Not so transparent

We may never know how a sex offender ,managed to stay on the city payroll while serving a prison term for sexually abusing a minor.

Dents

Man & city officer bit by pit

Love this lede: "A rare drug bust in Harford County is putting a dent in Maryland's access to marijuana."

Eric Rose has been indicted from the slaying of the security guard James Ball.

Pain & suffering

Sun: FHB III was "essentially running the department" while Hamm was chief

Two in custody after a teen was stabbed at White Marsh Mall

The Court of Appeals "will hear arguments today on whether a state cap on jury awards for pain and suffering is constitutional."

Judge Motz "dismissed a lawsuit filed by eight state prison workers who claimed a strip search for drugs violated their constitutional rights."

An arrest in the assault and robbery of a lost motorist in Annapolis

Right on red

If you live the city, come to a full stop before taking a right on red, they're snagging thousands of people for rolling...

Lamont Davis defense: ankle monitoring system proves accused never left home

Helpful Bmore living tips!

• How to defeat a pit bull with your bare hands


• How to tell if a gunshot wound is self-inflicted

With the stabbing and the shooting and the testifying

Jury seated and trial underway in the Lamont Davis case

Skinny Suge's cohort and Tree Top Piru Antwoine Gross, 23, gets 12 years for racketeering conspiracy. Or in other words "Defendant Stabbed and Shot a Man Who was Later Murdered by other TTP Members for Testifying About the Stabbing and Shooting"

One block, two murder-victim vigils

A man shot in the torso on S Hanover St

QTD: "Conaway apologized to each and every resident of Baltimore who has ever been called for jury duty."

"A former Baltimore public works employee [Maurice Boone] has pleaded guilty to stealing more than 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel from the city and re-selling it" and "a former Maryland Transit Administration worker [David Pattwi] was sentenced to two years in prison for stealing $400,000 from bus fare boxes."

Council president Jack Young, under fire for using no water at the house he calls home, shows reporters his "damn underwear"

Attempt to impeach Gansler fails

SpotCrime expanding to television

Butterfingers!

Another mistakenly released con, this time in Baltimore County

18-year-old Gary Knight of the Pasadena Denver Lanes Bloods got 17 years in the federal pen for drug dealing and carjacking, his pal Antonio White got 22 years for racketeering, in addition to the 40 years for handgun possession and 2nd-degree murder he got from the city. Sadly, neither press release tells us what their gang nicknames were.

And 10 federal years for hair-ron for Adrian Aulton. Aulton was apparently a co-conspirator of "Jr" and 'Turkey," who were implicated in the 2007 torture and murder of Sintia Mesa.

'Catholic conscience'

Last week's three homicides in the Ink

Reluctant witnesses in the trial of Lamont Davis

Law clinic to lose funding over chicken-poop suit

Ha! Judge who married victim to abuser says he was driven by his "Catholic conscience," adding "he had not read the case file, his standard practice." A level of diligence and scrutiny the pope himself would endorse!

Arrest in the murder of transvestite Darren Green, aka Kelly Bundy ... shockingly, the alleged perp was out of the clink with a suspended sentence.

"Bill targets public health risk from sale of used underwear"

Fifteen years after the murder of Kari Ann Sirbaugh, parents still seek answers

Hermann recounts the "top 10 self-defense killings"

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

40

Body found in Leakin Park

39

Man in van, first block of N. Calverton Road

Raven Wyatt's long road to recovery

Alleged intruder slain in Perry Hall

and a man slain by an intruder in Owings Mills

Eww! 220,000-gallon sewage leak near the jail (two weeks ago)

The County has a new mobile career center to help ex-cons find jobs

College Park police use YouTube to ferret out wilding basketball fans

More on the popsicle shooting

Four credit cards, cuff links and $1.32, a few more details on the case of Fenyanga Muhammed who was shot by police in 2007.

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A 16-year-old boy, 1400 block of Luzerne Ave

Oopsiedaisies

Man shot by police for allegedly swallowing drugs, resisting arrest was actually choking on a Popsicle stick

Fenton on crime trends: everything's down but home invasions, "which are up considerably."
Now, that's interesting.. doesn't it seem like home invading would be a lot riskier and more effort for the perp than burgling, or robbing a business or pedestrian?

