November 22-- Promoted from Comments

We [ED: The people of the Park Heights Community Meeting? Baltimoreans in the last election?] had such an outpouring of homeowner sentiment for basic crime control. Martin O'Malley took up the charge and became Mayor promising to impose 'zero tolerance' upon the criminals here. That's a direct quote.

He later turned around and claimed that we all 'misunderstood' what zero tolerance is.

The first step in politically organizing is.. to sack O'Malley for the lying politician he is. Not Governor. Not even Mayor.

The platform is Safety First. All other considerations take a back seat until Baltimore is no longer in the top ten most dangerous major cities. No junket to Rome for Agnes Welch. No raise for City Councilmembers. No municipal hotels. No below-market city land deals. No grants to nonprofits. Mandatory across-the-board cuts in total payroll for DPW and DHCD.

Within the police department:

• 311/911 operators must be dedicated dispatchers, not disgruntled officers being punished by having to answer calls for service.



• Responding officers must be charged with filing accurate incident reports. If the victim disagrees with the report, the officer should automatically be required to appear before an independently appointed quasimunicipal board, which will determine whether the report was incorrectly filed. If so, (maybe at least x number of times) the officer will be dismissed. Wherever the officer's write-up is materially at odds with the victim's recollection of facts, the officer must refer it to the Board, with written notice to the victim. Failure to comply will result in dismissal.



• The State's Attorney should refuse consent to supervised probation where the terms of probation do not provide for a nightime curfew barring supervised probationers from being in the public easement after dark except en route to a verifiable job, a meeting with a parole officer, or a verifiable medical emergency (including drug treatment).



• The State Legislature should eliminate the distinction in penalties between misdemeanor Breaking & Entering and felony Home Invasion. If you're caught in another's property unlawfully, you go to jail. If you think you 'might' be Breaking & Entering, you probably are. Stay out or go to jail.



• The State Legislature should adopt a provision doubling the penalty otherwise applicable to a felony if the offender is under the influence of drugs or is found by a court of law to have been engaged in a drug offense at the time of the felony, including simple possession. The same should apply wherever a felony is accompanied by a high-speed automotive chase.



• Any drug conviction or factually proven possession or distribution on or within 100 feet of a subsidized housing unit by any person who has been granted access by the tenant should disqualify the tenant from the program henceforth.




• Any offenses committed on the premises of a public school which would otherwise constitute a felony if committed by an adult should necessarily require immediate removal of the juvenile from the school.



• Maximum sentences for both misdemeanors and felonies should be ratchetted up in proportion to the number of offenses adjudicated to have been committed. You want judges motivated to treat career offenders more harshly than very occasional offenders. This invokes the law of seven and seventy.



• The State's Attorney and Judiciary should be forbidden to take into account resource constraints at Dept. of Corrections when seeking a just penalty.



• City Council should adopt a resolution each year fixing the number of officers necessary to Adequately Provide for the Public Safety. The appropriation for the police department should be created a Fund, whose contents do not revert to the General Fund of Baltimore City. Thus, the Mayor's Office would no longer have any incentive to undersupply policing so as to fund pet projects, such as economic development.



• Contributions to the local police district's coffers should constitute a tax credit against a taxpayer's tax bill to the City. This ensures that City government cannot divert taxes which taxpayers intend should provide public safety.



• Baltimore City council should be obligated by resolution to refuse any requests for industrial revenue bonds (other than water treatment/pollution control) while public safety benchmarks are unattained.



• Baltimore City Health Dept. should provide a single, lifetime treatment slot for drug abuse. Once used, the relapsed offender should be denied terms of probation unless he can provide for his own treatment.

-- JG

And Dan Rodericks would like to add, it's time to get serious about repeat offenders by using any tools that work.

November 21

Our Nation's President Geroge W. Bush will be at M&T Bank Stadium on November 30th for a fund-raiser for himself and Oreo-battered Tom-called Mike Steele. If you truly believe in Republican principles you'll be there with $5,000, by God.

The murder trial of Michael Johnson, 15, of West Franklin Street, is scheduled to begin at 9:30 tomorrow morning before Judge Edward R.K. Hargadon, 509 Courthouse East. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Johnson for first-degree murder and handgun counts May 18. Court documents allege that on December 1, 2004 Johnson shot and killed Flenall Carter III, 19, in the 4100 block of 10th Street.

At a recent meeting the residents of Park Heights were all like, "we're so fartik with the shvartzers and farshlugginer slow police response times and the farshtunken unreported incidents" and the police were, all like, "what are you gonna do, sue somebody?"

The Court of Appeals struck down MD's prisoner-treatment laws. The problem was not legal content but the procedure of filing appropriate paperwork.

November 20

Secret plea agreements for three of seven men in a drug-dealing gang in the Northern that tried to burn down Edna McAbier's rowhouse. Miss Edna, Harwood Community Association President, ran afoul of the local Bloods.

Dogs picked up the scent of flammible liquid at the building at the 2100 Garrison Boulevard apartment-building site where two people, including Thomasina Evans, died on Friday. Oddly, the building is owned by a company that appears to consist of a single New Jersey man.

Since Friday, eight people have died in fires in the city, most recently a mysterious rowhouse fire that killed three. Check those smoke-detector batteries and think about your escape plan, it's that time of year.

Justice will be delayed at the trial of Wayne Lavon Bond, accused of shooting Edgewood cab driver Derald Howard Guess, a 37-year-old father of nine, as part of a gang-initiation rite.

The conviction in the shooting death of Marcellus Maddox (also in a cab) is under Appeal in Wicomico County. The ruling could potentially help define assault sentences in the state.

In Carroll County, 40-year-old Anthony Hughes pled guilty to assaulting ex-wife Ellen Redifer with a claw hammer in 2002.

Another great date opportunity from the State's Attorney's office: a concert tonight at 6:30 p.m, in which the Baltimore City Police Choir will be singing with the Northwood-Appold United Methodist Church Choir at the New Metropolitan Baptist Church at 501 McCulloh Street. The free concert that will also involve eulogizing the state's fallen police officers. The most recent Baltimore City death was the July 3, 2004 shooting of Officer Brian D. Winder.

Life's bitter irony dept: the most recent MD police fatality, Grant Turner, had a heart attack while running a 5K in honor of fallen hot officer Duke G. Aaron III.

November 19

A methadone addict in Dundalk is charged with murder in the death of her methadone-addicted 2-month-old daughter.

Arson in West Baltimore left two people dead and 27 people homeless. One of the dead is a 41-year-old woman who was homeless until a few months ago.

Alleged corrupt former senator Thomas Bromwell was taped by the FBI in a building downtown. JHU was apparently one of many victims in a kickback scheme.

Accusations of an ineffective police investigation have been raised in the Canton murder of Brian Jones.

Steven R. Chamberlain, CEO of Lanham-based Integral Systems, Inc., is charged with liking little girls way too much.

The Baltimore pastor who is charged with liking little boys and little girls way too much is also being investigated by police in Minnesota and Barbados.

Unlike Baltimore City's Northern District, Carroll County doesn't put up with home invasions. Great story by Sheridon Lyons.

Four Maryland convenience stores have been robbed of "cash, cigarettes, and cheap liquor" by a woman in her late 20s.

Drunk driver Rudi Vasquez of PG County will serve eight years for two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the crash that killed Juan Valle, 26, and Audelino Valle, 30.

Bea Gaddy's legacy is in bad trouble this year. To help with the shortage, the center at 425 N. Chester St. in East Baltimore will be open 24/7 until Thanksgiving to accept donations. The phone number is 410-563-2749.

