Friday, August 5, 2005

August 5

Christopher Nathan Porter, 17, is scheduled for arraignment 9:30 Monday, August 8. A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Porter July 6, 2005 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.

At a hearing today, Dana (a man) White, 36, pled guilty to attempted second-degree murder and first-degree burglary. Judge John M. Glynn sentenced him to 20 years in prison. On November 26, 2004 White broke into his "girlfriend's" West Saratoga Street home through the rear basement window armed with a butcher knife. During the course of the ensuing argument, White stabbed the victim 11 times all about her body. The victim went to a neighbor, who called for help, and she was transported to shock trauma.

An arrest in the murder of 23-year-old Angel Simms, a drug arrest and various theiving in the blotter.

Baltimore's surveillance cameras were indespensible in identifying the murderer of 21-year-old Darrell Winston.

A 21-year-old rapper called D-Rack racked up a 10-year sentence for selling the yayo.

Thursday, August 4, 2005

August 4

Five murders this week, 164 this year.

EW, a human torso was found bobbing in the harbor in front of the Cheesecake Factory last night after a paddleboat employee saw crabs having a feeding frenzy by the dock. "When he it with a pole the object flipped over and revealed ribs. That's when he called police .. a mystery in the water ... a body part in the crown jewel of Baltimore" says JZ's Sharon Lee in the video. Who writes those scripts? I would have led with "Tourists in town for the Maryland Precious Angel Pageant are going Kosher tonight after seeing some unexpected scenery at the harbor..." and wrapped with "certainly something for diners to think about, Bob, before they order the fried crab rangoon."

A forensic scientist was cross-examined this morning in the Espinoza trial.

Kenneth Earl Barnes, Jr., 43, of the 500 block of West University Parkway, is scheduled to be re-arraigned 9:30 Friday morning 2005 before Judge Wanda Keyes Heard, 523 Courthouse East, 111 North Calvert Street. Barnes is charged with failing to register as a sex offender and trespassing on school property. The criminal information alleges that on April 14 Barnes trespassed on school property and failed to maintain his registration by providing accurate address information that is required by Maryland law. The maximum prison sentence Barnes is facing three years for failing to maintain his registration by providing accurate address information and one year for trespassing on school property. Meanwhile Howard county police are vowing to perform spot checks to stay on the trail of sex offenders who give false addresses.

In Edgewood this week cops found <63k of green and white stuff. Alan Lyall, Justin Feronti and Stephen Carpenter presumably do not have Pell grants in their futures.

Wednesday, August 3, 2005

August 3

Florida's toughest soap salesman (and Baltimore's most famous Victoria's Secret shopper) Ed Norris will be released from home detention Friday. Welcome back, big spender... thanks again for sending the musical panties at Christmas. Speaking of musicals, are the rumors true that you and John Waters are in talks for a biopic? Lunch on me, the least I can do after all those lap dances you picked up over the years? Anywhere but the Polo Grill.

In the Espinoza trial, jurors heard evidence of a second knife.

Unless you've been living in a cave you know that our Dirty Bird Raffy tested positive for steriods, but claimed that he took them 'unintentionally.' The lastest is that said steriod was a powerful anabolic-- not something easily slipped into a cocktail.

Blogger Matthew Yglesias poated a noteworthy link: the press release from the Mayor's Office from nine months ago that claims Baltimore has a dramatic reduction in violent crime. So my questions are, first, are these numbers accurate? Second, how do they compare to the per-capita reductions in other American cities? And finally, how do these facts relate to the Freakonomics abortion theory? Discuss.

Monday, August 1, 2005

August 1

We're up to 159 murders, says the ink. Twenty of the murders this year have been in the Northern.

A Baltimore City jury convicted Kevin Scott, Jr., 15, today of first-degree murder, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and armed robbery after eight days of testimony and one and a half days of deliberation. Judge Paul A. Smith will sentence Scott September 20. He faces a maximum prison sentence of life plus 45 years. On September 13, 2004 Scott attempted to rob the victim, Christopher Richardson, 15, in the 2800 block of West North Avenue. A struggle ensued over the gun Scott wielded, a .22 caliber handgun, and Richardson was shot twice during that struggle. Scott then ran several feet away, returned, and shot Richardson three more times before taking an unknown amount of money from his pocket. Richardson was shot a total of five times, four times in the head.