.. and a flask-sized bottle of vodka

According to Fenton's Tweet feed, it was one crazy violent night last night all over the city, bringing our homicide total up to at least 56. A man was hit on the head with a beer bottle at a bar fight in the 1600 block of Cypress (which might be the county); later he died of his injuries and was identified as Cyrill Montel Holland, age 28. One 69-year-old Herman Cook was stabbed to death on Groveland Avenue in the NW. Baltimore Police Tweeted a shooting in the 6100 block of MacBeth Drive. And Kevin Rector Tweeted "Two shot in Poppleton, one critically injured the other serious but stable; and police also investigating Glen Oaks shooting."

Fallout continues from Kendell Richburg's case-cooking ways-- now four officers have been suspended* in the NW district in connection with the ongoing Federal investigation, though the BPD isn't saying who they are or what they did. Richburg's attorney, Warren Brown, blames the fake arrests on the pressure police feel. " if the curtain was pulled back, you would see that his M.O. was standard operating procedure. That's the way a lot of them work, because they're being judged by those numbers."

WTF?! A man and his four-year-old daughter were shot while sitting in their car in Overlea.

The Murder Ink covers murders 50-53, plus updates.

The NRA's president says the group plans to take Maryland's new gun law to court.* Meanwhile, both  the NYT and Bloomberg are painting rosy, backlit pictures of our gov as a progressive heartthrob.

Fenton talked to a neighbor* about the murder of Mark Dukes at 336 Payson St. on Monday: "After the first shot, I screamed and dropped to my knees and ran upstairs," said the woman, who identified herself as Cheryl Nancy, 25. Two of her four children stood on the front stoop, near a pack of cigarettes and a flask-sized bottle of vodka."

David Hunter, the first person charged by Bernstein for being a member of a criminal gang, was arraigned Monday and trials were scheduled for April 22 and June 27. Also, Subway-sandwich-shop robber Jamal Bailey is supposed to go on trial Friday.

Remember when the body of Christine Jarrett was found entombed in concrete under a shed on her husband's property in Elkridge? Police say she was killed in 1991, and her husband is finally going on trial, with jury selection due to wrap up today.

A guy was mugged for $200 and a cell phone in Hampden

Here's a feel-good story: a gun-toting robber tried to rob Mikie's restaurant on Crain Highway in Glen Burnie; bad-ass employee took the gun from him and beat him over the head with it. Unfortunately, though, the robber got away.

Sine Die Bloody Sine Die

So Sine Die came and went* with 100+ bills sent to the guv, including a ban on hand-held cell phones while driving, and a ban on cyberbullying, but without a resolution to the pit bill bull, and with Vallario Jr.'s withered haunches resolutely planted on the marijuana decriminalization/taxation bill, HB1453/ SB297, keeping it from being out to a vote in even with 57% of MDers supporting it.

So sad:

Stab victim worked 2 jobs, "an extremely dedicated, hard worker trying to do whatever it took to get back to school”baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/…
— Justin George (@justingeorge) April 8, 2013

One Jamal Champan was convicted of first-degree murder for the 2010 slaying of an unnamed victim in the NW

The battle for control of the message, meta edition-*- neighbors are criticizing police silence on 45-minute-hovering-helicopter incidents. Here's a good idea: Seattle has pioneered something called "'tweet-by-beat,' with 51 hyper-local Twitter feeds putting out calls for service — excluding sex crimes and domestic violence — through an automated feed. That was a move made after the agency in 2011 overwhelmed followers of its main account by tweeting nearly every incident reported to police. Police in Cambridge, Mass., in February also began "real-time" tweeting of 911 dispatcher logs."

A police van was in a wreck in Overlea

12-stepping might help you quit drinking, but it can't make you a decent human being, it seems. Are AK-47s even legal here?