November 18

A Baltimore City jury convicted Alphonso Graves, III, 36, of second-degree murder and handgun counts today following approximately seven hours of deliberation and three days of testimony. Judge Thomas J.S. Waxter, Jr. scheduled sentencing for February 17, 2006. On November 18, 2004 the body of Stacey Lynn Carter Graves, 30, was found in the downtown apartment of her estranged husband, Alphonso Graves, III. Surveillance cameras from the apartment complex captured both Mr. and Mrs. Graves entering the apartment complex on November 15, 2004. The camera also captured Mr. Graves leaving the apartment with a handgun in his waistband.

Walter Robinson, 27, of the 4800 block of Briarclift Road, is scheduled for arraignment at 9:30 this morning before Judge John P. Miller, 428 Clarence Mitchell Courthouse. A BCity grand jury indicted Robinson on October 24 on one count of sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 18; three counts of third-degree sexual offense; three counts of fourth-degree sexual offense; and four counts of second-degree assault. Sexual abuse of a minor carries a maximum prison term of 25 years and third-degree sexual offense carries a maximum prison term of 10 years. Court documents allege that Robinson sexually assaulted a 15-year-old student repeatedly between August 2005 to October 2005 at the Benjamin Franklin Junior High School.

Police are seeking the public's help in finding thieves who stole <$750k of jewelry and the chalice and paten of St. Ignatius Church in Forest Hill from JM Jewelers. Keep your eyes peeled for two Mestizo-looking 20-something guys with a very shiny pimp cup and dip plate.

What to Do if an Officer Won't Take a Report

If you're a crime victim you should always call the police and you should always get a police report. You may need the report number for property or health insurance reasons. If a Baltimore City police officer won't issue a report, call the office of Colonel Debbie Owens at 410-396-2363. Owens is the Chief of Patrol of all Nine Districts in the city. Ask her assistant* what the chain of command is for your district. If you're in the Northern, the Deputy Major is Buzzuro (pronouced "Bizarro." Really), his boss is Major Lukasic and above those two at central command or whatever is the Area 1 Commander Beale Feld.

*Her assistant is very helpful but wouldn't leave a name: "I don't need my name to go in no paper."

Afternote: Debbie Owens, it turns out, e-mailed me back immediately after I contacted the office, giving me her personal cell-phone number-- it doesn't get much more responsive than that (I didn't see the e-mail b/c my mail program didn't know the address filed it under "junk" next to an ad for "enhansement".

In all of my experience I've gotten nothing but very fast responses and professionalism from the Baltimore city police, and I've called them at least 40 times since I moved here.

November 17

Rape and assault in the Western, robbery in the Northern.

Edward Lee, 36, made a wrong move trying to outrun the police and ended up flying off the 83 into the Jones Falls. Police say Lee claims to have "been chased by Baltimore police more than a dozen times for various offenses, but ... the police always backed off before." (cue Dukes of Hazzard theme)

Formerly reverend Gerald Fitroy Griffith has been arrested for holding dirty counseling sessions with four teenage boys and one girl(?).

And three of four unaccounted-for HoCo sex offenders have been rounded up. The one that got away was 49-year-old Karen Hammond.

Day One of the Irv Lorenzo "Gotti" trial features an "amusingly grizzled unlicensed Baltimore cabdriver."

Kenneth Douglas Ellis, 25, left, is being sought for spray-painting sloppy, artless tags on houses around Keswick and Beech in Hampden.

O'Malley's for the the stopping and the frisking, as long as police are keeping accrate records.

Speaking of, I sent excerpts of howard somebody's letter to Matt Jablow on Tuesday. I haven't gotten a response:

Hi Mr. Jablow,
I have an online news service, http://baltimorecrime.blogspot.com/, and I've gotten more than one letter from readers about police not taking reports. This is actually the second letter I've gotten complaining about a policeman being reluctant to take a report:

"... last week my neighbor heard her window break. The house was entered and property was removed. It went on for quite a while. She was terrified and locked her bedroom door, calling the police.

They came about an hour later. They asked if she could describe the perps and she explained that she had tried very hard NOT to encounter them.

Since she couldn't identify the home invaders and they were gone (an hour delay will do that for a felon), the officer declined to write any incident report. Not forgot. Refused.

IT NEVER HAPPENED. At least as far as the police are concerned. So yes, statistically, Northern has less crime than the Corner. But then again, Northern lies. It is not unique in that respect.

Crime is not down. Crime reports are down. Partly because police won't take them, partly because they take too long to get there, and partly because victims learn after the first few incidents that they are wasting their time, so they just don't bother thereafter.

My question is, have you heard of anything like this?
And if a citizen does encounter an officer who won't take down a report, who can they call? Or where can they call if a police response time was slow?

So we'll see what he says.

Can you trust the police? Can a rattlesnake dropkick a football?
Today's lesson: Gregory Kane asserts what every Eddie's mom knows too well: "Some people do, indeed, need frisking. And ... some may need more than that."

In case you missed it: The Baltimore Sun is eliminating 75 positions, including 12 to 15 newsroom positions.

November 16

The murder of Brian O'Neill Jones appears to be totally senseless (the third senseless Jones death this week). The victim left behind a wife and three children, ages 6 months, two and five years.

A member of the Cutthroat gang who was 13 when he shot Jerrod Hamlett, 23, will be tried as a juvenile. (See the June 16 conversation with Donny Moses).

Trail has begun in NY for Irv Lorenzo "Gotti" of Muder Inc. Records, accused of laundering money for Baltimore drug dealer "Supreme" McGriff.

Federal prosecutors have five years to file murder charges against Leeander Blake (famous as the 3rd Baltimorean to visit the Supreme Court since Thurgood Marshall).

November 15

Not a good adjective: Police are "baffled" by the shooting death of 34-year-old Brian Jones in Canton. His body was found on the 1300 block of Ellwood Avenue on the parking lot of Canton Harbor Nursing Center.

The victim found on Tudor Arms was named as Michael Bryant, 22, of East North Avenue.

Pulp novel waiting to be written: 58-year-old Diane Coffman, formerly of Towson, got five years' suspended and five years' probation for killing her five-year-old son, Edward Coffman, in 1972. The case was re-opened by Edward's surviving younger brother.

Ten people were charged with immigration fraud in Manhattan for helping Kenneth Adam Howard of Baltimore arrange sham marriages of foreign girls to sailors.

Murder charges against a Harpers Ferry man accused of administering a fatal heroin overdose have been dropped so Federal charges can proceed. "Richard Allen Ashbaugh, 38, originally was charged with murder after Jonathan Parks, 26, of Brunswick, Md., was found lying facedown between two beds in a room at the Towne House Motor Lodge."

HoCo police commander Tara Nelson, accused of trying to run over her husband, was cleared and has returned to work. The would-be speedbump refused to testify. Thought to ponder: if she was a guy, would she have gotten her job back?

In Glen Burnie, Tonya Denise Moulden, 22, stabbed her boyfriend with a steak knife during a fight.

More Tragic: The former drummer for Japanese band Shonen Knife, Mana "China" Nishiura, was killed in route from Baltimore to Brooklyn in a van accident! She and her new band DMBQ had just played a show at the Talking Head.

Baltimore Fun Fact! In 2001 an actual male human body part was found on the street in Canton.

Maryland Decision 2006
Yeah right, someone tossed Oreos at Michael Steele three years ago after the Morgan State vice-guber debate and we're just hearing about it now, for the first time, three years later. And no one saw it. Or took a picture. At the debate. That's the news head honky and Definer of Blackness Ehrlich had to report when he made contact with the college students of today, explaining "to the extent anyone is out there now saying, 'Well, no, those Oreo cookies really weren't thrown at Mike Steele, that's now an urban legend, whatever, made up by [lowest-common-denominator race-baiting] Republicans' ... these people have got to get real." Meanwhile there's allegations that Mike B. called Mike S. an "Uncle Tom" and now Carmelo Anthony is somehow involved. Does that mean that the West Side L-Heights Crips also endorse the Republicans? I thought the blue flag was only on the left side. I'm so confused.

