Friday, June 17, 2005

June 17

Just when you think it can't get any worse in the prison system dept: The Md. Correctional Law Enforcement Union says that two internal prison investigators who had been involved in high-profile inquiries, including the beating death of Smoot, were reassigned to lower-level correctional officer jobs by state officials this week, with no explanation.

Jefferey Ricardo Jones, 25, who chased his "girlfriend" through Towson traffic and stabbed her, was arrested.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

June 16

Muhammed and Malvo have been indicted in Montgomery County. They were already tried and convicted of one murder each in Virginia.

A warrant on second-degree murder charges has been issued for Nelson Antonio "David" Rivera, 23, of Glen Burnie. Police say he killed Marco Tulio Nova Romero, 20.

Creepy... someone left a threatening note for Attorney General Joe Curran written on an obituary for businessman Robert Clay, who died under highly suspicious circumstances.

A. Robert Kaufman remains in serious but stable condition after being stabbed in the torso and throat by someone whom police think was a tenant in one of his rental properties.

Tuesday was an action-packed day for the city: seventeen-year-old Christopher Porter is wanted for first-degree murder in the May 15 shooting of Damon Aldridge, 22, in the 100 block of Diener Place. (Detecive Moses at Public Affairs is working on getting a photo). Detective Moses was cryptic when I asked him about the case. Was it drug-related, I asked? "Most of them are," he said. "Most of the shootings?" "Yes, but there's an old saying, you can't be a killer and a drug dealer also. It's just like any other business, location, location, location. When you're a killer you have to be on the run." I asked him if there was any truth to the rumor that younger and younger kids are being recruited into the drug trade because dealers know they'll be charged as juveniles. "Yes, juveniles definately deal drugs, but I haven't heard of them being used as killers. Yet."

At arraignment this morning, accused child rapist Charles Carroll pled not guilty. A trial date of August 11, 2005 was scheduled before Judge Allen Schwait. He's being defended by Warren Brown (who was also the defense attorney for Maurice Blackwell).

Don't want to be a crime victim? Then don't put your money in mutual funds. Go to Scottrade (not a plug, just an idea <- disclaimer ). and make your own trades in industries you know something about! And if you don't know or care to learn about business just put your money in a savings account, for Pete's sake! Mutual-fund managers are just rich pickpockets!

In Rockville, Antionette Sparks, the crazy lady who went on a rampage with homemade knives at the Nordstrom May 25 was indicted for attempted murder and some other stuff.

...not Baltimore, but too horrifying not to mention dept: in Pennsylvania a woman is accused of shooting her "boyfriend" in the head and blinding him.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

June 15

A federal judge gave DeAndre Whitehead, 20, six years in jail for trying to hire someone to kill a 10-year-old girl and her mother after they testified that they saw him shoot Russell Peterson, 47, their father and husband. DeAndre was acquitted of Peterson's murder in state court last year.

An arraignment for Charles Carroll, 28, is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. tomorrow before Judge Lynn Stewart. The Baltimore City Grand jury indicted Carroll May 19, 2005 for second-degree rape, four counts of sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 18 and two counts of third-degree sexual offense. Sexual abuse of a minor carries a maximum prison term of 25 years, second-degree rape carries a maximum prison term of 20-years and third-degree sexual offense carries a maximum prison term of 10 years. Court documents allege Carroll sexually assaulted three victims. The alleged assaults occurred during the time frame of December 2004 to April 2005.

In Arraignment Court this morning, Michael Johnson (aka Troy Johnson) pled not guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Flenall Carter, 18.

There were seven murders last week, bringing the city's toll to 117. All of last week's victims were African-American men between the ages of 19 and 44. Six were shot and one was stabbed. Note Ditkoff reports that the Waverly neighborhood has had three homicides so far this year.

Two of the eight officers fired last week following the violent death of 51-year-old Raymond Smoot are planning to appeal the state's decision, saying they never touched Smoot and could not have prevented his death. Kandis Harlee, 34, said she saw other officers stomping Smoot, and now-former-officer Anthony Pointer, 44, says he was busy trying to move agitated inmates away from the cell where the homicide took place.

The Blotter reports a shooting (Timothy Sims, 25), and the arrest of two attempted murderers.

The Sun has more information on the stabbing of 74-year-old activist A. Robert Kaufman.

Michael George Sadof, a Bethesda contract employee, got two years' probation and a $50k fine for poking around classified IRS files.

From last week: Anne Arundel county's second homicide was the stabbing of Michael Conway, 38, in a Jessup trailer park.

Could this be what's next for Maryland? California's marijuana dispensaries offer pot peanut brittle, truffles and cakes. As Maryland has had a medical marijuana law for almost two years now, (signed by a Republican no less). So where are our chronic brownies?

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

June 14 - Happy Flag Day!

Anthony Williams got 30 years for strangling Tamaria Hughes, a crossing guard and mother of four.

