June 28

The murder trial of Donnell Harrell, 18, is scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow morning before Judge Paul A. Smith. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Harrell November 20, 2003 (that's right, a year and a half ago) for first-degree murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Court documents allege that on November 1, 2003 Donnell Harrell stabbed James Hudson, 15, and Eric Lecount, 15, in the 600 block of Cherry Hill Road. Mr. Hudson died as a result of his injuries. Harrell's brother, Michael Harrell, 17, pled guilty May 25, 2005 to first-degree murder in connection to this incident and is serving a 30-year prison sentence. Donnell Harrell is currently being held without bail at the Baltimore City Detention Center.

Ross Talp, 19, of Park Heights Avenue is scheduled for arraignment tomorrow before Judge Heard. Talp was indicted on June 3 of this year for first-degree murder and for the use of a deadly weapon in connection with the death of his mother, Margo Antoinette Baker. Court documents allege that on April 27 Talp called police to report his mother had been missing since April 26. May 5 an anonymous tipster contacted the Baltimore City Police Homicide Unit and informed them that Talp killed his mother and dumped her body in the woods. Talp allegedly confessed to the murder and told detectives that the body was located in Leakin Park in the 4000 block of Clifton Avenue. Talp is currently held without bail.

The Sun has more on the city's youngest murder suspect, the 13-year old who shot two guys in Northwest Baltimore (mom wore a "Stop Snitchin'" hat to court!), and the four other violent murders of the weekend which brought the year's toll to 133.

In Gambrills, James Sidney, 35, of Hyattsville was shot at a party hosted by a couple of NFL linebackers.

Guess who's also not an O'Malley fan dept: Bmore city's Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 has endorsed Steele for Senate. "We love the governor," said the union president (which in this town is the same as saying "we hate the mayor").

Score one for the drunks: after the objections of Jayne Miller, police have canned their new policy of arresting people for DUIs and other traffic violations.

The usual horrors in the blotter, plus a mugged 10-year-old, robbed teenagers and a woman who tried to set her boyfriend on fire.

In Annapolis, a man was robbed of his pants and shot at, and a drunkard went haywire in the parking lot of the Sunset Restaurant.

PETA has added $1,000 reward towards an arrest in the case of the pit bull hung to death in Hanlon Park.