Baltimore Crime: No Mas

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

No Mas

I don't want to read the news any more. The Griffin story has upset me too much.

Why read the news, anyway? What's the point?

For a list of quality Baltimore blogs, sites & news sources, check the sidebar at right.

19 comments:

ppatin said...: The Sun's latest update on the death penalty debate is that there are not enough votes in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee to move the repeal bill out of committee. There is a good chance that the bill will make it to the Senate floor anyways though, because Mike Miller (who supports the DP) figures there aren't enough votes in the full Senate to pass it, so he might as well get the bill out of committee as a favor to O'Malley.

Meanwhile down in Virginia their state legislature has voted (by veto-proof margins, which is important since Tim Kaine is anti-capital punishment) to expand the number of crimes that are eligible for the DP. Good for them.; Thu Feb 26, 07:24:00 AM EST
ppatin said...: I think it's bullshit that the Griffins were only convicted of second-degree murder. IMO they deserved a first-degree conviction and a life sentence. The maximum sentence for second degree murder is thirty years, which probably means they'll serve maybe what, twelve? Total bullshit.; Thu Feb 26, 07:28:00 AM EST
Caederus said...: There are times when I fully believe that this mother had the right idea. (Yes the story is several years old from spain) Anyone who abuses/preys on a child should face much greater consequences, than those who prey on adults.

Unfortunatly the mother was part of the problem in the Griffin case.; Thu Feb 26, 08:08:00 AM EST
buzoncrime said...: I can't understand how one can ignore the murder of Correctional Officer David McGuinn or the strange inmate who killed two other prisoners. I think that at some point society needs a catharsis, and the death penalty needs to remain available--though used very infrequently and carefully. Are any of us sad that Timothy McVeigh was executed?

Interesting that the Griffins chose a trial by judge, instead of a jury trial. They almost certainly would have been convicted of 1st degree murder by a jury. (Although the judge was probably technically correct in this case.)
And I found it interesting, and perhaps a sign of continuing bias against women, that the father is allowed to be out on bail, while the mother has been detained since her arrest. And even after his guilty finding, the judge refused the state's request to revoke bail. Does this predict a softball sentence for the guy to come?; Thu Feb 26, 10:39:00 AM EST
ppatin said...: "I can't understand how one can ignore the murder of Correctional Officer David McGuinn or the strange inmate who killed two other prisoners."

Or how about the murder of Carl Lackl. Patrick Byers, the hoodlum who ordered Lackl killed, was IN JAIL at the time of Lackl's murder. There's also the even more extreme example of the Aryan Brotherhood leaders who were ordering murders while incarcerated at ADX Florence, which is probably the most secure prison facility in the world. Some people are a threat to society even when they're locked up.; Thu Feb 26, 11:27:00 AM EST
The Baltimore Cynic said...: Meanwhile down in Virginia their state legislature has voted (by veto-proof margins, which is important since Tim Kaine is anti-capital punishment) to expand the number of crimes that are eligible for the DP. Good for them.

I think a bigger issue than the Death Penalty is how many knuckleheads aren't held in prison for the duration of what they were sentenced to. Someone tell O'M that if they want to solve the death penalty problem, start working harder to keep these people in jail for longer portions of their miserable lives.

If that fails, then we can talk about putting them down like rabid ferrets.; Thu Feb 26, 01:37:00 PM EST
ppatin said...: Cynic:

True. The majority of convicted murderers in Baltimore have multiple prior violent felony convictions. Maryland needs to do what the Federales do and simply abolish parole, at least for those convicted of violent crimes. You get thirty years for attempted murder you should have to serve thirty years.; Thu Feb 26, 01:54:00 PM EST
The Baltimore Cynic said...: Patin,

I think we are on to something. Are there any people who run things that have the guts to actually say this?

Probably not, at least not in Baltimore. Here's where diversity in political opinion would be a very good thing.