Right on! A major FBI raid of 30 business and 15 pawn stars. More from WJZ (Who buys their toiletries at a pawn shop?)

Kids held bake sales to save the police horses, but no one seems too misty-eyed about the ghetto bird becoming an endangered species

Former mayor Dixon's first one-on-one interview since her indictment will be with Richard Sher Sunday night at 6:30 on WMAR.

An arrest in the TU dorm burglary

Look who's working?

Dan Rodricks should be happy that a convict is getting a job: Disgraced Mayor Sheila Dixon is close to being hired by the Maryland Minority Contractors Association.

The Velvet Robe Nightclub is fined $3,500 by the Baltimore Liquor Board for the riot incident on February 25th.

Personally, I blame the potholes: Officers are accused of deliberately driving a Police van erratically while a suspect was handcuffed and secured in the back, which led to the suspect's death. A $100 million wrongful death suit against the BPD is currently in the city courts.

If he were in Vegas, none of this would be happening: The House of Ruth and Women's Law Center have filed a complaint against Judge G. Darrell Russell, notorious for marrying a couple involved in a domestic violence incident.

Commissioner Bealefeld continues to raise concerns about the budget proposed by Mayor Rawlings-Blake.

Not guilty

A not guilty for William Howell in the killing of Tarrence Regan, the case with ties to the slaying of Ken Harris. New details on motions to suppress DNA that lead to Charles McGaney's arrest for killing the councilman.

A man found shot in the 5600 Block of Pilgrim Road has been Identified as Dewayne Holmes, 22.

Maybe he was scared of losing his pension: A Baltimore City Detective is accused of embezzling $10,000 while part of a Federal task force.

One angry man: A Juror has his day in court to explain why he didn't show up.

The Princess and the Peeved: Mayor Blake's Budget incurs the ire of the Commissioner, leader of FOP, and State's Attorney. The Sun offers its view as well.

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Unid'd man, 5600 block of Pilgrim Road

Black Guerilla Family Associate Sentenced to 5 years in Federal prison.

One time truck driver Nelson Arthur Robinson given a 5 year sentence without parole by Judge Quarles of the MD USDOJ.


More information on Nelson Robinson, at City Paper

Administrative judge to legislature: city doesn't have $ or space for more judges

The Ink on last week's six homicides, noting that two were in Charles Village

Van Smith on the IRS's investigations into online gambling

More on the indictment of bail-bond icon Milton Tillman and his son

LOLz

"Relatives of the man who police say was killed by officers after he shot them ... were offended that the city's police commissioner called him an idiot. ... 'If I could meet the commissioner I'd punch him in the mouth,' said Miller's 80-year-old grandmother, Daisy Dawson. 'And I don't care where they'd lock me up. I'd leave my fist inside his mouth.' "

"Police stood by the statement."
...predictably the story and quote generated a lot of outrage

Homicide last night on Grogan Ave.

Stop of a gold Corvette led to guns, drugs, hollow-point bullets and a World War II grenade

and Justin Fenton Tweets, "Police investigating armed robbery on Towson campus - men armed with crow bar, handgun forced way in to dorm room at 3:30 p.m. today" .. more from the Towerlight

Deputy Major

SRB transition teams called the BPD "top heavy" and recommends eliminating the rank of deputy major, an at will position created by PC Clark and O'Malley to eliminate those pesky civil service captains.

Baltimore hates babies

Pregnant woman shot in the throat in West Baltimore

It takes a special person to be a foster parent, having to give a baby back to the relatives. I know foster care is expensive and all, but shouldn't there be zero tolerance for some things?

Bloody weekend

Last count was 8 shooting incidents...

34

Carlos Williams, a 50-year-old man on his way to work, shot and killed during robbery attempt at 6 this morning.

Two officers shot

during a traffic stop. Said Bealefeld, "People get cheesed off when I call these guys with guns on our streets idiots and say I shouldn't call them that ... There aren't words harsh enough for me to call them."
One officer was shot in the face.

A man shot "multiple times" at 519 Scott Street, word is it's "drug related" a "domestic dispute"

Barricade

A man had holed up in a row home on Fayette Street after assaulting his girlfriend.

