July 1

Clark is back, in court that is. I'm sure he has a lot to say about the state of policing of the city and I hope we get a chance to hear it.

The Cybrarian will return in September.

June 30

At fist it seemed like Tariku Dembi of Catonsville was the victim of a hit-and-run, but an autopsy revealed he was the victim of a homicide.

Jury selection in the Adan Canela and Policarpio Espinoza case is complete. At 12:35pm the court swore in a 12-person panel, plus six alternates. Opening statements began at 2:15 p.m. today in room 234 Courthouse East. Testimony will begin 9:30 a.m. Monday, July 3.

D'oh! The holding company of Baltimore County Savings Bank lost $6.9 million(!) to a check-kiting scheme.

A Coast Guard inspection in Baltimore revealed that ship operator PCM used a 'magic pipe' to take a big oily dump in the bay. Rear Admiral Bone seeks punishment.

The assault, deadly weapon, escape, and false imprisonment trial of loco hombre Rodney Bethea, 21, is scheduled for 1:30 Monday afternoon at Hargrove District Court, courtroom 5. Court documents allege that on April 13 Bethea, while being interviewed by police at the Northeast District Police Station following a CDS arrest, struck an officer in the head with a halogen light bulb and ran from the interview room and into a civilian employee's office, holding that employee against her will. Bethea remains held without bail.

Burmese refugee Tialhei Zathang (left, LA Times) got 25 years for stabbing hs wife in front of their two children. He's now a man without a country.

WBAL has more on the Oakenshawe home invasion. Do you know a 20-something black man with tattoos on each wrist?

A home invasion in Woodlawn, and a lot of muggings, armed robbery and theft in what's now the Tyrone special.

A Bethesda woman, Ellen Violet Griever, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of her newborn.

UB Law School students are helping young truants get to class.

ps. don't forget to wear bug spray and dump out your garbage juice ... the mosquitoes are off the hizzy out there!

June 29

Wow, it sounds like Luke Broadwater AND Matthew Dolan really physically went to the courtroom for the contract-killing and drug-conspiracy trial of Bam and Itchy Man(for at least a few hours anyway)! Way to rock it old-school!

The Sun covers the Oakenshawe home-invasion story (note to ed.: there's only one "o" in "do-rag," as in hairdo), and in the Examiner,Raj Dosanjh is disillusioned by the whole episode.

Cuckold James Michael Johnson got 50 years for killing back-door man Matthew Boyd IV.

Gregory Kane dishes up a tearjerker about the family of murder victim Jerrod Hamlett, shot by a 13-year old, and the son Hamlett left behind.

Diabolico Juan Lopez of MS-13 pled guilty in federal court to conspiracy to conduct and participate in the activities of a racketeering enterprise.

George "Stop Fucking Snitching" Butler pled guilty to selling heroin. Claim to fame is the ironic quote, "We don't talk about what we're going to do. We just do it."

Armed robbery at the Fell's Point Subway, various muggings, lots of buglary in the Blotter.

Two gals pled guilty to bilking the University of Maryland Medical Center of more than $317k. And Tremaine Carter got 10 years for firearm possession.

Workers at the Cheltenham youth facility falsified time sheets, didn't get required training. And speaking of youths, police are stepping up enforcement of curfew violations. Anyone under the age of 16 who's out past 11 p.m. can be picked up and taken to a truancy center, and parents can be fined as much as $300.

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.