PS - did anyone actually read the complete abell report on juries in Baltimore? I never got the chance.; Thu Feb 26, 02:11:00 PM EST
ppatin said...: For those who say that my eliminate parole idea would be prohibitively expensive, a hundred years ago Maryland's two prisons at the time (The Maryland Penitentiary and the Maryland House of Correction) both made a profit because they put inmates to work. The reason incarceration is so expensive right now is because prisoners sit on their asses all day and don't do anything useful. We could probably get 60 hours per week of work out of each inmate, which would do wonders to reduce the cost of locking people up;; Thu Feb 26, 02:26:00 PM EST
The Baltimore Cynic said...: Are there actually any places in Maryland that do prison labor nowadays? I'm unsure of how that works at this time...; Thu Feb 26, 03:05:00 PM EST
Dopple said...: Maryland does have prisoners do labor. I frequently see labor details on the highway picking up trash, and I believe the state of Maryland has its furniture fixed at the prison workshop. Not sure if any of it creates income or profit.; Thu Feb 26, 03:18:00 PM EST
Anonymous said...: The money needed to create the prison cells to hold perps for their full sentence is being spent of giving illegal aliens drivers licenses.; Thu Feb 26, 03:24:00 PM EST
Anonymous said...: keep blogging, man. i moved to eugene, or (the 2nd largest city in the state of oregon & has an annual murder rate lower than that of the baltimore city public school system) last year and need your blog to keep me in the know about my beloved hometown and her struggles.

god bless; Thu Feb 26, 09:46:00 PM EST
buzoncrime said...: Does this original post here mean that mjb is blogging no mas? that she's throwing in-the towel in the fight against crime, since, of course, crime is down so much that there hardly isn't any to write about, because all the reporters have been laid off and/or are blogging anyway?

Please say it isn't so!

We would then only have PPatin to keep us updated on death. John Galt to keep us updated on the Village and, er, Better Waverly (or was it worser Waverly?). Sebastian reminding us to stay armed and watchful and giving us whore-ific reports from the Boulevard. The Bmore Cynic to assist my cynicism.
We hope there's mas'!; Fri Feb 27, 02:07:00 PM EST
ppatin said...: Speaking of staying up to date on death...

Md. Senate committee rejects bill to end death penalty; Fri Feb 27, 02:17:00 PM EST
Maurice Bradbury said...: What's the point, Buz? What good does it do to know, after the fact, all of the horrible things people do to each other? What does it help?; Fri Feb 27, 03:51:00 PM EST
The Baltimore Cynic said...: MJB,

I think that it serves as a excellent reminder of all the issues that occur in the city (which, if you ask me, don't get enough attention), as well as a fair and balanced medium through which concerned people can share their thoughts. I hope that you don't underestimate the importance of it.

If you want I can manage things for a while if you need a break...; Fri Feb 27, 04:42:00 PM EST
Cham said...: MJB:

This blog has given some of the stranger members of our local community a platform to rant and rave, demand the right to arm themselves to the teeth under the auspices of self-defense. It has given people a platform to verbalize that they feel good about the prospect of executing other humans. The knowledge of local crime happenings makes people who live elsewhere feel superior and smug. These are the main attractions of the Baltimore Crime blog.

Myself, I look for trends as to why crime happens and understand there is a solution for crime reduction. I also understand that any type of realistic solution will never happen. Our culture is way too wrapped up in politics and the twisted vision our society has of right and wrong, and people are choosing not to focus on the statistical obvious.; Fri Feb 27, 07:17:00 PM EST
ppatin said...: "Myself, I look for trends as to why crime happens and understand there is a solution for crime reduction. "

If you actually were looking for trends you'd recognize the value of an armed citizenry, rather than one that's at the mercy of hoodlums.; Fri Feb 27, 10:19:00 PM EST

Baltimore Crime

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

No Mas

19 comments:

other links:

Recent Comments...

Feedjit

Blog Archive