33

Twenty-five-year-old man out for a "nighttime stroll" killed in the 3200 block of Belair Road

Wooder dey smewkin?!
"Judge, Lawyer 'Surprised' By Interest In Marriage Case: Judge Says Case Not A Big Deal" ... Judge G. Darrell Russell Jr. tells courtroom that CNN "must be desperate for news" to cover it.
Well, sure, but that's no excuse! More on the case from the Sun

"Congrats" Kwauntre Javar Crudup, Baltimore's new youngest murder suspect at 14, charged with killing Kenly Oscar Wheeler on March 3rd and taking his cell phone.

Cops versus prosecutors, Round 12

Peter Hermann takes a look at the brewing war between cops and prosecutors...FOP to the Jessamy "(you) had better learn to make friends with...criminals.

First-degree?

The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Torrez Seymore, 22, of the 4200 block of Ethland Avenue for first-degree murder. First-degree or self-defense... what do you think? The facts of the case:

Court documents allege that on May 28, 2009 Torrez Seymore was responsible for a shooting in the 400 block of W. Lombard Street. Milton Stepney, 22, suffered several gunshot wounds to the body. An investigation revealed Stepney allegedly became involved in a verbal altercation with Seymore after leaving a carryout on S. Eutaw Street. Stepney was then allegedly observed going to the trunk of a vehicle and retrieving a tire iron while still engaged in the verbal altercation with Seymore. The brother of Seymore allegedly attempted to diffuse the argument by pushing Seymore away from Stepney. Stepney began to walk towards his vehicle, but then turned back and announced a robbery, still holding the tire iron. It was at this time Seymore allegedly shot Stepney multiple times. Stepney died at University of Maryland Shock Trauma.

Busy night

Five shootings and a stabbing, including a gun fight at Uzo's bar.

Plus Van Smith on the indictment of Tillman

Tillman indicted

Feds say he collected pay for a no-show job while in Brazli

Oversights and loopholes

Hopkins security officer Daniel Dixon fatally shot during a gas station robbery

Sun: Making oversight law retroactive could have saved Rajahnthon Haynie

DNA-testing backlog clogs up the system

Frederick Allen Christian of the city charged with killing his "girlfriend" in Virginia

Hermann: it's not just the city but the whole state that's effed

Free live entertainment!
City council to take up the issue of the mysterious Baltimore City Foundation tonight at 5

... and March 25 (Thursday after next) author Antero Pietila will be in the Pratt's Poe Room to talk about his book Not in My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City

Inner Harbor, cop in Central Booking

Police make arrest in Inner Harbor stabbing, meanwhile the Sun's Tricia Bishop reports a city cop spent the night in jail for failing to appear as a witness at a gun possession trial.

School police, gangs

School police officer facing termination after gang encouter in Carver High School gym speaks out about his ordeal.

Intersting article byPeter Herman on the death of alleged gang member and his run-ins with police.

Downtown stabbing

Man stabbed in the chest downtown.

Bank robbery action photo

Police are looking for this man.

ME rules on baby's death

It's officially a homicide. Police are now questioning the mother.

BPD reports that the mom is one Lakesha Haynie, F/B/1981, the infant's name is Rajahnthon Haynie. -- MJB

Warrant issue

The SA's office has pulled the detective investigating the downtown murder of a secuity guard off the case, looks like the detective didn't get the okay to arrrest one of the suspects.

Dead baby

Police found a dead baby stuffed in bag in Druid Hill Park

29, 30? 31?

Alleged high-ranking Young Gorilla shot to death in Charles Village yesterday, 2602 N Calvert St.
Also last night, a serious stabbing at 4409 Maine Ave.

...and early this morning, a suspiciously-dead person found at a gas station at the intersection of West Mulberry and North Greene streets

Congratulations, Desmond "Dazy" Sims, Baltimore's youngest murder suspect so far this year. Dazy is accused of killing 19-year-old Jeffrey Ward to impress the Bloods.

One Anthony Wiggins backed out of a plea deal but admitted guilt, a move that could earn him extra years on his sentence

Mr. Sifrit wants a divorce

Good news, bad news: ex-cop Percel O. Alston is running against Vallario. Bad news, can't find this Alston anywhere on the web, which doesn't bode well for his campaigning or fund-raising efforts.

WTF?! "A Maryland senator and delegate are the targets of a flier that attacks them as "'bagel brain Jews'"

Child Neglect Bill Vote Today in House

Our favorite Delegate Jill Carter reports that the House is scheduled to vote today on HB 962, which would make child neglect a felony:

"We will vote on this today in the same amended form we passed in 2008. I believe the Senate killed the 2008 bill that passed our committee and the House."

