard Copeland

Bloody Weekend So Far

Three murders on Friday night/Saturday morning.

Four years later the murder of Dr. Albert Ro in Anne Arundel County has been solved.

A crazy woman in MoCo tried to kill her kids.

A misbehaving county cop is in trouble for a fight he got into in the city.

BCrime Meetup & Gregg Bernstein Happy Hour

.. will be Wednesday, Sept. 1 from 6 - 7:30. Join our Facebook group or e-mail me for location.

Execution-style slaying in Lake Clifton

Man stood over victim, shot at point blank range with shotgun.

Jessamy Blasts Bealefeld

.. uhm, is that really the best campaign strategy?

Listen up, cynical Cynthias

Gregg Bernstein CAN be our next State's Attorney ... pretty easily!
He & Jessamy are both Democrats, and with no Republican contender for State's Attorney, the primary on September 14 will decide the State's Attorney's race. With no other races in serious contention (except the clerk of the court, maybe), presumably the only voters who will show on Sept. 14 will be ones who really care about the State's Attorney's race.
.. so if you're a Democrat and care about this race, tell your mother, brother, sister and her friends to turn out September 14!

Bounty Hunters get plea offer, former Dixonite: Crime is down

Former Dixon spokesman says the media is giving Baltimore a bum rap when it comes to crime.

Two of the Baltimore chapter of the Bounty Hunters get plea offers.

Bealefeld likes Bernstein

Someone spotted a Gregg Bernstein sign in the police commissioner's front yard.

Audit this

Looks like the BPD doesn't want an independent audit of rape cases. And no one wants CC Prez Jack Young snooping around

Hoodlumery in my neighborhood!

Gangs of roaming teenage thugs are attacking people in Upper Fells Point. Several of the attacks occurred at a relatively early (9:30ish) hour.

Meow!

Who's suing the Ottobar?

Impound lot theft

Inspector General probes $6000 in funds missing from city impound lot.

Baseheads rejoice

The Fair Sentencing Act, expected to be signed next Tuesday, will reduce the disparity between cocaine and crack sentences.
(But still no end in sight for the crack-crazed squirrel epidemic...)

"Focus on shootings contributed to neglect of city rape claims, Bealefeld says," meanwhile, "Lack of police reports stalls review of city rape allegations"

Shooting at the Hilton

Gunman gets nabbed at downtown hotel.

Notes from the vigil

According to some attendees, taking away cable television has more to do with East Baltimore murders than policing. Plus the commish looks for "vile snakes."

PC: O'Malley Without Principles

.. and "taught Jessamy how to bully".
Not sure I agree with all of this .. but Politics Examiner Adam Meister does

.. the State's Attorney's office has launched a Facebook page. (To be fair, Here's Bernstein's.)

.. and speaking of social media, if you're tiring of your virtual social life, please save Wednesday, Sept. 1 between 6 and 7:30, for an in-the-flesh Meet and Greet Happy Hour with Gregg Bernstein, location TBA here and on the Baltimore Crime Facebook Group page.

Homicide in North Baltimore

Playing with a gun turns deadly.

ACLU says it's now okay to hit record

The group says the AG's opinion issued Friday means prosecutors should drop charges against Maryland man accused of recording a Maryland State Trooper.


Meanwhile, more on O'Malley's hedging on Jessmay,

Questions are being asked about the size of the new juvenile jail being built in Baltimore.

I hate these kinds of headlines. Mistakes by child molester's attorneys could set him free. The judge who ruled in this guy's favor was Andre Davis. Rod Rosenstein was nominated to Davis's seat during the Bush Administration, but the Senate never acted on the nomination.

Another murder near Penn Station is attracting much less outrage than that of Stephen Pitcairn. The victim may have been murdered because he was a witness.

Shooting at police officers is a bad idea.

The Attorney General's Office says it's probably ok to tape interactions with police officers in Maryland.

Jessamy & Bernstein debate

State's Attorney Jessamy and Bernstein squared off, and only channel 2 was there.. literally, it looks like. But you can check it out online.

