Wednesday, May 9, 2007

May 9

Four men were murdered "within a 10-hour period between Monday evening and early yesterday in apparently unrelated incidents": Thomas Mouzon, 23, on North Caroline Street, William Don Curtis, 23, shot on Raymonn Avenue, John Lee Graves, 26, killed on Cliftview Avenue near Clifton Park, and Michael Eugene Davis, 25 on Woodbine Avenue in Forest Park.

That. Is. So. Fucked! Juanita Robinson, 27, was arrested for the murder of Andre McBride, 21. She had been charged with first-degree murder of a 16-year-old and convicted, but served only six months of a 10-year suspended sentence.

The Ink: "The death of Abdul Rahim Azzie was added to the [2007] homicide rolls this week despite the fact that police have never found his body."

The U.S. Attorney's office will seek the death penalty against MS-13 members and co-defendants Jorge Rigoberto Amador, 32, Antonio Roberto Argueta, 25, and Juan Carlos Moriera, 27.

Six shootings in the Blotter, including the attempted home-invasion from yesterday. And a helluvalotta robberies.

Joe Guadagnoli, a father of three, was arrested for growing marijuana, and "police say they're proud."
As MD has a five-year mandatory minimum sentence for more than 50 pounds (how it's weighed, I don't know... do dirt or plant pots count? Stems? Seeds?), chances are quite good he'll serve more time than any other perp on this page.
(note: if you're trying to map it, it's one word-- Glenoak Avenue-- in Hamilton)

In this week's CP cover feature, an interview with the "imposing" and "impassive" Hamm.

Truck Stop Games of Chester, Va., which operated slot machines at (where else?) truck stops in Maryland and other states has agreed to pay a $2.5 million criminal settlement for money laundering and gambling.

28 comments:

John Galt said...

And all the while, the police manpower continues to go down while the shootings go up.

What a great municipal government we have!

Caederus said...

Juanita Robinson was given the same sentence as my sister. 10 years suspended, 3 years probation. My sister's offence? 2nd degree assault. It was her boyfriend and he wasn't hurt in the altercation. It was a first offence and she was in her late forties. The difference? Harford County. You have to love the baltimore courts.

ppatin said...

Hey Galt, I saw the Sheila Dixon trinkets article. It made me want to throw up, just like everything else I read about the clowns running this city.

ppatin said...

As Juanita Robinson shows, maybe we ought to have mandatory minimum sentences for crimes such as, oh I don't know, murder. I can't believe she only served six months. Why don't they just create a crime called misdemeanor homicide.

Gor said...

Actually Robinson was convicted of manslaughter, not murder, but get this from the MD Criminal Code:

§ 2-207. Manslaughter

(a) Penalty.- A person who commits manslaughter is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to:

(1) imprisonment not exceeding 10 years; or

(2) imprisonment in a local correctional facility not exceeding 2 years or a fine not exceeding $500 or both.


Now, what the hell is the difference?

John Galt said...

Watch what Richmond understands about crime that Baltimore doesn't. Wednesday night at 11:00 p.m. on WMAR Channel 2.

And WBALTV, Channel 11, tours the Mitchell courthouse to see how dangerous a place it is to be a nondefendant, also at 11:00.

Anonymous said...

How often it happens I can't say, but I've read at least a half dozen articles that report that even the dirt clumped around the roots of the plants were weighed into the final number by Feds or local police.

ppatin said...

So a guy who commits a victimless crime faces a mandatory five years, while a killer got away with six months. Awesome.

Maurice Bradbury said...

Horrible. I feel so bad for that guy, his kids, the fucked-up priorities of our city, the waste of resources. It's somewhat more understandable if someone's creating a nuisance by selling out of their house and neighbors are complaining, but this guy had some ratty yellow plants in a shed. And no time at all for people who drink, drive and kill people. (Or in some cases, just straight-out kill people.)

C Love "The Rap Addict" said...

r u seriously feeling sorry for this guy for selling pot?


LOL! do you know how much of that pot 9 times out of 10 would end up in the city.


Thats the part you should be upset about!!!

All these "hoodies" smoking weeds...which leads them to hurting one of you.

I'd think you'd be outraged??

WOW!

no comment on the slave narrative....not sure about the point.

C Love "The Rap Addict" said...

even the dirt clumped around the roots of the plants were weighed into the final number by Feds or local police.


LOL! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!!!! There should be tougher laws against selling drugs in suburban areas.



THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE:
"a victimless crime"


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! happens everyday in the city .....to black people!!!! Selling crack...get life!!! sell the same weight in powder cocaine (we know where this is popular).....get a vacation in rehab!!!