... MD is the only state that doesn't currently consider child neglect a felony.
Critics say the bill will make family members less likely to report neglect. Jessamy's office opposes the bill. Julie Drake told the CP's Erin Sullivan, "So you're saying that rather than provide substance-abuse treatment to the parent, you want the parent to sit in jail."

.. maybe we could compromise and say jail is the substance-abuse treatment?

UPDATE: Reports Carter, "Bill was held."

Secret payout

The BDP did somebody wrong, but how much taxpayers have to fork over to make good is a total freakin' secret.

Sanctuary! Sanctuary!

Will 2,500 of Baltimore's 42,000 (!!!) wanted fugitives voluntarily turn themselves in at "Safe Surrender" in June?

Fun fact! For about 1,000 years, English law prohibited arresting someone in a church .. but apparently there's no such law in the American books.

BWW to face DP?

Prosecutors say Karla Porter could face the death penalty.. though it doesn't sound like her case would meet the new legal requirements, unless there's a videotaped confession we don't know about (and contract killings are eligible).
Porter's lawyers say her representation will include "at the very least a battered-spouse syndrome defense."
Don't miss those mugshots.

Double shooting

Double shooting in Southeast

[Fenton's got a photo, and tweets that unconfirmed reports are that one victim is 13 years old - MJB]

Speedbumps on the white line highway

The guy who tried to bring 13 pounds of coca into Baltimore on a chartered jet got almost 22 years in the big house

... yet Shawn Green, a fugitive convicted of conspiracy to distribute 330 pounds of the same and also implicated in a mortgage-fraud scheme, got 12 years. It pays to plead guilty!

Sex-related robberies?

Feb 4's victim was apparently an Internet pimp, and "Police are exploring reports that two women might have been involved in sex-related robberies in North Baltimore."

Legislation would make a few more cases death-penalty eligible . Also in A-town, debate on the booze tax

Lots on interesting stuff in the Crime beat blog today.. most upsetting is this tale of revolving-door justice that let an killer out again and again

Dixon's fur coats, camera and Xbox are for sale on ebay today

the daily dismal

Last week's four murders in the Ink

Mexican murdered in Cockeysville

An arrest in the murder of security guard James Ball

And an arrest in the South Baltimore pub-crawl stabbing

City police mad at school police for not reporting 8-year-old with gun

Seriously? The CP reports that Maryland is the only state in the nation without a criminal child-neglect law. Bills 962 and 757 would change that, but child advocates say the legislation is flawed.

Twin-brother burglars arrested

"Dwyer undeterred still on Gansler impeachment effort"

A change to MD's child-support guidelines

and now a batshit white woman

How about the Lifetime drama of this tale: buttleggin' Karla Porter, who allegedly enlisted her quinquagenarian siblings, a nephew and some random guys to help kill her husband, blamed the murder on a "black male," got found out when she tried to pay a witness to leave town, showed up at the victim's funeral with plagiarized poetry and wildflower-seed bookmarks; got arrested, pulled the "abused wife" card ... oh just read the story already.

Not guilty

Alleged Crips member Elliot Wilkes, aka "Shitty" was found not guilty of killing Gary Wills, even with seemingly compelling eye witness testimony.

Inspector General

Has just wrapped up his work on the case of sex offender who stayed on the city payroll while serving time for sexually abusing a minor.

Tort-ure

After 26 years, a settlement in special-ed lawsuit Vaughn G. et al vs. The Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.

Douche du Jour

Sounds like PGC Rep. Vallario made a huge ass of himself in front of FHB III in Annapolis last week-- apparently he didn't read his own handouts. Long-time loyal readers may remember some of his other greatest hits: In 2007, he was reportedly the only guy standing the the way of a new Sex Offender Evidence Bill. In 2006 he voted against House Bill 320, which was to strengthen Witness Intimidation Reforms for women and children victims of felony sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. Wonder what they see in him down in PGC?

"Grieving widow" arrested in murder of Towson Hess station owner (at his funeral!)
.. more from the Sun.