O'Malley endorses Jessamy

Just ran into the gov at Belvedere Square ... (doing my best to recall the convo)
Me: So I have to ask you, you're endorsing Jessamy, really? I thought you were old enemies!
O'Malley: Early on I made some oversweeping remarks about her that I regret, but crime is at its lowest in 15 years, and she's been a big part of that.
Me: Really? But isn't there a possibility someone could do a better job? Is something wrong with Gregg Bernstein?
O'M: I could do a better job, we could all do better at our jobs.
Me: Yeah, okay, sure but.. what about the judges you've appointed and this Charles Village murder, didn't you appoint Braverman, who let one of the killers out?
Him: Actually that was Judge Howard, appointed by Ehrlich. And what happened in Charles Village is a tragedy. But the great thing is my vote counts just as much as your vote, and we have a choice.
Me:: .. but do we really have a choice? Jessamy was appointed to that position, and very few people pay attention to that race. If you endorsed a different candidate that really might make a difference.
Judge Katie O'Malley (hustling me away): It's not that there's anything wrong with Gregg Bernstein. He's a great lawyer. It's just that our administration and Jessamy have worked so well together.

.. so there you have it.

.. it looks like IV editor Regina Holmes also talked to O'M at the same event.. and while the governor is "supporting" Jessamy, he may or may not be "endorsing" her. Or something.

Long, violent week.

It wouldn't be an awful, violent week in Baltimore, without the tragic death of yet another upstanding elderly citizen.

A judge declared a mistrial in the Stephen Mauk murder case, after the jury took equally as long deliberating as the trial itself.

Two more names were added to the homicide tally with the shooting death of 36 year old Shawn Crawford, and the apparent beating death of 38 year old Steven Harris.

A witness was turned victim Thursday. As a second person is killed in Station North in a week.

Finally the police want to know, have you seen these men? They're wanted for crimes ranging from burglary to Attempted Murder.

Page Croyder: Shame on who for Pitcairn murder?

Census worker's death, the city (employee) that drives

Police search for clues in death of census worker.

Meanwhile city employee gets a free ride, courtesy of city taxpayers.

Thankfully, crime is down

the governor and the mayor took the time to remind us yesterday that crime is down...way down

Jessmay shows, does not speak

Politicians, including Jessmay gathered at a gathering last night in Charles Village for murder victim Stephen Pitcairn.

Meanwhile Rick Gilbert, who left the city after his attack tells his story.

Crime is not down

Or at least we're tired of hearing that it is.

A memorial for murder victim Stephen Pitcairn.

More details on the CV robbery

Photos taken of the crime scene.

Pat's party

Larry Gibson still claims he's not working for Pat Jessamy's campaign.

Hopkins Cancer Researcher Killed in CV Robbery

23-year-old Stephen Pitcairn was stabbed to death last night in Charles Village while walking home from the train station; died in the gutter holding a stranger's hand.

UPDATE: John Alexander Wagner, 34, and Lavelva Merritt, 24, were arrested for Pitcairn's murder. Unshockingly, both have extensive criminal histories.

Chased out of Pigtown

Drug dealer beat down is the last straw for this Pigtown resident.

Weekend crime

Motorcycle rider is killed after a high-speed chase. Apparently the officer involved ignored orders to end the pursuit. He's been suspended from duty.

Quadruple stabbing in the County early on Saturday morning.

Double shooting in Owings Mills on Friday night.

Michael Phelps got robbed

just learned that his Mt. Washington aquatic club got jacked.

After hours club shoot-out

wild west weekend begins

Bad idea #19,324

= printing your own money in a room at the Ramada Inn

Yet Another Delay

The trial of Lee Stephens, accused of murdering Maryland House of Correction CO David McGuinn has been delayed yet again. If Stephens's trial goes ahead as scheduled next May it will have been nearly five years since McGuinn was murdered. No trial date has been set for Lamar Harris, Stephens's co-defendant.

Looks like the feds can do it

Not a light plea deal and lots of time behind bars for this bank robber.

This is embarassing

I never had a very high opinion of the Maryland Court of Appeals, and this only reinforces that impression.

Greene countered with the more up-to-date South Park reference, penning that in the "immortal words of Mr. Mackey, 'Drugs are bad.'"

He used his footnote to put the quote into full context, and it's most likely the first time an opinion from the state's highest court has included the phrase, "It's a bad thing to do drugs, so don't be bad by doing drugs, m'kay, that'd be bad."

BTW, it would be nice if the article told us which judges voted which way in this case.

Edit: I looked up the decision online, and the other judge that ruled in favor of the defendant was (surprise surprise) Robert Bell.