THIS ONE MADE ME DAY!!!
Horrible. I feel so bad for that guy, his kids, the fucked-up priorities of our city, the waste of resources. It's somewhat more understandable if someone's creating a nuisance by selling out of their house and neighbors are complaining, but this guy had some ratty yellow plants in a shed.

his ratty shed???....LOL! Hillarious!!! He's gawn be alright yall.....you sound so very concerned.



I, for one, am glad they nabbed HIS ASS. He was waaay to cocky with it. He obvioulsy had no fear that he'd be able to get away with his shinanegans.

The war on drugs needs to start targeting some of the people involved in other areas of the "drug machine" too. Can't keep on directing all of you attention on the tail end and think you are going to make an impact.

TODAY is a great day in the fight against DRUGS!!!



Most indicators say.....black people don't bring drugs into this country.....drugs keep the economy in cities like Baltimore going........Black people don't maufacture drugs.......Black people aren't making the lion's share of the profits from the sales of drugs either......grow weed? I know plenty of ppl that wish they knew how to grow some weeds....LOL!

News said the guy had a pretty sophisticated operation....wasn't just a "ratty shed" from what I gather. This man had a house full of it. I wonder if he worked, paid taxes, paid a mortgage, sent his children to day care of private school...

"feel sorry for his fam", you say?....with DRUG MONEY!!!



A black man doing the same thing....you have no compassion, but look at how much you give this drug dealing loser???....my my my

where do the double standards end?

Last big bust of a home for weed was where? UPPER FELLS POINT!!!


Instead of you spending so much time and energy telling everyone else that they need to clean up where they live.....I think its time for many of this blog's writers, readers and responders to be more vigilent where they/you live.

John Galt said...

It seems to me that what this thread illuminates is the absolute lack of 'proportionate response' in Baltimore City criminal justice.

The sentences which result bear far less correlation to the (mis)conduct of the perp than to the technical affairs of the officers of the court, inter alia the custody of evidence, the length of postponements available, the desire (need) to clear the docket, and the caseload of the Prosecutor, not to mention the peculiarity of our criminal code as witnessed above.

I, for one, take the view that after fully examining which substances are deemed banned, you've got to enforce them quite vigorously. Having laws that you don't intend to enforce uniformly creates much opportunity for arbitrariness, which is anathema to the American legal tradition. And it is the hallmark of our municipal leadership here.

Sheila D.'s statement that she intends to treat drug addiction as a health problem, rather than a legal one, places her at odds with the duties she inherits as the chief executive of this charter county. She is responsible for ensuring the policing of all those laws passed down from Annapolis, not simply the ones of which she approves. There is no mayoral power of veto by executive omission. It's just called dereliction of duty.

John Galt said...

OMG, I just read Ditkoff's interview with Lenny Hamm.

It's sooooooooooo f#@kin' funny'.

He's soooooooooo very lost.

And sooooooooooo full of horse doo-doo.


Where's Ashton Kutcher? I think we've been PUNKED. This isn't really our top paid municipal employee, is it ?? For real ??

And you thought Pinnochio had a long nose.

ppatin said...

C Love, if murderers were routinely getting life or decades long sentences then the penalty for growing weed to be a lot less outrageous. I'm against the criminalization of marijuana, but right now it's still against the law, and you'd kind of a dumbass if you're growing huge amounts of it in your house. What gets me though is that violent criminals get off with far lighter sentences than this guy will get for his basement reefer farm. I think that armed robbery and aggravated assault are more serious crimes than growing some marijuana.

"All these "hoodies" smoking weeds...which leads them to hurting one of you."

When's the last time a stoner hurt anyone? Marijuana is hardly comparable to drugs like cocaine, heroin or meth.

Maurice Bradbury said...

C, your racist assumptions, personal attacks, ellipses and caps-abuse are not welcome here. If you can't make your point without resorting to the above your comments will be taken down. If you don't like how energy is devoted here, devote yours to your own blog.

As for your comment that you don't have a comment and saw no point to the point of the slave narrative, sorry it was lost on you.
If you want to take a guess, I'll make it multiple choice:

Maryland's governor just signed into law a formal apology for the state Maryland's role in slavery, which garnered a few scattered sentences in area papers but not much else. The author's use of narrative exerpts while relaying that news was most likely intended to:

a. draw the reader's attention to an important but much glossed-over aspect of Maryland history

b. illustrate what it is our government apologizing for

c. encourage readers to explore the possibility that Baltimore history could somehow relate to the present

d. Wax nostalgic for the good old days when human trafficking, torture and trough-feedings were not only legal, but business-as-usual

e. Contrast the horrors of slavery with the brief and bland reporting on the passage of the bill

.. and in balto. public-school style, only one answer is incorrect

John Galt said...