Body found in car

Woman's body found in car on the 4900 block of Greenspring

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Fenton Tweets "The man shot last night in the 2100 block of W. Fayette St. died. The city's west side continues to be the most violent this year, easily"

Life + 35 for Roland Park Rapist

From the SAO:

At a hearing today, Judge John A. Howard sentenced Roger Len Ervin, 48, [right] of the 3100 block of Oakley Avenue to life plus 35 years in prison.

Judge Howard ordered Ervin serve a life term for first-degree rape, a consecutive 25 year term for first-degree assault and a consecutive 10 year term for use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. A Baltimore jury convicted Ervin December 15, 2009 of these counts and burglary, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit burglary and sex offense counts after a three-day trial and approximately one hour of deliberation.

On August 23, 2007 Ervin broke into the victim’s Roland Park home, assaulted and raped her. He also burglarized the home and robbed the victim of personal possession while pointing a gun at her. Police recovered DNA from the victim and eventually identified Ervin with a DNA search of the Combined Offender Data Index System (CODIS) in March 2008.

The victim delivered an emotional impact statement to the court in which she relived the attack in graphic detail, noting how two of her vertebrae were cracked. She recounted the months of painful physical therapy and how to this day her range of mobility is affected. She told the court that she is no longer able to be as active with her grandchildren.

Assistant State’s Attorney Jennifer McAllister of the Sex Offense Division prosecuted this case.

... and Ervin's accomplice is still unidentified and out there somewhere, as far as we know.

Fun fact! In 1983, Ervin sued the Department of Corrections for "excessive imprisonment"

Feats of Tenacity

Four are charged with attempted murder (and more, one hopes) after abducting a teenage girl at the Executive Inn, trying to extract ransom out of relatives, and torturing, shooting and stabbing her in a vacant house near Patterson Park on Sunday, then leaving her to die in a flooded basement. But she survived, escaped and named her attackers as Torrence Jerome White, 23, Adesha Richardson, 27, Keonay Hill, 20 and Morris James, 22.

A 23-year-old shot to death at Nicholas & Belair Rds.

Also, a 43-year-old man has died after being punched in the face. (Can't find a link to this story... but apparently fatal face punches are not as rare as one might think: in the past month there have been face-punching murder cases in Austrailia, Wisconsin [twice!], Idaho, and NZ)

A double shooting near the Velvet Rope club, site of a small riot last week; the club's manager says they can't be responsible for what happens after patrons leave.

The Kevin Clark case goes on and on... today it's being heard at the Court of Appeals.

The family John Yates, killed in a hit-and-run while riding his bicycle, is suing contractors Potts & Callahan for $5 m

If grain alcohol is the blackouteriffic secret ingredient in your jungle juice recipe, stock up now.

Guns in schools

A 8-year old at Leadenhall Elementary school packing heat got nabbed by an alert school adminstrator yesterday before he could carry out his threats.

Please hammer

Carrol county hammer attacker nabbed in GA.

Mayor is hospitalized

Mayor Rawlings-Blake was taken to the hospital this morning after complaining of chest pains.

Staring down the crips

A witness at murder trial of "Shitty" aka Eliot Wilkes takes the stand, and shows her mettle

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Probable murder victim found on elementary school playground

Cheers!

All kids of gay people getting married in DC today

How could this not pass before?

HB 962 would make child neglect a felony. Who could have voted against that?!

Also, a bill aims to extend the shield law for professional journalists to unpaid student reporters. "Del. Sandy Rosenberg, D-Baltimore City, sponsored the bill. He said he’d ultimately like to see shield protections go farther, perhaps to cover high school journalists as well as unpaid bloggers."

RJR: Drug dealers going to source

CP: "Evidence mounts that foreign sources, including the Los Zetas cartel, deal directly with Baltimore traffickers"

Pub-crawl-stabbing story draws huge reader response at Sunspot.

A stabbing at 3 a.m. this morning in Mt Vernon. And a man shot in the leg, though leg-shootings are so common it seems barely newsworthy

This week's three murders. Apparently it's been the quietest January and February ever!

Jessamy in A-town arguing for tougher gang laws. Whatever.

Sex slaves in MoCo

"The Supreme Court suggested Tuesday it will strike down U.S. cities’ outright bans on handguns."

What the? Family relocated after city trash truck crashes into their home

City and Press

Isn't this interesting? The Baltimore City and Press, a beautifully designed web site of Baltimore news.. developed in Canada!
Also on Twitter.
No ads... what do you suppose their revenue model is?

