Now that Dixon's no longer mayor, should the city un-install her home security system?
How much could taxpayers possibly get for a used, three-year-old system? Might it cost more than it's worth to take it down? .. on the other hand, couldn't she come up with some semi-plausible reason for keeping it, instead of hanging up on Jayne Miller?

Deadbeat!

TDR's Melody Simmons reports that Sheila Dixon's former lover Ron Lipscomb has taken his business out of state .. and stopped paying his bills. No word on where Mrs. Lipscomb is living.
.. wouldn't the Dixon story make such a great Urban romance potboiler novel?

The high price of self-defense

There's one to tell the grandkids... first humongously fat Marvin Cook Jr. breaks into 68-year-old William Bozeman's house ... then after Bozeman shoots him, Cook falls on top of Bozeman and bleeds out all over his bed. (Natch, Cook's family says he was "set up by someone")
Small world: Cook once was charged with firing shots at police union head Mark Cherry.

Topically, "The Maryland Senate has endorsed a measure that would protect people from lawsuits if they use deadly force to defend themselves"

and speaking of fat people, AAC police are ISO a Heinie-drinking counterfeiter

Pre-trial blahblahblah in the case of Lamont Davis, accused of shooting 5-year-old Raven Wyatt.

Two arrested for Chaz Village murder of "Young Gorilla" leader

Srlsy? "Marine's father ordered to pay Westboro's court costs"

A man shot in the head in Elkridge carjacking

"No apologies from Dixon" Sunday night

Dixon to Step Down

as part of plea deal, sources say

Mayor to Step Down at 3 p.m.?!

WBAL Tweets "Mayor Sheila Dixon says she will make a statement at 3pm about the recent jury verdict in her theft trial. Hear it on AM 1090 WBAL"

... JZ will cover it also and notes "Her office says she will not take media questions after the 3 p.m. news conference."
Some nerve!

.. WBAL TV is also planning to cover what they're calling an "announcement" live on the TV and the Internets.
Is Steala "Conviction" Dixon going to do the right thing?!

Post-Conviction and Living in Limbo

After the conviction, the tide of public opinion has turned against Dixon, but the establishment has assumed a buffalo stance to stand by their woman. City Council members are refusing to comment (or stepping on themselves to backtrack), and future Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake told the Sun she is making no preparations to become mayor.

Meanwhile, the Sun editorial pages demand an explanation but, a la Zaiafanice Lipscomb, can't bring themselves to change the locks.

But look on the bright side: They said a Baltimore city jury would never have the cojones to convict, and They were wrong. And as the CP's Nose notes, Baltimore has never been a city of laws, it has a long tradition of graft. Instead of the conviction being a "sad day for Baltimore," maybe it's a jolly sign that the grease isn't overtaking the gears.

More Dixoniana:
Judge Sweeney finds nothing wrong with jurors being Facebook friends

Baltimore Brew has "10 Questions We Wish Sheila Dixon Would Answer"

August 7

After the William Welch lost-evidence flap, state police have made a "verbal agreement" to handle evidence in cases against city officers in the future.

A rewrite that combines two of yesterday's stories, and additional forensics by Burgersub, clarify a couple of "details":

mr. williams was shot in the 3600 block of e lombard street friday night and died saturday. a 19 year old was shot in the first block of s highland avenue sunday and managed to run to the 3400 block of e baltimore street before collapsing. he died sunday (the same day he was shot). [and,] the sun sucks.

The S has more on the trial of HarfCo suspected serial killer Charles Burns, including a creepy letter the prosecution read. (I'm going to try to copy more primary-source stuff from Sun stories because their links expire in a day).

As I set here I'm thinking of what could've been going through that girls mind, as this was happening to her ... I know if this were me, I'd be saying what kind of 'monster' did I get a ride from. I'd be praying to God please Lord help me.

It's thirty years, yes, that's three zero, for 23-year-old Antoine Oliver, who shot Justice Georgie for $20 at the Divine Unity hair salon on Garrison Blvd. This means Mr. Oliver will likely get out when? ... Anyone? Anyone?
Update: Writes Julie Bykowicz,

Antoine can't get out in less than 15 years because he is convicted of a violent crime. When he does become eligible for parole, the governor will HAVE to sign off on his release, as that is standard operating procedure in all "life sentences" -- even ones with suspended terms like this one.

If he can't get a governor to sign him out of the big house, he'll have to wait until he is "mandatorily released" through "diminution credits," which would maybe happen around year 20. I did an explainer story on this pretty recently ["Pressures dictate plea deals, But sentences in city homicide cases aren't necessarily a bargain for the convicted," July 25, 2007]. Toward the end, it goes into (probably too much) detail about this subject.

Adds Luke Broadwater, wrestling coach/Examiner reporter:

Julie (as usual) is completely right about eligibility for parole. Under Maryland law, if convicted of a crime of violence (as defined by statute) a suspect isn't eligible for parole until he has served half his time. He can be up for his first parole review as early as 1/4th of his time, if he's convicted of a non-violent crime.

Thanks reporters! All quality, those two. So he'll serve at least 15 years.

Blotter: "A 20-year-old Bolton Hill woman was jogging around the reservoir at Druid Hill Park about 3 p.m. Sunday when several young men and women began yelling foul language at her and throwing rocks. The woman was not injured and no arrests had been made."

In the County, another domestic murder, at least the 8th in MD in the past month. Satya Long was found stabbed to death last night at her home in Woodlawn, and a so-far-unnamed man is in custody, turned in by his family after he confessed to his mom.

And a domestic dispute led to a city officer having to shoot one Ronald Bennett, 21. Just in the leg though unfortunately. Apparently there was already an assault warrant out for him but he'd been too busy wailing on his babymom to go to court.

Two yutes have escapes from the Hickey School (Didn't Ehrlich close that place down?). Fifteen-year-old Justin Russell and 16-year-old Davon Julius escaped a week ago.

Peter Franchot is after tax scofflaws. You mean, you can just ignore tax bills? i thought they'd take your house or something, but I guess not!

Three raids in the 'burbs busted car thieves who've sent thousands of Marylanders' vehicles to Africa and the Middle East.
"It's in vogue to run around in these countries with a license plate on that says Maryland on it or Florida on it," said Ben Jillett, a car-theft investigator with the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

Wrestling coach/ reporter Luke Broadwater rides with some unsuccessful bail bondsmen.