Another blotter with quite a few robberies and shootings. Plus, the murder vic on Herkimer is ID'd.

I know Jablow says robbery is down, but it sure doesn't feel that way.

Anonymous said...

C-love did make some good points, although I admit it was in a casual stream-of-thought fashion.


As for your quiz, Cybarian, I'll choose option F: It was a clumsy, poorly executed reference to a historical event. The "contrast" that the writer had intended did not work.

You'll also have to remember the context you have created here. I do remember you once mocked the pronounciation of "North Avenue" as "Norf Abenue". I suggest you try that in the company of some black people, then sit back and feel the temperature in the room drop.

Sorry to have to tell you, but if you write a blog, not everyone is going to agree with you.

Maurice Bradbury said...

Not agreeing is okay. Telling me that I, personally, have "no compassion" for someone (unless she's talking about an individual in particular) based on their genetic background, not okay with me. (And BTW, the race of pot-dealer guy wasn't reported, he could well be a "black" man.)

The history of Maryland, the Baltimore accent, the crime problem etc. do not belong to any single interest group in this city.

It's really odd (and scary) to me that some things I've typed that have nothing to do with race ("babydaddy" "norf abenue" "I feel sorry for pot guy") some readers (or maybe just one reader, who knows) have taken as some kind of derogatory remark on the culture of a specific ethnic group.

Say "Norf Abenue"? Likely, since that's how I talk!

ppatin said...

What about your Fredneck comments? Clearly you hate white people! Racist!

Caederus said...

I can think of times when just about every regular poster has had a difference of opion with just about every other poster here. While at times things got a bit heated, it has always had a constructive side. This site is one of the few places on the internet that I can say that about. Because of that I say good work.

C Love "The Rap Addict" said...

I apologize for my excessive use of caps, but not for anything I said.

I assumed that differing opinions were valued. This is not the first time I've said "South" when everyone else was saying "West".

Why this time....sheesh!

I am but one black female who offers you a different view point and you can't take it...you are offended because I challenge this safe comfort zone you've created on the net...and racist? WOW! why? I didn't talk about his moral fiber...him being of deminished intelligence, incapable of love because he sold drugs. And I was drawing from context clues that ole boy arrested for pot was prolly not a brother....but it makes me no never mind what color he is because its about time some of the people making enough money selling drugs to comfortably live in the burbs to go down too. If you don't feel that....then maybe you are what you acuse me of being (they say takes one to know one)......


As someone on here eloquently broke down not too long ago..... the ppl doing drugs, committing crime and being sent to jail as a result of laws in Baltimore are dispropotionately black. And black ppl make up 60% of the population.


I've never heard you talk about black people with the same level of compassion....that's all I'm saying.


Have you ever noticed...I never use that word - racist.

I don't because its over used and really does not capture the essense what goes on nowadays.

Most times racism is subtle ......folk getting caught up in words....I don't have time for words.....I use them...you use them...so what. I dont know you....you don't impact my existence.


Stop throwing that word around so causally...it waters it down. There is true racism out here.


I happen to have good friends of all races...The difference with them and I assume you...they know that sometimes black people get a little loud....(i.e. caps)....because we are passionate..... but most of us No Way mean you any harm....


you are no threat to me...I do not fear you....so therefore...I never thought anything other than to say what ever I feel.


I know that there are bad apples in every group....I just often feel like many of the folk that congregate here do not.

IMO - The slave blurb was insensitive. The picture you chose to use was assinine. Thanks! If you are going to show a pic of a slave on the day when Maryland apologized for slavery....you thought enough to use of picture of a man who was no doubt beat senseless for God knows what by someone who was entitled to the right to do that.

C Love "The Rap Addict" said...

Just about all the young kids I know (white and black - hip hop brings us all together)....do some kind of drug.


That says a lot. Its no longer looked down upon....its social ...a blunt could be bonding ritual....




I am not saying that weed is as dangerous or detremintal as others.....but in my experience....weed is the drug that frees ppl of their hibitions.



so even if you are not in the streets like that....under the influence....you are more likely to fall victim to your environment.


The youth are all drug addicts. Maybe not crack, but they are something that has crushed their get up and go.


Many people use weed to self medicate. I'm talking about bi-polar and schitzoids......I've run accross them.

There are lots of ppl out here smoking weed in conjunction with other things....everyone in the streets nowadays smokes "exotic"....who knows how they are making it.....this is not backyard biology....I know that stuff is frying their brain cells.