Delegate Don Dwyer holding an interesting fundraiser....selling $10 raffle tickets for achance to win AR-15 or AK-47
— Joce Sterman (@jocefromABC2) April 9, 2013

Just spoke with outgoing @baltimorepolice internal affairs chief Williams, who said he leaves extremely bullish on the agency & leadership
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) April 8, 2013

This HarfCo Sheriff's deputy is such a badass

le dernier jour

The Senate gave approval to the Medical Marijuana bill-- you know, the one that lets Hopkins set up its own pot clinic in 2016 but has such strict strictures it'll help about 20 patients? In the meantime it looks like the decriminialization bill will waste away in Vallario's committee. How... ironic that he says the bill is a "bad message to kids," while at the same time his son has a flourishing practice as a defense attorney defending people arrested on drug charges. Also "ironic"-- his biggest campaign contributors include Lexington National Insurance Company (as in bail bonds), criminal defense firms and a MD gun-rights group.

Why do denizens of the UK have such huge boners for "the Wire"? Dunno, but David Simon was interviewed by the Guardian recently.

Balt city detectives now on Thames St in fells point investigating blood stains and bits of teeth on cobblestone street. Cc @justin_fenton
— Gus G. Sentementes (@GusSent) April 8, 2013

Idiots afoot

Homicide #53 was a man stabbed in the 200 block of East Pratt St. (as in right by Harborplace) after leaving work* at the Cheesecake Factory at around 2:20 a.m. Update: one Matthew James Darby was arrested, and the victim was named as 20-year-old Anthony Black.* Darby, a Frederick resident, has a prodigious criminal record that includes charges for burglary, assault, DUI and drugs.

Homicide #54 was in the 300 block of S. Payson St. this morning*

Alleged local drug kingpin Jeffrey Cofield was arrested in Atlanta. And Jose Rodriguez of Santa Maria, CA, was arrested in Santa Barbara County for an attempted murder here in February. And a Baltimore guy was arrested in DC for sexually assaulting women in a parking garage.

More on the Renior buyer, Marcia "Martha" Fuqua, and the story's starting to sound a little... skecthy. She went to Goucher and MICA (where her thesis involved analyzing a Renior portrait), was studying to be a blackjack dealer, and btw her brother says she didn't buy the painting at a flea market and that it was actually owned by their mom for many years. Hmm.

In North Baltimore, the owner of the Ashland Cafe was robbed and stuffed in a freezer, a guy accidentally shot himself with his dad's .22 and a woman was carjacked after getting Chinese carryout at one of the (increasingly sketchy) mini-malls at Loch Raven & Taylor.

Would the BPD ever consent to this? Ha. But when police in Rialto, CA wore some camera sunglasses, "Even with only half of the 54 uniformed patrol officers wearing cameras at any given time, the department over all had an 88 percent decline in the number of complaints filed against officers." (Thanks Cham!)

Admin note: to join the Facebook group, you must respond to a confirmation message-- if you have requested to join but not been added, check your "other" messages.

Hot heels Saturday

An 18-year-old was shot* in the 1600 block of Mosher St at 3:30 p.m., sounds like he's alive. Up the street from the fatal shooting yesterday a man suffered a "minor" "lower extremity" gunshot wound near York and Woodbourne. And regarding the Homeland home invasions, police know a man is responsible for them, they just don't know which man.

Well, that doesn't look very good: Grayling Williams, the guy hired to head internal affairs after the Majestic Body Shop scandal has resigned* to take an unnamed new opportunity. This a mere day after Fenton reported that the police are looking for yet another Training Director*-- Russell out! Smith out! Buzzuro out! Maybe Williams will step in? Meanwhile, the trainer who shot the recruit is now facing assault charges; the recruit is eating through a tube.

Hot on the heels of the Planning Commission's plan to shut down law-abiding liquor stores, a "scathing" audit of the Liquor Board found that it is doing fuck-all: the board has no written policies or procedures, no record of fines or license payments, inspectors doing whatever they want with no oversight, plus reams of uninvestigated complaints, into which Ian Duncan further delves.* Still think the zoning-law changes are a horrible idea and probably illegal, but makes more sense knowing how fed up the Commission must be. Fix your Liquor Board, O'Malley!