Holy Moly! I'm very sad to hear that left-wing activist and perpetual socialist contender A. Robert Kaufman was stabbed in his West Baltimore home during a dispute that sounds unrelated to his political activities. He's in critical condition at the University of Maryland Hospital. Kaufman, the Wild Bill Hagy of Baltimore politics, was also quite the old-world gentleman. We danced at a City Paper Best-of-Baltimore party once and he was quite spry. He's kept social issues in the conversation in elections in Baltimore since your sister drove an i-Roc and has remained a devoted public servant even though no one ever elected him to an office. He really typifies Baltimore's DIY in-your-face balls-to-the-walls ethos, in the best possible way. So here's hoping he pulls through.

This study from Hopkins shows that laws banning specific categories of guns indeed have an effect: Marylanders now get shot with more realiable, quality weapons. And speaking of crime reduction theories, I can't wait to get this book in the mail: That's Ralph Taylor's "Breaking Away from Broken Windows: Baltimore Neighborhoods and the Nationwide Fight Against Crime, Grime, Fear, and Decline."

Patty Jessamy will testify with victim advocates today at 3:00 p.m. before a rules session of the Maryland Court Appeals in Annapolis. The Court of Appeals is considering a decision regarding the public, electronic release of victim and witness personal data maintained in the state's judicial electronic court database. Says her office, Jessamy will urge the Court to block public electronic disclosure of victim and witness personal information in the interest of public safety. This same information is generally recorded in public court records unless access is restricted by the court.

How low can Baltimore's health and human services go? Well, troubled kids who refuse to go to group homes or mental instituations are sleeping on plastic chairs in the Department of Social Services with no pillows or blankets, being fed McDonald's.

Did Ehrlich fire state employees just because they weren't Republicans? Well, duh, isn't that what politicians always do when they get elected? Is that illegal or something?

From the vault: I just found this story about how Maryland's marijuana arrest rate hit a five-year high (har har) last year, with 89 percent of the arrests for possession, and the bulk of the increase coming from Baltimore city and county. The theory goes that cops don't go looking for pot, but they do the buy-bust operations where they arrest the street dealers, replace the dealers with undercover cops... then poor little potheads come wandering down the block to the party house to ask to borrow a cup of weed, and voila, pot bust. So never buy your weed from strangers, kids!

Monday, June 13, 2005

June 13

The attempted first-degree murder trial of Antonio Williamson, 16, Percy Johnson, 17, and Sean Howard, 17, is scheduled to begin 9:30 a.m. tomorrow before Judge Joseph McCurdy, 230 Courthouse East. The Baltimore City Grand jury indicted Williamson November 12, 2004, Johnson November 22, 2004 and Howard December 1, 2004 with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault and handgun violations. Court documents allege that Williamson shot two teenagers on October 21, 2004 in front of Thurgood Marshall High School at 5700 Moravia Drive. Wow, anywhere else in the world, teenagers getting shot in front of a school would make headline news and there would be outrage! But I can't find a trace of this story having been reported anywhere, except maybe implied on this list of Bmore schools with violence issues (check out Harlem Park!).

nyshooting Two sixteen-year-olds have been charged with robbery, reckless endangerment and weapons possession after the shooting of Baltimorean Sheria Guster in Manhattan. Left, Newsday photo by Robert Stridiron.

At 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Troy Johnson (aka Michael Johnson) will be arraigned in room 215 of the Mitchell Courthouse for the alleged murder of Flenall Carter, 18, on December 1, 2004. Johnson allegedly shot and killed Carter on the 4100 block of 10th street.

"Isn't that nice" dept.: Joanne Suder, A Baltimore lawyer, is helping Utah boys who have fled or been kicked out of polygamous Mormon enclaves.

Interesting: under Norris in 1999-2001 Baltimore experienced the greatest two-year reduction in violent crime in the entire country. Now, as reported last week, violent crime in the city is up 4.2 percent. So what's that about? Theories a Choco:
1. Infighting between the police department and Mayor's office and the resulting installation of Hamm over the past year has made lower-level cops less focused on their mission.
2. Drug gangs are having corporate shakeups of some kind, young dealers are trying to make an impression to eliminate co-workers/rivals and get noticed within their organizations.
3. Under Norris, cops got creative with the crime-classification and underreportage ran rampant.
4. Or, Norris was actually a really great Commish and all of his great innovations and ideas worked... but now the people who his administration arrested are now getting out of jail.

Sunday, June 12, 2005

June 12

Ugh, in Glen Burnie a husband and wife, aged 62 and 58, were found shot to death in their home following some kind of murder and/or suicide situation. (His name was Dick Boner ?! ... is that for real?)

They say that Manhattan's safer than Baltimore, but that wasn't the case for Baltimorean Sheria Guster, 25, who was shot during a drive-by in the 1200 block of Broadway.

Somewhere in Carroll County, sticky-figered hicks have relieved their neighbors of three show-quality St. Croix lambs, two Sullivan's Show Supply Air Express II cattle blow-dryers, a red 1991 Honda TRX-200 ATV, a tv set, fishing tackle and some good old-fashioned cash.

This record of drug arrests in Washington County shows how much more seriously judges take the white drugs (as opposed to the weed kind) there.

Along with the usual thefts and crack, there's also flaming toilet paper rolls, stolen diamonds and a 16-year-old working undercover to bust the CVS in the Anne Arundel County blotter.