Its the apathy that cronic weed smoke brings on....coupled with no education...self-worth.... mental illness...coupled with alcohol....illegal activity around you.....


all this contributed to killing the PRIDE. So I def think ppl like this need to be smashed. He don't care nothing about all the ppl's lives he is destroying with his pursuit of the American Dream

Maurice Bradbury said...

Well, I'll use that word. Watch me go.

Sweeping generalizations based on ethincity, eg. "sometimes black people get a little loud" = racist.

Assuming that someone's ethnic background means that they have a particular point of view ("I, for one, am READY for all white folks to adopt Imus-like mannerisms and really start letting us all know how you feel") is racist.

There are comments on here all the time I don't agree with, even ones that offend me, (eg "ass piracy"), but I let them stand because maybe they advance the discourse. But coming to my space to make personal attacks on me (specifically, saying have "no compassion for black men") isn't okay. And I felt like it was only polite to let you know, so so you don't compose some five-page essay that is going to end up getting canned.

opinions=okay
personal attacks=not okay
racist, sexist, homophobic, classist remarks= sometimes stand if they're funny or enlightening in some way, depending on the mood of the moderator (aka me).

ppatin said...

I suspect that the "ass piracy" remark was actually a joke. Most real bigots normally prefer terms like "faggot" or "cocksucker."

C Love "The Rap Addict" said...

I respect your right to have and state you opionion, but in my opion you are wrong.


Words have no power....actions are what matter.


You examples of me being racist make no sense.....


And I am a black person.....so there fore when I say many of us are loud because we are passionate...this is what I have observed by actually living with and being of the collective known as "black" people. No generalization was made to demean, belittle, further differentiate soft spoken blacks as better and loud passionate ones as bad.


Try working your mojo on someone else. Nothing I said was racist....shortsighted, ignorant, wrong....but racist no.

As for my Imus comment....YOU are the one that introduced the idea that "Imus-like mannerisms" meant making one's racist and sexist views known....NO what I mean is....until white people stand up to black people and tell us our our actions make you feel without fear of "God knows what" and ....until we can see more concrete examples of how we hurt ourselves with the way that many of our entertainers and leaders represent themselves in ways that is disrespectful to our ancestors.....we will never know.

Imus kick started a conversation in the black community.....in a way that nothing else has in a long time. He has black people becoming more conscious of our influence...and how while things mean nothing to us...they are detrimentally effecting American society. I never knew that old white guys had those kinds of words in thier vocabularies until now.....I never knew that things that we think are slick...behind closed doors are being used as examples for why we (black ppl) are so stupid or only good enough to be entertainers. Imus was a Big Clear Mirror for me and what I stand for (I promote rap)


(eg "ass piracy") ...sorry, I dont ever remember using that word. OH MY.....are you gay? I didn't know? How would I know? Besides....I love gay ppl .....my favorite cousin is gay. For all you know...I could be gay. mmmmmmmmh?


And ......."canned anyway" by whom? Do you think I write for you? or anyone in particular? Do you think I come here for approval? Is this a try out for sumbission in a book or chapter that I don't know about.

As a blogger (also, thanks for checking out my blog)...I know my comments are now part of the WWW. I speak for the masses that cannot or choose not. I chose to.....

If anyone for some reason stumbles upon this blog (through google search, webroll, recommendation)....maybe they will be happy in knowing that the status quo was challenged.

I find this blog totally interesting....the bigger it gets...the more ppl will voice differing opinions. If you can't take me....sheesh! You don't want Darryl Muhammed to find this blog...LOL! My point....I am a softie.

Maurice Bradbury said...

"ass piracy" was someone else, referring to the crime rate in San Francisco.

Canned= deleted by me, the blogger and moderator

Darryl Muhammed, whoever that is = welcome to comment here, as long as s/he refrains from personal attacks etc (see above).

Maurice Bradbury said...

and just curious (I regret this already):
to whom is the slave blurb insensitive?
and if you don't agree with my definition of 'racist' (the adjective), what's your definition?
Can only "white" people be racist?

Anonymous said...

I have met just as many black people that are racists as white people. The difference? White people "whisper" racism a good bit, just a generalization mind you, whereas black people feel quite comfortable saying someone is a cracker, again just a generalization. Yes, these are complete generalizations, not all blacks/whites are like this, but this is just coming from my past experiences with all races. Whites tend to "test the waters" before telling a racist joke, and I have had to put a few people in their place for doing so. Racism in whites is behind closed doors, when they think everyone in the room will agree w/ them. It's sick and sad, and it disgusts me to no end. And reverse racism? Get rid of the "reverse" part, it's still plain ole' racism at it's best. IMO, everyone has predjudices, it is the bigger man that can overcome them and realize they are bread from ignorance and fear. END RACISM NOW, on all levels. Let's evolve together!