And Jayne Miller stays on top of the Kendell Richburg case, a doozy even by Baltimore standards. Wonder how many people will get out of jail between him and Lewellen?

The 80-year-old man who died after a punch to the head was apparently the inspiration* for the 90's Fox dramedy show "Roc."

Despite vows to fight the gun law with a referendum, the MD's GOP is now apparently waiting to get advice from the NRA before proceeding, and mused Del. Neil Parrott, "You know, one of the options is not to petition at all this year." Whatever, you know you'll opt how the NRA tells you to, optimus.

Charles Knott/ sound effect

Oh, Hampden. One of those Buena Vista Avenue urchins, this one the name of Charles Knott, was arrested for threatening the B of A security guard on 36th with a pocketknife. Parent your childrens!

Well Goddamn, Harford County: police seized cocaine, pot and 400 bags of heroin at a traffic stop-- wait, no, 424, and a domestic call led to the seizure of 8 pounds of marijuana.

Oh, lawd. Towson U's Richard Vatz tried to splain away Dr. Ben Carson comparing homosexuality to bestiality by opining that the Yale-educated neurosurgeon is "is not sophisticated." Is that racist? Because I can't imagine someone saying that about a Yale-educated neurosurgeon of any other genetic heritage. That's like, what you'd say about Britney Spears not knowing how to use a car seat. Anyway, in any case, nert heeerllping.

Bumped in to Gregg Bernstein at the tattoo convention. I can report that he has not been inked... Yet.
— Ian Duncan (@iduncan) April 6, 2013

Well, maybe he should consider it to finally put those "Jewish" rumors to rest.

HoCo popo are ISO a cursing arsonist on the loose. Wait, no, they found him, he's one Alejandro Adolfo Rodriguez. He shoulda just smoked her cigarette and hushed.

And finally, the woman who bought that Renior that was stolen from the BMA at a flea market was identified as one Marcia Martha Fuqua, which also happens to be my new bar name.

Have you heard the good news?

Happy Friday news dump, he is risen, spring has sprung, and the MD Firearms Safety Act is OTW to MO'M's pen (I wonder what kind of pen he uses? Waterford? Mont Blanc? Perhaps Beretta could get into the pen business ...or ploughshares!) Of course the irony is MD will have more guns come October than it would have a year ago as people stock up for personal use or resale, but will we be safer a year from now? I think so. Referendums are threatened, but it sounds like between guns, the death penalty and illegal-immigrant drivers' licenses, the MD GOP can't figure out which fish swimming in the barrel of their fallen tears to fix itself to shoot at.

In the meantime, a man was shot to death in the 3600 block of Old York Road, around where Tree Top Prius and the Black Guerilla Family are fighting for turf.

A transgender woman, Kelly Young, nee Rodney Little, was ID'd as the victim shot to death in the 2200 block of Barclay Wednesday. Police aren't sure if it was a hate crime, or, like, a love crime.

Case updates from the Charles Village court watcher includes mostly postponements, including for Tyone Alson, the teen accused of shooting his girlfriend, Tashawna Jones, in view of a crime camera.

Pickled egg time

Expected more local-news fanfare regarding the final passage of the gun bill on the TV news last night, but perhaps because of the late hour* of the final vote yesterday, local news has been pretty quiet. WBAL didn't get around to posting a story until almost 11 a.m. today-- "live, local, latebreaking" indeed-- and passage of a similar bill in Connecticut filled yesterday's gun-news hole. But they've noticed in Seattle, and according to the AP's Brian Witte, the Senate will begin reconciliation this morning (thanks, Brian Witte, MD reporter not published in MD).
(ps. Seven rounds, really, NY?)


Police are asking for the public's help solving a cold case from 1983, Samuel Williams, who was shot in the 4000 block of Wabash Ave by the train tracks.

At a York Rd Partnership meeting, Batts blamed the spike of homicides in the Northern on "micro rivalries" between the Tree Top Pirus and Black Guerilla Family members.

Two people were robbed outside the McDonald's at 29th and Greenmount.