William Raymond Porter, 49, the Hess station owner shot Monday morning during a robbery in Towson, has died.

Guilty Verdict in Toddler Starvation Case

Queen Antoinette, Trevia Williams and Marcus Cobbs were found guilty today of second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse resulting in death.
More from the Sun, JZ

In other miserable child-abuse news, police say a two-month-old was airlifted last night to Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C. after suffering fractures to his skull during an argument between his parents.

Assault in Tuxedo Park

From the community's newsletter:

„I'm sorry to say we had a bad incident last night.

„A man was walking his dog at 12:30 a.m. [Mar. 1, 2010] at the intersection of Gladstone and Summit. He was assaulted from behind by a man wearing a ski mask, who hit him over the head repeatedly with a gun. Two people from a nearby house heard the altercation, turned on their porch light and came to his assistance. There was a brief struggle; then the assailant fled. The police were notified, the man who was assaulted was given medical care and now has staples in his head where he was lacerated.

Some tips useful in any neighborhood from the Evergreen news-letter:

Several Points

1) If you hear something occurring, check it out. Putting on the porch
lights probably helped and, certainly, coming to his aid stopped the
attack. Call 911 as soon as you know there is a problem. The assaulted
man was disoriented after the attack and we are grateful to the
neighbors who came to his assistance.

2) We know crimes tend to recur within a rather wide area. It is wise
to walk with someone whenever possible and, if you can, have some way
to let people know when you need help. [always carry a phone]

3) A street light in the vicinity was out. If you have a street light
that is not working ... report all the lights needing attention. [call 311]

and we would add, let your neighborhood listverv/ association/ Facebook group know when something happens.

Grounded

Ground rent scandal co-conspirator cops a plea.

Teen missing, woman found bound, shooting in Towson

Police and family are searching for missing 14-year-old DaJah Johnson, left, of N. Bethel Street, gone since Friday.

A 19-year-old woman found bound with tape and shot in the neck

An employee and victim of attempted robbery shot in the face-- in Towson!

Raymond Taylor's prison escape began with a lawsuit over payment for drawings of Shrek and Garfield.

Hermann: Espinoza murder in Mexico might complicate appeals process for Falstaff triple murder. And look, links to stories about the case are back

State budget analysts say MD needs to reduce its prison population.

No good deed...

School cop moonlighting as basketball coach is in hot water after showdown with gang members in Carver High gym. Seems he stood his ground against the possible assailants, but his paperwork was messed up and now he's facing internal charges

Lock your doors when you go through New Northwood at 2 a.m.... man shot during an attempted carjacking

This just in: No extra drinkie on the weekend

Delegate Jill P Carter to her FB peeps: "HB 429 that would enable downtown bars to remain open until 4 a.m., Fri-Sun, has been Withdrawn. Opposition at this morning's delegation meeting was overwhelming! ................I'm totally in favor of the medical marijuana bill."

Furl-uh-oh Con Found

West Virginia state police captured Raymond Taylor in Martinsburg.
WBAL radio says "Authorities now believe that the convicted murderer who walked out of a prison in Baltimore yesterday was posing as another inmate who was scheduled to be released."

Don't bring your guns to school

School police officer accidentally opens fire at North Avenue headquarters.

Horrors, mysteries, misdeameanors

A man dead after a triple shooting in Sandtown-Winchester, 1542 N. Fulton Ave.
Also a man shot in the chest this morning at Stonewood and Northwood Rds.

Remember the three children murdered in Fallston? The father and brother of the convicted killers, Victor Espinoza, was killed in Mexico by his wife. Will she now be able to shed some light on what happened? (Unfortunately all of the Sun's story links are now non-functional, but here's some backstory from the Post.)

Duuuude. Testimony on the medical marijuana bill scheduled for today. Also under consideration: a bill to keep bars open until 4 a.m. Passed: a bill to ban BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups.
Plus, bitching homophobes & lauding lesbians

Also, the "Senate has approved legislation to ban strip searches for most misdemeanor or traffic offenses." Most?

The world's best-named strip club, Chubbies, has been shut down for a year; their lawyer says the penalty excessively hefty

What a day.

More on the tragic murder of security guard James Ball

Mother of Javon Thompson testified she starved him to death to rid him of a demon, and a former cult member testifies the group had her committed to a mental hospital hide the killing.