November 14

BoCo Popos have arrested Brian Bartee, 18, Kion Coulter, 26, and Marcus Pettiford, 19 for the double murder of Howard and Dante Thacker in Owings Mills.

The attempted murder trial of William Crudup has been held over until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow before Judge John M. Glynn, 236 Mitchell Courthouse.

There have been 476 police-involved car accidents this year, including the one that killed 25-year-old mom Mary Jones.

Michael Turner, 36, pled guilty to stealing more than $40k from an Aberdeen security-guard union.

Gerard Holt got 10 years for carrying a stolen firearm.

It's hot to rob people of cell phones.

Two officers were injured trying to bust up a crazy-azz party in College Park.

WTF you talking bout Willis? After the largest gambling raid in Baltimore since Prohibition and sticking it to Vicki Mengel, cops are waging a "Cops for Slots" campaign (not to be confused with Norris' "Cops for Sluts" campaign). The gang = the government. Don't have enough money, puh-lease.

PSAs

Perfect first date for match.com and jdaters-- the Renaissance Harbor Hotel, 202 East Pratt Street, Monday, November 21, 2005 at 6:00 p.m. for ... the spectacle ... the legal heavyweights duking it out in...
The Toothless Tiger

HEAR! Patricia Jessamy, fresh from a Puerto Rican vacation, pontificating on how much our total lack of protection for witnesses has led to them being shot at and having their houses burned down and whatnot.

REVEALED! Why the new witness intimidation law has been called flaccid by some and impotent by others.

BEHOLD! The Elfin and Honorable John Martin Glynn, who hears all of the juciest, skankiest cases on the 8th Circuit. That's b/c he's in charge of the docket!

and recently brought back from the dead from the basement of the law firm of Mead and Flynn, P.A., Margaret Mead! Speaking of skulls n bones, there's also some guy named James Wyda, who went to Yale.

So if you've ever wanted to get drunk on Monday night at a hotel bar and heckle smart, powerful people on a panel, call 410-385-3637 or send an e-mail to either
shaiber@milesstockbridge.com
bfish@stattorney.org
what the hell, it's free, sponsored by the creepy-sounding Federalist Society.

PSA #2 The head cybrarian will be live on WJSS am radio Thursday the 16th with Dr. Horrace Tittle from 8:50 to 9 a.m.

November 14

Two crime alerts near the TU campus (so watch yourself, Bilal):

On Sunday, November 13, 2005 at approximately 8:55 PM two suspects entered the KFC [on York Road and Willow Ave] and demanded money. After obtaining the money, the suspects ordered the employees to get in the freezer. No Weapon was displayed.
Suspect descriptions are as follows:

Black Male, glasses, beard, long sleeve white shirt W/ red stripes, baseball cap, with a blue letter.
Black Male, grey hoodie, black ski mask.

An unrelated incident occurred on Sunday, November 13, 2005 at approximately 12:10 AM where in a victim was assaulted and his wallet and other personal belongings were taken. This robbery appears to have resulted from a verbal argument earlier at the Dunkin Donuts just across the street. The suspects were described as follows:
White Male 19-20 yrs, 5'-9" Med build, dark sweatshirt, blue jeans
White Male 18-91[!] yrs. 5"-4" large build, red hair, white tee shirt, jeans

--cut n pasted from the Towson University Police

November 13

Bet that goes over really well: cops are "aggressively stopping and frisking people", with six times as many blacks as whites being frisked, according to internal police reports.

A police officer was shot in the hand.

November 11

An unidentified man was found shot to death near Wyman Park at 3732 Tudor Arms Ave. (I think one can assume in the Northern "not from this neighborhood" = "black")

Florida police arrested Ellis Lee Hickman Jr., wanted for the murder of Rakiyya States in Overlea. States was found in her flaming house in the bathtub with her fingertips cut off.

The body of a man found under the 29th street bridge Nov. 1 was identified as Bradley Wilkinson, 27, of Pennsylvania. He'd allegedly robbed a bank five days prior.

Terrance Wynn, 21, was found not guilty of the murder of 15-year-old Marshall Giles.

Police have no leads in the October 25 fatal stabbing of Jermaine Morrison, 24.

Stephan High, 22, was charged with first-degree murder in the mistaken-identity stabbing of William Green III, 19.

PGCo jurors: death a-ok for Kenneth Jamal Lighty, who kidnapped and killed the 19-year-old son of a police officer.

An 18-year-old shot in the right eye, an attempted murder arrest, shooting suspects at large and plenty of robberies and burglaries in the blotter.

Norman Johnson, 47, got 12 1/2 years after he pleaded guilty to attempted carjacking.

An eight-year-old boy was almost abducted in White Marsh, but the plucky lad escaped by landing a well-placed kick to the kneecap of his dark-clad would-be captor.

A Loyola dorm room was burgled.

PG county's 151st homicide was a fatal shooting in Landover. Also, three family members in Ellicott City pled guilty to importing counterfeit NASCAR and Lord of the Rings merchandise.

Two Towson high schools were on lockdown this morning after police recieved a report of a person with a gun.

Murder in Baltimore County is up by a whopping 10 percent!

In Cecil County a police chase led to a fatal accident and the death of a DVD pirate.

At a 12-year-old girl was arrested for phoning in a phony bomb threat to Frederick Middle School.

What I Learned at the BCCJ Meeting

Yesterday I dropped in on the Baltimore City Criminal Justice Coordinating Council meeting. It's a monthly meeting, chaired by Judge John Glynn, of all of the heads of the justice-related agencies in town: Hamm and the sheriff were there, and some Delegate, and a hot guy from the U.S. Attorney's Office, and like 20-something other people. Kind of like the Justice League in Superfriends, except boring, and they serve lunch. The discussions were kind of a yawn, and there was even a PowerPoint presentation, but the handouts were full of interesting facts. Here's a few, in no particular order:

• It costs, on average, $25,000 a year to keep someone in jail.


• A 28-day stay in a drug treatment program costs $32,800.


• In September, 6,787 people were arrested, versus 8,964 in August.


• In the past 12 months, 97,976 people have been processed at Booking and Intake. The center is currently operating at 135% of capacity.


• In November 2004, 262 people were arrested in the city for Attempted Murder.


• In 2004, the police department recieved 26,072 domestic violence calls, resulting in 5,317 arrests (I guess we don't have one of those Washington State laws where somebody has to go to jail). Seventy percent of women who are murdered are killed by partners and have been previously physically abused. There are only nine detectives handling all of the city's DV cases.


• The City Council wants to enforce a curfew on juveniles between midnight and 6 a.m. on weekends and 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays, and also between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. for juveniles 6 to 16.


• The biggest Circuit Court Divison ain't the criminal, it's the Family. In Fiscal Year '04, the Family Division dealt with 128,854 filings. The Family Division deals with 72 percent of all civil legal matters. Unlike Baltimore County, the city doesn't mandate mediation before going to court in custody cases, or make separating couples with kids attend co-parenting classes.


• There are 228 cameras posted around town. The cameras cost about $1 million each and were financed by seized assets and Homeland Security grants. According to Hamm, about 150 arrests were made last week on account of the cameras.


• About 80 to 85 percent of people arrested in the city are represented by public defenders.


• As of yesterday, Police Commissioner Hamm has been on the job for one year.