Police are ISO two guys who shot a man in the arm with a semiautomatic handgun on O'Donnell Street over on the East side. But how do they know the men's exact ages?

And plenty of "you know what time it is" and "give me what you got"in the Baltimore Guide SE Blotter.

"Gimme two a dem pickled eggs and some Skoal"--  a portly, pale degenerate robbed the Gateway Road 7-11 in Edgewood at knifepoint.

Paperwork Issues

Two suspects were arrested after the double shooting on Bentalou Street-- one man was shot to death (Cham Green ID on Bentalou is Ralph Timmons, 34, of 1905 North Bentalou Street. It was his son that was wounded. Here we have an involved father that was parenting his child and now he's dead. Very sad) but his son, a brave 11-year-old boy who was shot in the leg, was able to run down the street and find officers who were still on foot patrol following the triple murder on Fulton Avenue on the West side.

Intrepid blogger Cham was able to find links for two of the Fulton Avenue victims:  IDs: Tyreka Martin, 20; Kishawna Pinder, 20; Brian Powell, 21

Person of Interest

Police released photos of a person of interested wanted in the murder of Michael Jones on 2/21.

There's no such thing as being "found innocent," but Stewart Dennis Sachs, president of the board of Har Sinai, accused of money laundering for a crack dealer, has seen all charges dismissed against him, his lawyer says the accusations were the result of a "paperwork issue." Sachs is the owner of a firm specializing in "distressed capital" whose property holdings have previously been featured on Baltimore Slumlord Watch.

City officer Adam Lewellen is in hot water for lying on warrants, falsifying a court order and burgling his ex-girlfriend, illegal gun possession, forging his address on his driver's license, dusting scales with phony cocaine...

Berger's Cookies owes the IRS bigtime.

The State Troopers were audited, but auditors found inventory control to be "lax"-- the Troopers apparently are not keeping count of their vehicles ... or guns..  or computers... or real estate.

A prodigious number of updates in this week's Murder Ink.

Ohnooo, a 5th accuser for puppeteer Kevin Clash. And so now we all know who calls those chat lines advertised in the back of the City Paper -- 16 year old boys and chickenhawks. And remember that Towson lady pimp, Di Zhang? The Feds are going after her property.

If you can't get enough of hearing people pontificating about gun laws, Goucher is hosting a panel of experts in their Hyman Anthenaeum at 8 p.m. on April 15.
And a status report:

Gun crime +7% YTD RT @baltimorepolice Violent Crime DOWN 10% in last 28 days, DOWN 30% for the yr. Gun crime DOWN 18% compared to last yr
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) April 3, 2013

52 & gun bill passed!

Barclay.

I find this highly irksome that I have to sign in to track a bill-- but anyway the House has done it, they passed the gun bill 11 hours ago!!! Having fingerprints of gun owners on file will make a huge difference in solving cases like the Barclay shooting. Combine that with DNA testing, mental health treatment and decriminalization of pot and our crime problem will be solved !

Yowzer the kidnapper pimp

If my psychic mojo is correct (and why wouldn't it be?), that gun bill is going to pass today-- fingerprinting, limited magazines and fewer assault weapons .. or maybe more assault weapons, and a $25 licensing fee.

More on the 49th homicide,* which was on 29th St. in CHUM-- he was ID'd as 28-year-old Dwight Cook. And two more homicides yesterday (50, 51).

Two weeks' worth of crime data from SpotCrime-- west side has been bizzy bizzy. In fact:

1. Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton45m

   Last night's double shooting that killed a man and injured an 11-yr-old was in same area - Mondawmin - that's been hit so hard this year

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Waverly bus-stop robber

Homelanders talked to el Duce about their recent spike in gunpoint home-invasion robberies, and a guy in Waverly has been robbing women at bus stops (see sketch).

A GameStop employee* fought of a robber* on N. Charles St.

Federal charges for Ida Mae Snipe, bathroom purse-snatcher of the White Marsh Mall* (and environs)

New York pimp "Yowzer" (nee Charles Anderson, 25) admitted to kidnapping escorts and keeping them as sex slaves in Brooklyn, and coming to MD to hunt one down who escaped.