A guilty plea in the murder of 18-year-old Steven Parrish in 2008-- he was allegedly killed by a fellow Blood for sending text messages "that were gay in nature."

A win for Doug Gansler: the Supreme Court re-instated a Maryland man’s child sexual abuse conviction, holding that police need wait only 14 days to re-interrogate a suspect who is released from custody after invoking his right to counsel.

Butterfingers! A prisoner mistakenly released. Raymond Taylor, 26, was serving life for shooting a woman and her daughters.

The police commissioner asked the liquor board to shut down the Velvet Rope club after mayhem erupted there last night

The mysterious murder of a teacher at the Cheltenham Youth Facility

... and speaking of youth, Kristyn Breeds, a 29-year-old teacher in the 'Deener, admitted to sleeping with a 17-year-old student and received probation.

The worst strip bar name ever

Fells Point strip bar chubbies is in trouble again, meanwhile former commish Norris to former mayor Dixon...it's not your fault

Plastered & Fossilized

Fredneck man found dead in an alley, drunk friends questioned.

...AG Doug Gansler writes a letter to MoCo Senator saying he thinks that the Court of Appeals could rule to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. His sentiments don't carry any weight-- there's no case in front of the court about out-of-state marriages, and at last visit the court was pretty clear that marriage exists expressly for "the attendant link to fostering procreation." (sorry, grandma!) Perry v. Schwarzenegger has a better shot with the Supreme Court than any hypothetical gay suit would with our fossilized bench.
Speaking out for civil rights is always nice, though, right?

Trials & Tribulations

TDR's Brandon Kearney reports from the toddler cult-murder trial

CP cover story this week is the tale of trial for the murder of Robert Long

Four murders in this week's Ink

Remember Robert Simels, the lawyer-to-the-drug-stars who makes the Wire's Maury Levy look like a stand-up guy? The latest wrinkle: he co-owns a condo with a drug dealer's mom.

Down in A-town, legislators seek to expand sex-offender laws

Is spending a crime?

The city's growing budget deficit is not a crime, or is it?

Cult starvation case "promises to be among the strangest the Baltimore City Circuit Court has ever seen"

A stabbing in the Towson Town Mall food court!
and also two stabbings on the West side

State of the city= broke

"Real Estate Developers Push To Rebrand Murder Heights Neighborhood Of Baltimore"

Self-policing

A little change may be in the offing for the way the BPD polices itself

Wrongedy Wrong Wrong!

This is an outrage!
It's our judiciary-- we pay for it!
But
a new rule, reportedly likely to pass, would allow courthouses to ban all cell phones and cell communications, and possibly laptops.
[wonder what this bill is called?]
Mark my words-- cell-phone blocking technology in the courthouse is next!

Protest

Sat. protest lead by Chris Taylor the community activist whose arrest was controversial ends up in front of police headquarters.

Mayor Pleads for Calm

... as furniture piles up in parking places, feuds erupt.
Be bold SRB! Send out the bulk trash trucks!

Dirty Deeds

Canton "snow shovel" rapist Donald Vaughn tied by DNA to 4th attack

Dundalk man gets 5 years for soliciting cyber-teenager, and a Sharpsburg man pled guilty to possessing child porn

Hermann: Crazy John's of the Block is as crazy as ever

Owner of Columbia's Red Parrot Bistro accused of harboring illegal workers

Details on 19

Relative gets stabbed by abusive boyfriend trying to save his aunt.

Lawyers, Lasers, Cell-Phone Jammers

QTD: "I ... have a great contract. Bless the lawyers." - FHB III

Cell-phone jamming technology will be tested today at Cumberland. The Senate passed the Safe Prisons Communication Act in October and is likely to pass the House; the bill requires that blocking technology not interfere with communications outside of the prison. More on the debate here, and info on how cell phone jamming works

"New Lasers Fight Crime, Martians"

And behold: the Ink with no murders.

19

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Police Tweet, "STABBING - 706 N LAKEWOOD AVE, ADULT MALE STABBED IN THE NECK HAS DIED AT JOHNS HOPKINS,1 ARREST."

Copping a plea

New details on how a policer supervisor's attempt to help a drug deal turned out badly

Sixty-one-year-old accused stalker shot by police kills himself in jail