So there you go. Wish I'd asked Hamm about the 37% murder clearance rate, but the intimidatingness of all of the important people, the heat in the room and the soporific effect of the PowerPoint presentation made me chicken out at the last minute. Maybe next time.

November 10

In the Sun blotter, police are seeking information on the murder of 23-year-old Jermaine Fleming in Southwest Baltimore; Cyrus Beads was arrested for the June 7 triple shooting that left 44-year-old Lawrence Johnson dead and two teenagers wounded; two men playing video games resorted to gunplay to solve their differences; and armed robberies up the wazoo.

Now there are two Baltimore murder cases being re-examined in light of new DNA testing, and city prosecutors are not happy.

A Baltimore City Jury today convicted Keyona Dillon, 15, of attempted second-degree murder and possession of a concealed deadly weapon following two days of testimony and approximately one day of deliberation. Dillon stabbed a 15-year old girl on May 31 while walking in the 3800 block of St. Margaret Street.

The sex offense trial of Edgar West, originally scheduled to begin today, has been postponed. The new trial date is February 7, 2006 before Judge Sylvester Cox.

Deborah Weiner at WBAL-TV brings a human face to our region's staggering rate of drug addiction.

Baltimore County has three people and $300,000 to prevent gangs from becoming a problem.

Gambling charges are being dismissed against the 80 people arrested in the raid of a poker tournament in South Baltimore due to a technicality. Some participants thought the event was legal, since it was being touted as a charity fundraiser. Prosecutors may re-file charges, but it appears unlikely since even they think it's a "waste of court resources."

Members of the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police are trying to bring slot machines to the city in order to buy equipment for officers. The F.O.P. president stated that this is a last ditch effort to earn money, because "there's no more money for the government to give us." Meanwhile, back in July, the Washington Post ran a front-page story with the headline, "Maryland Reports Surplus of $1 Billion".

Two 13-year-old middle school students in Frederick County were charged with carrying concealed deadly weapons at school. One of the deadly weapons was a BB gun.

In Salisbury, James Bennett High School was locked down on a "Code Red alert" after a 17-year-old was found carrying a knife.

Yahoo! presented more national coverage about Baltimore's enlightened views on snitching. Chuck D. from Public Enemy offered a contrary voice to the standard hip-hop rhetoric: "If a person is cancerous to society, then a snitch sometimes is the best solution, with an army behind him."

November 9

28-year-old Corey Wyatt was shot to death on Monday night in his Northeast Baltimore home.

Murder Ink reports eight murders this week, plus the re-classification of 35-year-old Greg Morrison's September death as a homicide.

There was a shooting in Northwest Baltimore City.

Police say a missing grey backpack may be the key to the mysterious murder of Tiona Smith.

71-year-old Robert C. Griffin, imprisoned since 1986, will receive a new murder trial based upon recent DNA testing of evidence recovered from the victim's body. Prosecutors stand by the conviction against Griffin, stating they never claimed that he was the last person to have sex with the victim.

The sex offense trial of Edgar West, 34, of the 6100 block of Alta Avenue, is scheduled to begin tomorrow before Judge Sylvester Cox, 417 Mitchell Courthouse, 110 North Calvert Street. A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted West March 28 on two counts each of second-degree child abuse, second degree sex offense and second-degree assault. Court documents allege West had sexual contact with two minors in September 2004.

Ay yi yi, MD now has one of those older-lady-teacher-young-boy cases. Kimberly Ann Cordrey-McKinney, 32, of Chestertown engaged in "acts" with a boy half her age.

Seems that the man caught with the 30-foot aluminum utility pole in his Chevy may not be behind the recent rash of lightpole thefts.

His lawyer says that gun charges against Maged Hussein will be dropped, due partially to his cooperation with agents investigating the Baltimore tunnel bomb threat and partially to the way a protective order that was filed by his wife was filled out. A hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning in courtroom 7, North Avenue District Court.

A Towson University student was robbed of $300 by two armed men who entered the student's dorm room.

Maryland Public Defenders report that they've been cut off from access to the criminal database. Interesting stat: 80 to 85 percent of criminal defendants in Baltimore City are represented by public defenders.

Armed robbery, armed robbery, and more armed robbery in the Sun's police blotter. Oh, and the "burgary" of 450 cartons of cigarettes. (Sorry, but typos in major daily newspapers are high on my list of pet peeves.)

An Annapolis couple was among the guests on a cruise ship that was attacked by pirates!

A woman is facing animal cruelty charges for collecting cats and starving dogs in NE Bmore.

November 8

At arraignment today, Charles Knott, charged with first-degree murder, pled not guilty. A jury trial was scheduled for February 3, 2006 before Judge Shirley Watts.

AA police detained, then released, a 26-year-old suspect in the murder of Michel Leo Rousseaux.

A man was shot in the small town of Fruitland (south of Salisbury).

Roger Hargrave was indicted on one charge of attempted murder and one first-degree assault count for his alleged attack on Yvette Cade.

The Jeffersonian reports lots of robberies, an abduction and a shadowy intruder in the Northeastern 'burbs.

Former Catholic Priest Jerome Toohey pled guilty to sexually abusing a Calvert Hall College student.

Baltimore car thieves have really bad taste.

Plenty of thefts and muggings in the Northern this week, and a carjacker who tried to evade capture by jumping in the Inner Harbor.

Stop the presses! Baltimore has an image problem. Consultants are being paid $500,000 to come up with a new slogan to combat the crisis-- and this embarrasing story has hit the newswire, making matters worse.

November 7

The body of 23-year old 23-year-old Tiona Smith, right, was discovered on Sunday morning by neighborhood children in the backyard of a house in Woodmoor. She was fully clothed, had suffered head injuries, and did not live at the house where she was found. Baltimore County homicide detectives are investigating.

The Sun's Metro Digest also mentioned the dead woman in Woodmoor, but only after reporting that Allen Reter was charged with theft after police discovered a stolen 30-foot lightpole sticking out of the back (and front) of his Chevy station wagon.

Charles Benedict Knott Sr. 51, aka the guy in Hampden who beat the other guy to death in broad daylight on the Avenue with a cane in front of children walking home from school, is scheduled for arraignment Tuesday morning before Judge Lynn K. Stewart. A Baltimore Grand Jury indicted Knott October 11 for first-degree murder in the death of James Garrett, 56. Court documents allege that "on September 16 in the 1100 block of West 36th Street Charles Knott and James Garrett got into an altercation which resulted in Knott striking Garrett several times with a cane about the head. Garrett was transported to Union Memorial Hospital where he later died from his injuries."

Police are seeking help finding witnesses to yesterday's shooting of Edison Moran in Rockville. Police believe it may be related to a dispute in the parking lot of the Tijuana Mexican Cafe.

The attempted murder trial of William Crudup that was scheduled to begin today has been postponed until November 14, 2005 before Judge John Glynn. Crudup is accused of shooting two plainclothes Baltimore City police officers Andrew Lane and Joseph Banks who tried to arrest him on drug charges in March.

The attempted murder trial of Keyona Dillon began this morning before Judge Wanda K. Heard. Dillon, 15, is charged with attempted murder in connection to a stabbing of a 15-year old girl on May 31.

What responsibility does the State have to keep foster children safe? That's the daunting question before the Court of Appeals today.

A hearing is scheduled for 1:30 tomorrow afternoon for Keon Ceasar, 19, in Room 1, Eastside District Court at 1400 E. North Avenue. Court documents allege that on September 26 Ceasar assaulted a witness in the second degree and did by threat endeavor to intimidate the witness in the discharge of his/her duty. Ceasar allegedly assaulted and threatened a witness of a non-fatal shooting because of that witness' involvement in the investigation of the shooting. Ceasar is currently being held at the Baltimore City Detention Center.