Detectives have warrant out for man who struck 80-year-old with his fist on Mon., causing him to fall down steps and die in 5600 Midwood Ave
— Justin George (@justingeorge) April 2, 2013

So there's a headline/lede: Rapists Parental Rights Debated 
Updated: Monday, April 1 2013, 11:24 PM EDT 
Rapist fighting for paternity rights in court sounds far-fetched but women's groups says it happens more often than you think. 

And finally,
FOX45 PROGRAMMING ALERT Fox45 Town Hall 03/27/13 18:57:10 Fox45 is hosting a town hall Wednesday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m.  The topic will be "The Proper Role of Government".  Our panelists will be Pediatric Neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, Professor Richard Vatz, and radio host Mike Papantonio. If you would like to be an audience member, email us: news@foxbaltimore.com

Holy Saturday / Sunday Twerking

Three people were shot overnight last night, on Harlem Ave, 29th and O'Donnell Sts., and the homicide count is up to 49.

Friday morning homicide victim from 1300 Lanvale identified as 21-year-old Khiry Jowers, of Monument St.
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) March 31, 2013

...must be said, Khiry Marquis Jowers had a lot of arrests for someone only 21 (assault, possession, forged prescriptions).

It passed the House on Friday, but the gun bill will have to wait til Tuesday to go the Senate, tomorrow they're busy voting on possibly designating the soft-shell crab sandwich as the official state sandwich while simultaneously celebrating the 7th day of Passover.

.@baltimorepolice dealing with "two thousand" kids, some fighting, outside of 5th Regiment Armory on Division St #scanner
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) April 1, 2013

Cops pushing crowd to Eutaw. Pic from inside armory earlier;artist calling himself "Mr King of Twerk" performing(!)instagram.com/p/Xi3ODES7e1/
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) April 1, 2013

Remember when @baltimorepolice floated idea of earlier curfew, more enforcement last week? Expect tonight to be cited as evidence
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) April 1, 2013

Daily Howler: Baltimoreans say the darndest things, by whom they mean Dr. Ben Carson, who's been reciting Maggie Gallagher's verbiage verboten on TV: "no group of individuals, whoever they are, whatever their belief systems, gets to change traditional definitions." Inshizzle, my herp derp.

And here's one of the craziest stories of all time: a guy moved out of his house to sell it, and a squatter named Lakisha Fillyaw moved in, won't leave, and talked to the I-Team.

Free pens and solid-gold paper clips

Happy Friday news dump, gun nuts! After eight hours of debate, booing and sighs, the gun bill went to the House yesterday with the assault-weapons restrictions intact. Nathaniel T. Oaks: "Why do the authorities need to retain the fingerprints?” 
Uhm like because duh?
Also released, a list of items found at Adam Lanza's house. What a difference a Bushmaster makes-- if he'd taken an armful of any of the other weapons in his arsenal, how many might still be alive?

Ed Ericson Jr. writes about the variegated dramas of the "Men of the Pen" -- Big Boyz Bail Bonds

Harbor East developers are edging closer to a $107 million tax break, and howcomes traffic cones got 5 times more expensive in three years and office-supply costs quintupled? Hrm?

In another case of the city paying taxes for developers, the state's attorney's office will be spending $1.4 million a year to get out of its rat-infested courthouse offices and into schweet suites in the SunTrust building.

Batts and Bealefeld sat behind a table together at UB Law

White supremacist Matthew Heimbach blarbed to the JZ

"God - given innocence"

Homicide #48 was in Oliver*

Here's the dumbass who was shot by cops on Danville Ave. (6700? 8700?) after he "tested" his shotgun in his city back yard.

Has anyone else heard that the State's Attorney's Office is moving out of the courthouse and to the SunTrust building? I haven't seen this reported anywhere, but a person can't read everything always...