Hidden amongst the vandalism and theft in the Police Blotter is the rape of a 17-year-old girl at a party in Owings Mills.

Jerome Owens, aka the convenience-store robber with the teardrop tattoo, was arrested in Canton.

A growing trend of defendants who boycott their own trials.

Dan Rodricks at the Sun wonders why there is a poker crackdown in Baltimore when one in every 2,350 city residents are being murdered.

Curfews are being enforced for the under-18 crowd at some local suburban malls. No word yet on curfews for the city's under-18 drug dealer crowd.

The son of former Oriole Pete Rose pled guilty to using and selling a steroid alternative called GBL. He's facing up to 20 years in prison. The junior Rose said that he and teammates used it to unwind after games.

The SEC settled the Ahold NV/ U.S. Foodservice accounting fraud case, fining seven individuals $25k each.

November 6

Michel Leo Rousseaux, 28, of Severna Park was found shot to death in Glen Burnie.

Edison Moran, 22, was found shot to death in a car in Rockville.

In Blair-Witchy Burtonsville, a 52-year-old woman shot her 39-year-old boyfriend Daniel Shuler to death.

Four people were shot, one fatally, outside of the teen hangout Culture Club in PGC.

A police officer's car hit a telephone pole when a suspect rammed his cruiser in the Southwest.

The cold-case burning of Fleming's Bakery in Annapolis has now been classified as arson.

Officers and visitors are in trouble for smuggling contraband into state prisons.

Not criminal, but should be: Scooter Libby's hobby of writing depraved "erotic" tales about bears and young Japanese girls. Ew, ew, ew.

November 5

An arrest has been made for the 1992 murders of Vanessa and Bianca Price. Darryl E. Green evaded capture for 13 years by assuming someone else's identity.

Antoine Adams, 32, got life in prison for his third murder, Penelope Medina. He is awaiting trial for the shooting death of Justin Gaglione. And rape, murder and robbery in the blotter also.

Fletcher Worrell, 58, has been implicated by DNA in at least 24 unsolved rapes in Maryland and New Jersey. Police believe he could be the "Silver Spring Rapist" wh attacked 21 women between 1987 and 1991. No word on when or if he'll face trial here.

A woman walking on a footpath in Halethorpe was assaulted and raped by a shortish white guy with green eyes in a hoodie.

An MTA bus driver was shot with a pellet gun.

Scary NJ fugitive Rakeen Baskerville was arrested in Edgewood. Police say he's part of a drug gang called Et-Hak, and he's wanted for murder, among other offenses.

Reginald Simms Jr. of Glen Burnie had one craptacular Sunday: he was shot in a cab, then arrested at the hospital on two unrelated felony warrants.

Probation officer Yolanda Johnson got 18 months in prison and three years' probation for extorting money from the drunk drivers she was supposed to be supervising.

November 4

Gov. Ehrlich has signed the death warrant for Wesley Eugene Baker. If Baker is put to death the week of December 5, he will be MD's fifth state-sponsored execution since the death penalty was reinstated by the Supreme Court in 1976. Baker was sentenced to die by lethal injection for the 1991 murder of Jane Tyson. Baker's appeals were rejected, but Baker got lucky when Glendening issued the death penalty moratorium in 2002.

The October 25 shooting death of Davon Eady, 30, was ruled a homicide. Also David Callahan, 37, was arrested and charged in the death of Gregory Morrison, 35.

Police are seeking murder suspect Daryl Chace (right).

The attempted murder trial of Rodney Hall, 19, Anthony Torrence, 50, William Johnson, 30, and Cameron Knuckles, 15, is scheduled to begin Monday before Judge Sylvester Cox. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted the defendants on May 20 for attempted first-degree murder, assault and handgun counts. Court documents allege that on April 20 the defendants tied up with duct tape and demanded money from a victim. The victim was shot twice in the chest, once in the right leg, twice in the left leg and once in the left arm.

Brian L. McCarty Jr. of Essex pled guilty to first-degree assault. He stabbed Christopher Tipton, 22, six times during a fight in Ocean City. Amazingly, Tipton survived.

The attempted murder trial of William Floyd Crudup, 25, is scheduled to begin Monday before Judge John M. Glynn. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Crudup on April 18 for the shootings of Baltimore City Police officers Andrew Lane and Joseph Banks. Court documents allege that Crudup shot the two plain- clothes officers in the 3200 block of Elmley Avenue on March 12 2005. The officers had pursued Crudup in an attempt to arrest him for allegedly selling narcotics.

Michael Hughes, who got three years for shooting McKinley Johnson over a can of Spam in 1974, will face charges of stabbing a man on a Boston bus when he returns.

Suspect Richard Bassett, 68, is under arrest for attempting to kidnap a girl in Glen Burnie.

A rabbi and a Special Ed teacher lost their jobs after being featured in a Dateline NBC story about men who try to solicit sex with minors online. And another PG County teacher is in trouble, 36-year-old Pascal Brazey was arrested for raping a 14-year-old student.

Wow, eighty Texas Hold 'Em players were arrested in Pigtown.

In Harford County, police were called in to quell pandemonium when a handbag riot broke out.

Three Hopkins students were arrested last Saturday for serving an 18-year-old police cadet alcohol at a party.

November 3

A Baltimore City jury convicted Martinez Brown, 26, for the first-degree murder of Kelvin Knight, 18. The jury also convicted Brown of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. In the early morning hours of December 7, 2003 the victim, Kelvin Knight, was ordering take-out from New Land Chinese Carry Out at the corner of Montford and Biddle Streets in East Baltimore when he observed Brown arguing with a woman. Upon hearing the victim laugh, Brown turned to the victim and said, "Do you think I am playing?" He then pulled out a handgun, put it to the victim's forehead, and shot him three times in the head and once in the chest. As Brown ran from the scene after the murder, an eyewitness disabled him by striking him with his car, thereby allowing police to arrest him at the scene. Another eyewitness identified him at the scene.The jury returned its verdicts late yesterday after deliberating for approximately 90 minutes and hearing three days of testimony. Judge Wanda K. Heard ordered a pre-sentencing investigation and scheduled sentencing for January 18, 2006.

An unidentified man in his 20's was shot in the Park Heights area last night.

In Towson, 21-year-old T.U. student Benjamin R. Birch was arrested for stabbing 19-year-old Basha Jordan outside of a Halloween party.

The trial of Joseph DiAngelo, 51, for first-degree assault, witness intimidation and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault is scheduled to begin at 9:30 tomorrow morning before Judge Shirley M. Watts. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted DiAngelo April 5. Court documents allege DiAngelo hired two individuals to conduct a home invasion/assault on a witness in a pending assault case. The hired individuals entered the home armed with table legs to assault the victim/witness, who killed one of the individuals. The other, surviving home-invading assaulter, William Morton, pled guilty in September to burglary.

More on the first-day murder mistrial of Frank Rainey Jr.: apparently a police witness testified that Rainey said he had killed three other people (which is considered evidence of previous crimes and is, thus, inadmissible).

City Officers Angela Choi and Michael Maurice were assaulted during a car stop in the Western and treated at Shock Trauma for a broken arm apiece. Also at Shock Trauma last night was Frederick officer Nicole Swailes, injured when a traffic accident when a perp sped through a red light.

Gary Mitchell, 34, got nine years and two months for robbing a Wachovia bank branch in Catonsville.

The attempted murder, armed robbery trials of Dale Fauntleroy, 21, is scheduled to begin 9:30 tomorrow morning before Judge Watts, 406 Mitchell Courthouse. Fauntleroy's claim to fame is being shot twice by police in one year. Said Police Spokesman Matt Jablow to the Sun last year: "For any other city and for any other criminal justice system, this would be unbelievable. For ours, unfortunately, it's not."