The officer-involved shooting victim/subject/target was reportedly firing off guns in his back yard.*

So Jezebel has picked up the "White Student Union at Towson U" story, simultaneously enlightening the masses and spreading the WSU's message that "The virtue of white Christian womanhood is under attack at Towson University by degenerate criminals seeking to rob our women of their God given innocence." He's in the New York Daily News too.
"school officials said that Towson, which is near Baltimore, has one of the safest campuses in the University System of Maryland. It has the lowest crime statistics among the USM campuses, and the total number of violent crimes in 2012 was down 37.5% despite a 2.3% increase in enrollment."
INteresting that his page features "White Girl Bleed a Lot"-- the author of that book emails me constantly trying to get me to run something about "race riots." ... Anyway best of luck to you, Matthew Heimbach. Keep subverting the dominant paradigm. May you attend all future CPAC events and let everybody know all about what kind of a party Conservatives have in mind.

18-year-old freshman at College Park in trouble for trying to solicit sex from a 12-year-old.

Graceland, Enchantment, Unicycles

A suspect was shot by a cop in the 6700 block on Danville Rd in the SW

Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

A police-involved shooting reported in 6700 Danville Rd., a neighborhood called Graceland Park. In 5 yrs I've never heard that neighborhood

and Pigtown recorded its first homicide this morning* of 2013(march 28). Unidentified Male at the 1300 block of Carroll Street. Shooting victim. via Cham, it was the 47th murder of the year.

Ed Ericson Jr. has taken over the Ink from laid-off Anna Ditkoff, he details six homicides from March 20-24; the murder in Remington, D'Andre Thomas, was apparently a beef about some woman that alleged killer Benny Davis had.

but reports of a woman slain on the Enchantment of the Seas were premature.

In the Patch blotter, an assailant wielded a knife in Oakanshawe and a juvenile assaulted a police officer in Pen Lucy.

Do you ever wonder what goes on in Harford County? Well, I'll tell you: nothing but naked girls,* unicycles and cows in the road.

The big MD gun control vote is in the House tomorrow.
And so if everyone in A-town supposedly supports Curt Anderson's bill so much, why is everyone so sure it won't pass? Is Vallario going to sit on it? That guy is the worst.
Meanwhile, opiate poisoning rates are going through the roof, but I don't see him being all "save the children!" about that. 

Dead, taxed and argued over

Note new AP style guidelines when it comes to rifles, weapons and being slain and homicided 

It's hard to focus of Baltimore with DOMA on every news feed in the land-- read the transcript, listen to the audio. It's fascinating and neat to hear Roberts, Clement, Kagan and Alito duking it out re. the estate of Edie Windsor (could you wish for a more perfect or deserving plaintiff)?

Two Acquittals and a Mistrial but Maybe Three Life Terms

So Policarpio Perez was acquitted of the murders-- but convicted of conspiracy to murder-- Ricardo Espinoza and Alexia Quezada, but a mistrial was declared for the murder count* for the death of Lucero (though he was also convicted of conspiracy in that case.  Just, what? Could there possibly in any way be a fourth trial for this guy? Says Cheshire, "I would like to note that Espinoza Perez was convicted of three counts of conspiring to commit first-degree murder. As a result, he faces a maximum sentence of three life terms in prison." ... which I take to mean no fourth trial because he'll already be as jailed as he's going to get.

Paige Croyder is back! and blogging about the "Stupid Trial" of the officer who recorded Judge Joan Gordon.

Here's the full transcript of Hollingsworth v. Perry at SCOTUS today, and some backstory from NYMag on the case they'll be hearing tomorrow.

Titillating Tuesday

Will Prop 8 /DOMA get struck down ... between now and June?
Will the jury find Policarpio Epsinoza Perez guilty a third time for killing three children?
So much suspense!

Some Enchanting Elevator

Royal Carribean's Enchantment of the Seas in the news again-- a 62-year-old woman was apparently murdered aboard a cruise ship that embarked from our fair port en route to Nassau. The ship has been crime blogg'd before-- a 14-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a 25-year-old pool boy, two years ago a crew member was busted with cocaine and heroin.

But wait, isn't that already the law? Senators passed a bill to end the speed camera bounty system, and the bill "does not tighten requirements for allowing offenders to verify a violation."

WYPR's doing a show on our blue-light cameras on Friday.

Pro-gun-control moms are rallying in A-town today.

Progressive MD uncovered $60 million a year MD in lost revenue spent on "corporate welfare"-- loopholes, allowable shifty accounting and superfluous tax breaks that the legislature refuses to fix.

Speaking of A-town, ef the medical marijuana bill, which would lend not a whit of help to pot-smoking grannies like Cher Neufer and Brenda Brown.* Can't we just leave hippie grandma and AIDS grandma alone and give pot to everybody (and tax it) like HBill 1453 aims to do?

The day Andrew Zimmern's "Maryland" episode of Bizarre Foods aired, the House passed a ban on shark fin soup-- TIL MD fisherpeople catch sharks for Chinese consumption. Incidentally Zimmern also went to the eastern shore, where he skinned and ate BBQ'd muskrat and grilled eel that's caught here and also shipped to Asia. The gallivanting gourmand also enjoyed chitlins prepared by Koreans, Korean food prepared in Silver Spring, and Spike Gjerde's whales (or maybe they were hotels).

Saved for later dept:
- A compendium on "The Rise and Fall of Prohibition in Baltimore, 1918-1933."

Fascinating look at world of trap-making, i.e. secret compartments in vehicles often used to hide drugs, money wired.com/threatlevel/20…
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) March 25, 2013

Self-reliant and suicidal

Gun deaths as well as gun control attitudes both appear to have racial bias: according to government data, white people five times more likely to commit suicide with a gun than black people. Mansplained the NRA's Wayne LaPierre on the disproportionately high rate of gun suicides by gun owners:
"Gun owners are notably self-reliant and exhibit a willingness to take definitive action when they believe it to be in their own self-interest. Such action may include ending their own life when the time is deemed appropriate." And an ABC News/WaPo poll has found 79% of (presumably self-defined) black people were supportive of stricter gun control laws vs. 48% of white people. And, not for nothing, urbanites favoring stricter gun laws by a 2:1 margin over country folk.

When it comes to HeLa cancer cells, Hopkins' patient privacy liberties are the gift that keeps on giving.

In case you missed it: map of doomed-to-close liquor stores by Cham Green

Mary Washington

about an hour ago

HB 829, Correctional Services - Pregnant Detainees and Inmates - Restraint Restrictions has just passed the House of Delegates (131 Yeas, 4 Nays). Now on to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.

Two women, two dogs

Are homicide stats are what Baltimoreans "care about most" when it comes to crime? Does having a flood of cadets walk the beat* in a violence-plagued neighborhood make a difference? I'll take no and no for $200, Alex.

Jermaul (sic) Dean was charged with posing as a city police officer before frisking and rob a man in the SW.

A man robbed a sex shop in Havre de Grace,* but only for cash.

Great reading: the Maryland Law Review.

In Queen Anne's county, the body of missing Robin Pope was found in the water on Kent Island and ID'd; three weeks ago her dog's body was also found. Curiously, in AAC the day before another woman was found dead with her dog.

4th Circuit Upholds MD's "May Issue" Gun License Laws

... AmmoLand weeps.

Michael Wesley, wanted for the murder of Rachel Curtis, was picked up at a Winson-Salem bus stop*

Benny Davis, 24, was arrested for the murder of D'Andre Thomas in Remington.

A man pushed a woman from a moving car on Clipper Mill Road (March 10).

Why so many domestic-violence killings in the city lately?* *shrug* -- oh, but definitely put this on your calendar:  "THE BALTIMORE LAWYERS’ CHAPTER OF THE FEDERALIST SOCIETY Proudly Presents KATE OBENSHAIN Fox News Channel Contributor, former Vice President of the Young American’s Foundation and author of Divider in Chief, talking about 'The Left’s War on Women.' Thursday, April 18th – 12:00 noon, Semmes, Bowen & Semmes. The event is free of charge. RSVP Brian Fish at asabrianfish@earthlink.net to ensure that our lunch order is sufficient."