As Governor Ehrlich goes to Capitol Hill to crow about Maryland's treatment for non-violent drug offenders, there's a two-year wait list for treatment. Says a judge, "most judges have come to the conclusion that ordering the [state health] department to obtain treatment is an exercise in futility." Adds a puzzled public defender, "I'm not sure if [Ehrlich] is aware that a program in his administration is not working."

Just before his scheduled trial was to begin, Darryll Purefoy, 34, of Liberty Road in Randallstown, pled guilty to sexual child abuse, second-degree rape and second-degree sexual child abuse. Judge Shirley M. Watts sentenced Purefoy to 15 years in prison, consecutive to a prison term he is already serving from a conviction in Baltimore County.

At a hearing today Stanley Short, 46, pled guilty to sexual abuse of a minor and third-degree sex offense before Judge Watts.
Watts sentenced Short to 15 years suspend all but five years for sexual abuse of minor and five years for a third-degree sex offense, concurrent. Short also received five years' probation. On July 16 Short sexually abused a nine-year-old child.

In Allegheny County, Steve Garrison, 53, was arrested for more than 40 counts of possessing child pornography.

Care for Some Torts? Dept.:
At least nine people have been charged with accounting fraud at U.S. Foodservice.

Judge Motz: if you own a bar and your bouncer kicks out some drunk chick and she sues you, your insurance company doesn't have to pay for it.

November 2

An unidentified man was stabbed to death in the Southwestern.

Police are seeking Jerome Owens, 26, left, for a string of convenience-store robberies. Tip: if you're going to go around robbing people, don't get a tattoo on your face.

Once again it's murder ink Wednesday. Five murders this week have bright the grim number to 225.

An abducted four-year-old boy was found walking along Liberty Road. The three suspects are still at large.

In BoCo, Jeffrey A. Ziegler, 29, pled guilty to the hit-and-run killing of William M. Ruffin, 42. Witnesses say Ziegler pulled over, got out of the car, then got back in and sped off.

In Harford County, opening statements begin today in the trial of Frank Vernon Rainey Jr., accused of murdering his "girlfriend" Crystal Marie Busta, 26, when she attempted to end the relationship. Update: A mistrial was declared and a new date will be set.

The Supreme Court is taking on Maryland v. Blake, at issue is whether or not Miranda violations can be remedied after the fact.

Shawn Blake, 19, was arrested for killing Kelvin Robertson, 25, last July.

An arrest was made for the killing of former BCity police officer Stanley Reaves. Thomas Alexander Porter, 30, was found in White Plains.

Two women, Carol Lee, 42 and Mary Atti, 48, pled guilty to running meth labs in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Alvin Kotz, 70, got three years for running a gambling operation out of Timpano's Italian Chop House in Rockville.

MD Company W.R. Grace is facing tens of thousands of lawsuits from Montana natives poisioned by its mine and ore-sorting plant.

In Frederick County, someone stole $75k worth of rare bull semen.

November 1

An unnamed man was shot to death in Northwood.

A man was shot in the legs in the Southern, and in North Point double girl-on-girl stabbing action. Also in the blotter, four streetwalkers plying their trades were arrested near Patterson Park by one Officer Ogle.

There was an early-morning stabbing near Towson University.

Drunk, licenseless Charles Kirk Jr, 48, was arrested for the fatal hit-and-run of Sanjay Shetty at York and Bosley Roads on Saturday.

The family of Lamont Kennedy is asking for the public's help in finding the hit-and-run driver who killed him on Russell Street October 8.

Apparently one can be convicted of cocaine posession and distribution even if you don't posess any or distribute it-- being a lookout is enough.

Lots of stolen cars and armed stick-ups this week in the Northern.

Trials tomorrow:
The murder and attempted murder trial Emanuel Young, 24. Young is charged in three separate shooting incidents - five people were shot, one fatally. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Young July 21, 2003 for the April 13, 2003 first-degree murder of Marcus Gordon, 20, in the 3000 block of Oakley Avenue. Two other men were wounded. Young was also indicted for the attempted murder of a 40-year old man who was shot June 11, 2003 in the 2300 block of West Fayette Street, as well as the attempted murder of a 21-year old female who was shot June 13, 2003 in the 2900 block of Oakley Avenue.

The murder trial of Terrence Wynn, 21, and Christopher Minor, 21, is scheduled to begin tomorrow before Judge John M. Glynn. The BCGJ indicted Wynn and Minor September 23, 2004 for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Court documents allege that on August 30, 2004 Wynn and Minor shot to death Marshall Giles, 15, inside a home in the 3200 block of Lyndale Avenue.

The City Council is considering letting the city evict businesses and homeowners who violate noise ordinances twice in a one-year period. Quote of they day by Gene Carson, 71: "they just want to see how loud they can squeal."

Islam Abu Alrub, 39, got six years for embezzling $4.6 million from an Arbutus furniture company.

Baltimore City's own Stephanie L. Royster, Deputy State's Attorney and Chief of Staff and a 15-year veteran of the BC State's Attorney's Office, was named today to the Baltimore City Circuit Court by the governor. Also appointed was Barry Williams, 45. Unlike his more famous namesake, this Williams currently serves as special litigation counsel in the criminal section of the U.S. Department of Justice. He's a former law clerk for Judges Robert M. Bell and Arrie W. Davis and is a graduate of the University of Virginia (GO WAHOOS!) and earned his law degree at the University of Maryland School of Law.

October 31

Daryl Davis, 28, died eight hours after being shot in West Baltimore.

Robbery, burglary, robbery in the Blotter.

Wayne Wheeler, found guilty of murder in PG County, had his conviction overturned by the Court of Special Appeals, who found his right to a speedy trial was violated.

The honor system works! Troy Gross, who strolled out of Central Booking, strolled back in.

Cops to parents: while engrossed in the traditional fit of razor-in-the-apple paranoia, don't forget to panic about about the perverts!

Someone stole $100k worth of bling from Arundel Mills Mall.

Now the MD state bar's joined Judge Holland, CCouncil member Rikki Spector, court clerks and actually just about everybody in asking O'Malley, if you can use $305 million in public money to build a hotel, why don't we have a safe courthouse that dosn't smell like dirty feet and old salami?

A 15-year-old girl was arrested for trying to slash a boy, then a police officer in Waldorf.

Two more Nigerians have been sentenced in the BWI mail-fraud case.

Last Friday's football-game-thigh-shooting incident was determined to be an accident.

Cigarettes, purses, side mirrors and a sign that said "I'm beautiful inside" stolen in the beckoning bucolic backwater of Carroll County. Awww, there's even a town called Mayberry! But it wasn't so quiet... see Crybaby Bridge.

October 30

Friday a BC Grand Jury indicted William Langley, 48, of Parkville in connection to the shooting death of Nae Chun Pak, 46. Court documents allege that on October 3, 2005 in the 600 block of Cherry Hill Road Langley and Pak got into an altercation about a food order that Langley had placed in the victim's carry out store. Langley was returned his money and left the store, only to return a short time later and fatally shot Pak in the head.

A former Baltimore City police officer, Stanley Cornell Reaves, was killed in the line of duty in Norfolk, VA.

Warning, depressing, disheartening tale: charges were dropped against a guy who shot murder witness Benjamin H. Paige.

Dontae Nicholas, 24, is being held without bail for first-degree murder in the death of Montrell Williams, 21.

At a hearing Friday, Timothy Hawkins, 33, pled guilty to second-degree murder. Judge Wanda K. Heard sentenced him to 22 years in prison, consecutive to a 45 year term Hawkins is currently serving. On May 11, 2003 Hawkins stabbed to death Latonia Shuler, 35, of the 400 block of South Augusta Avenue. Police discovered her body at the unit block alley, South Culver Street. A Baltimore City jury convicted Hawkins of second-degree murder on January 19, 2005 for the September 5, 2003 stabbing death of Durri Emmannuel, 27, of the 3900 block of Chatham Road. Police discovered her body in the parking lot of Windsor Mill Elementary School.

The attempted murder trial of Johnnie Hawkins started last week.

Is there a Baltimore drug connection to the shooting death of Jam Master Jay? This guy says yes, his relatives say no.

A Glen Burnie teenager shot a 17-year-old girl in the thigh at a football game.

In Annapolis, a 17-year-old drew a gun on his friends, and someone robbed Bubba the Clown.

Troy Gross, left, is the third escapee this week. How did the robbery suspect get out of Central Booking? Says a Corrections Dept. spokesman, he "apparently walked out of the facility." I guess as opposed to, say, using a rocket-propelled jet-pack.

Ralph Marion Debaufre Jr. was arrested for the attempted abduction of a woman in Columbia.

Don't smoke pot in Hagerstown-- they'll make you do community service.

I was way off with the war figures. "Only" 29 Marylanders have been killed in Iraq. While we're counting, 2011 Americans have died (higher than Vietnam* three years in) and between 26,000 and 30,000 Iraqi civillians.

*Vietnam's final U.S. casualties totalled 58,209.

October 28

Twenty-four-year-old Nelson Urbina died Tuesday morning after being beaten with a bat outside his O'Donnell Heights home in Southeast Baltimore on Monday night. He is the 224th homicide victim in Baltimore this year. A reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.

In Baltimore County, 21-year-old Parkville resident Montrell Dawaan Williams was shot to death at a party in Towson after arguing with another man. A suspect has been arrested.

James Carl Combs, who was found guilty of molesting two boys while an assitant Scoutmaster in the early 1980s, will not have to sign up with the sex offender registry. Cecil County Judge O. Robert Lidums declared that since Combs' crimes pre-dated Megan's Law, he does not have to join the registry. Combs was sentenced by Lidums to three months in the county jail and three months house arrest.

Despite the staggering estimates that about 10 percent of the Baltimore City population are drug addicts, it appears that drug and alcohol use is decreasing among Maryland teenagers, especially teenagers in the city. The Maryland Dept. of Education partially credits increased drug awareness programs of the past 15 years. The downside is that even though city teenagers aren't doing drugs, they are continuing to sell them in ever-increasing numbers.

Dan Rodricks continues writing about his plea for the city's drug players to go straight. Today's installment discusses how the BPD's more aggressive arrests helped inspire several dealers to consider leaving the game.

In the "beware of Trojans bearing gifts" department (or the "why are there so many freaky pervs in MD" dept) Glynis E. Neale won a $250,000 civil judgment against Anthony O'Neal, a friend who had given her a television and clock radio. It turned out that the gifts contained hidden cameras with which O'Neal monitored and videotaped Neale from a van parked outside her house.

Two teenagers were arrested for the vandalism at the Wicomico County Airport Civil Air Patrol office over the weekend.

And in other airport news, 46-year-old Olushola Oladapo was sentenced to five years in prison for her participation in an identity theft conspiracy based out of BWI. Oladapo's husband, a former baggage handler for Southwest Airlines, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for stealing mail from flights departing from BWI.

Lawyers for Akiba Matthews, the visionary director behind the Stop Snitchin' DVD, say that the police have a vendetta against him. Hard to imagine, isn't it?

Richard Palumbo, the PG County Judge who dropped the protective order against Roger Hargrave, has been reassigned to administrative duties. Three weeks after the order was removed, Hargrave walked into the T-Mobile store where his wife worked, poured gasoline on her, and set her on fire. She is still in the hospital.

As a result of a supposedly different kind of crime, funeral services were held for 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Norman W. Anderson III, a Marine and Parkton resident who was killed by a suicide bomber in Karabilah on October 19. Anderson's survivors include his wife Tori, to whom he was married for less than three months.

October 27

TFGawd, Cory McMillon is back behind bars after being arrested at 2 a.m. this morning at the Duke's Motel on Route 40.

Before his scheduled murder trial was to begin today, Ross H. Talp, 19, pled guilty to the second-degree murder of his mother, Margo Antoinette Baker, and to a deadly weapon charge. Under terms of the plea agreement announced in open court he faces a maximum prison term of 33 years when Judge John M. Glynn sentences him on January 4, 2006.

Say what? A jury acquitted Akiba Matthews on all counts.

A HoCo judge will rule in November if the interrogation video of Melissa B. Harton will be admissable in court. Harton is accused of strangling Natasha Bacchus to death in Columbia. Both women were persuing doctoral degrees in psychology at Loyola.

At a hearing today, Donald Washington, 20, of West Franklin Street, pled guilty to the second-degree murder of Andrea Butler-Carroll, age two. Judge Wanda K. Heard scheduled sentencing for January 18, 2006. On September 23, 2004 Washington beat to death Andrea Butler-Carroll, his girlfriend's daughter, at their residence in the 1900 bock of West Franklin Street.

I agree with Galt, sending juvenile offenders out of state is a great idea. To heck with Iowa, why not Syria?

The murder trial of Keith Garrett, originally scheduled for today, has been postponed at the request of the defense until January 31, 2006 before Judge John Glynn.

The Rogers Forge Perv has struck before, as evinced by two pre-teens' matching descriptions of an SUV-driving 30-something guy sporting excessive amounts of hair product.

October 26

Welcome to my new co-blogger Chuck!

The two people murdered on N. Belnord St. in East Baltimore on Tuesday, October 18, have been identified as 31-year-old Stanley Dorsey and 16-year-old William Kirkpatrick, and the man shot to death in a car on October 14 has been identified 32-year-old Jeffrey Skinner. Yesterday saw two more murder victims in Baltimore City, with the deaths of Dominic King in the Southeast district and an unidentified man in the 1800 block of Guilford. Murder Ink reports that the BPD has determined the October 13 death of Bruce Turner in the Northern district's Evergreen neighborhood to be homicide by beating, which brings the 2005 murder toll to 223.

After PG County's triumph in locating Pedro Guifarro, Baltimore City upped the ante by losing 28-year-old Corey Antwon McMillon. McMillon, who was under arrest for the murder of 18-year-old Jamel St. Clair (see October 20), escaped from central Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center after attacking the corrections officer who was escorting him. McMillon is considered extremely dangerous and extremely free.

William James Mitchell of Havre de Grace was sentenced to 70 years for attempting to murder his wife and a friend who witnessed the attack. It's difficult to summarize any news story that contains the phrase "Picasso of the devil", so just follow the link as you see fit.

A group of judges are criticizing policies regarding drug treatment for addicts who have been criminally detained. In some cases, there is an 18 month wait for treatment, which is often longer than some inmates' sentences. Ironically, the drug treatment can actually be less expensive than housing prisoners in a traditional facility.

Jason Lester Russell stole a $57,000 Mercedes from a holding lot in Southeast Baltimore where new cars arrive from Europe. After hitting an unmarked police car, Russell stopped at an apartment complex and ran off with what appeared to be a load of packages. Apparently, Russell learned an important lesson from Gregory A. Alston: never leave behind personal belongings when you've stolen a car.

The Sun Police Blotter has a butcher knife attack and a senior citizen carjacker.

A streak of vandalism in Salisbury resulted in several overturned mailboxes, broken driveway lights, and a spray painted swastika and "KKK" on a Civil Air Patrol office in Salisbury.