County and federal agents nabbed a woman running a brothel in the residential area of Joppa Rd.* in Towson, whose customers have apparently been annoying her neighbors for years.

Balling w Espantoons

Police are securing the West side with espantoons and basketball.*

The 2013 version State of MD vs. Policarpio Espinzoa Perez is to the jury.* Adan Espinoza Canela's trial is to start April 1. Notably, father of two of the children, Ricardo Espinoza, does not believe Policarpio is guilty and thinks the real killers are still at large.

No you did not, Baltimore City Zoning Commission! A jackassed bill has passed that will close down existing liquor stores in residentially zoned areas, which would include many long-running non-nuisance stores that are small and/or family-owned businesses (eg. Roland Park Wines & Liquors.) Burning question: why can't the city just enforce our existing loitering, littering or noise curfew laws? Why can't they just stop granting liquor licenses for stores in residential areas? and how is it legal to re-zone a business out of existence?

I'll be on the Dan Rodricks show on WYPR at noon talking hot topics; news of the day, if you will.
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) March 22, 2013

Guns, crack, PCP and another Phylicia Barnes trial

A second trial for the convicted killer of Phylicia Barnes, Michael Johnson, because the defense didn't disclose the criminal history of the sole eyewitness, one James McCray. Understandable on some level, but on another, fckn whut? The ruling came from thrice- investigated Judge Alfred Nance is perhaps best known for jailing a woman who said "I love you" to her brother, being generally explosive and misogynistic, and for striking down the city's gun registry (which was just now upheld).

.. you probably heard that the Assault Weapons ban was effectively killed by the U.S. senate-- but perhaps that will give state and local courts more drive to pass local restrictions.

One Demond Taylor was found guilty of strangling his grandmother to death, which he did while high on PCP, which seems to be making a comeback-- every week or so some dusted-up driver gets busted on 295 and it's the drug of choice for xoJane/Vice writer Cat Marnell.

The president of the Har Sinai congregation was charged with laundering a crack dealer's money.

MD ranked 40/50 for state government transparency and accessibility to records in a Center for Public Integrity study.

Indecent exposure car

A triple murder over by the Mondawmin mall* in the 2200 block of N. Fulton Avenue.

Whoa, man! The state Senate passed (30-16) Curt Anderson's bill (SB 297) that decriminalizes possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana (pot, weed, ganj, green, trees, &tc.). The bill goes to the house on March 28. Gawd that would be such a help in Baltimore city-- in spite of whatever FHBIII said in NYMag's "Truce on Drugs" article, the city still puts thousands of people in jail for minor amounts of weed every year. Promising sign: last year the House passed a bill that lowered the penalty for less than 10 grams from a year in jail and a $1000 fine to 90 days and a $500 fine. Should it pass, HB 1453 lowers the fine down to $100 and gets rid of the criminal penalties completely.

At the same time, the city is cracking down on booze, barring liquor stores from operating in areas zoned 'residential.'

So there have been three home-invasion-ish robberies in the Villages of Homeland development (where Woodburne Ave turns into Homeland Ave). Not to mention about three motorists robbed/carjacked on that stretch of York Rd.

The city is paying $150,000 to a guy who was arrested by mistake-- and held for eight months.

Wait, what? Law enforcement doesn't need a warrant to read your emails -- so long as someone has opened them and/or they're more than six months old? What the heck is that?

State police are swamped with gun license applications.

Victim ID updates: Gerald Commodore, 22, killed on Windsor Ave yesterday; D'Andre Thomas, 25, killed on Fox St
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) March 19, 2013

Oh noo, a fourth lawsuit for Kevin "Elmo" Clash from his first accuser, Sheldon Stephens,* and the words "crystal meth sex parties" are involved. Stephens has filed in PA, a state with a more lenient statute of limitations than NY (or for that matter, MD).

& if you're into 30-something Hispanic guys with spiky hair WBAL advises you to "Watch for car linked to indecent exposures cases." Oh dang, sorry ladies, they got him.