Theresa Williamson, a bank teller manager at Wachovia, pleaded guilty to embezzling over $35,000 from her employer since 2002. She returned the money, and now faces up to 30 years in prison.

Baltimore residents are pretty used to witness intimidation, but Anne Arundel attorneys are fighting a case of lawyer intimidation.

Upcoming Trials This Week
The murder trial of Keith Montrell Garrett, 34, is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. before Judge John M. Glynn. A Baltimore City Grand jury indicted Garrett on January 15, 2004 for first-degree murder, kidnapping, and abduction in connection with the disappearance of Timothy Antonio Washington, 7, who was last seen on September 11, 1992 in the 800 block of Hilton Parkway. The body of the victim has never been recovered.

Ross Talp, 19, of Park Heights Avenue, is scheduled for first-degree murder and deadly weapon trial at 9 a.m. tomorrow before Judge John M. Glynn. Talp was indicted on June 3 for first-degree murder and for the use of a deadly weapon in connection with the death of his mother, Margo Antoinette Baker. On April 27 Talp called police to report his mother had been missing since the day before. On May 5 an anonymous tipster contacted the Baltimore City Police Homicide Unit and informed them that Talp killed his mother and dumped her body in the woods. Talp then allegedly confessed to the murder and told detectives that the body was in Leakin Park.

Christopher Nathan Porter, 17, is scheduled for trial at 9:30 a.m. on Friday before Judge Wanda Keyes Heard. A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Porter July 6 for first-degree murder, use of a handgun in the commission of a felony crime of violence, and handgun on person in connection with the fatal shooting of Damon Aldridge, 23. Court documents allege that on May 15 police officers with emergency medial personnel responded to 100 Diener Place for a shooting. Aldridge was found lying unresponsive on the pavement suffering from gunshot wounds to the head and torso and was pronounced dead at the scene. Porter was identified through eyewitness accounts.

October 25

At a hearing today Judge Glynn sentenced Richard A. Damon, Jr., 35, and Antoine Adams, 32, of the 500 block of Patterson Park Avenue for two counts of second-degree murder for the shooting deaths of Theresa Moore, 51, and Michael Mick, 40. Glynn sentenced Adams to two consecutive life without parole sentences and 40 years, consecutive, to the life sentences. Judge Glynn sentenced Damon to two 20-year prison terms, concurrent. A city jury convicted Adams in August of two counts of first-degree murder and handgun violations. Damon pled guilty last month to two counts of second-degree murder. On January 20, 2005, Theresa Moore and Michael Mick were shot and killed inside of their home in the 800 block of Bradford Street by Adams while he and Damon were participating in a robbery at that address. No news if they will also be tried for the murder of Justin Gaglione.

The felony narcotics trial of Akiba "Stop Snitchin" Matthews, 32, of N. Monroe Street, is scheduled to begin 9:30 tomorrow morning before Judge John Themelis. The BC Grand Jury indicted Matthews March 25 for two counts of possession and possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. If convicted on all counts, Matthews could face a maximum prison term of 40 years. Court documents allege that on February 28 police executed a search and seizure warrant at Matthews' address and confiscated heroin, cocaine and US currency.

The murder trial of Bryant Thompson, originally scheduled for today, has been postponed at the request of the defense until January 25, 2006.

The trial of Charles Carroll, originally scheduled for today, has been postponed by joint request for the bazillionth time to January 24, 2006.

A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Walter Robinson, 27, yesterday of one count of sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 18; three counts of third-degree sexual offense; three counts of four-degree sexual offense; and four counts of second-degree assault. Sexual abuse of a minor carries a maximum prison term of 25 years and third-degree sexual offense carries a maximum prison term of 10 years. Court documents allege that Walter Robinson, Jr. sexually assaulted a 15-year-old student. The alleged assaults occurred during the time frame of August 2005 to October 2005 at the Benjamin Franklin Junior High School.

Edward Lee, 34, is scheduled for a first-degree murder arraignment 9:30 a.m. tomorrow before Judge Lynn K. Stewart in connection with the shooting death of Terrell Dinkins. Lee was indicted on September 30 for first-degree murder, handgun on person, and handgun used in commission of a felony and crime of violence. Court documents allege that on June 20, 2004 police found the body of Terrell Dinkins in wooded area around the 500 block of South Wickham Road, dead as a result of several shots. Through police investigation, Edward Lee was arrested and charged with Dinkins' murder.

And entires by Chuck! Maybe Chuck will be my new partner in crime.. ooh please say yes!

Anthony Heck was killed in South Baltimore as he and a friend were being robbed of $10.00.

In Baltimore County, Denise Lechner pled guilty yesterday to Child Abuse Resulting in Death with regards to her 3-year-old son, Roy. The cause of death wasn't clear, but the medical examiner "found the boy had an untreated strep throat infection, had not been fed properly and had injuries suggesting asphyxiation as a possible cause of death."

"What's frightening about this case, to me, is that if we have to worry about students like Javon Clark, then who shouldn't we be worried about?" A quote from Baltimore County Circuit Judge Dana M. Levitz about the 20-year sentence of Clark. Clark's strong academic accomplishments were mentioned during the trial, where he was found guilty of attempted armed robbery in the death of teacher William Bassett. In true Baltimore fashion, race became the issue of the day, with Clark's minister stating, "The only thing he didn't come right out and say is that African-Americans don't raise their children right, that we don't put morals in our children."

53-year-old Howard County high school teacher Nadia Eliasson was charged with shoplifting after trying to steal $850 worth of merchandise from Lord & Taylor in Columbia. There is no word yet from Eliasson's minister as to whether these charges are insulting to school teachers everywhere.

Way to go Ohio: After being mistakenly released by PG Circuit Court Judge Vincent J. Femia in early October, Pedro Guifarro was arrested while working in an auto repair shop in Cleveland under a fake name. Guifarro is charged with first-degree murder.

Cedric Stancil was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2003 shooting death of Edwin Boyd, a death that stemmed from an argument about "someone stepping on another person's foot."

Ground is being broken today on construction to turn the Dawson house into The Dawson House, a "drug-free haven for young people".

Robberies, arrests, and mistaken identity in the Sun Blotter.

An 8th grader in Middletown put together an 18-name hit list of fellow students.

The FBI is saying that there is, as of now, no evidence to indicate any truth to last week's terror threat that closed both Baltimore harbor tunnels. But four people got deported anyway.

An 8-year-old girl committed the season's first act of bearicide. She's going to make him into a rug. Awww!

October 23

Another murder in Parkville: 24-year-old Jason Booker.

Yikes, police are looking for a man in a black SUV tried to abduct an 11-year-old girl in Rogers Forge. The brave and plucky lass fought him off, kicking and screaming.

Ah, Carroll County and its poignantly proletarian pilferings warm my heart: lumber, a Honda hood-release cable, construction tools.

Wow, the Gaza strip is safer than Baltimore city!

October 22

Jerome Green III, 19, died of complications from his stab wounds he got on October 12 in Randallstown. Donnie Paul Jackson, 22, and Andre P. Holmes, 22, have been arrested. And A 14-year-old Steve McKnight was stabbed Thursday during a robbery.

A man was found dead on a burned boat at Mears Point Marina on Kent Island.

Ten video game stores in the area have been robbed since May.

The state is continuing to investigate the liquor board.

Bank robbery, pot smoking and a purse snatched outside Marley Station Mall in the Capital Police Beat.

Thieves broke into the White Marsh Giant twice on the same day to steal cigarettes.

A pair of Jewish lesbian moms joined the lawsuit on same-sex marraige in Maryland. Whatever happened with that case, anyway?