Suspect was free on bail at time of attacks

Police and court records say the suspect charged this week in three violent attacks on women in Baltimore allegedly committed two of the attacks while awaiting sentencing on a drug charge. More  Read More →

Closer look at fire death of man wed to killer

Baltimore County police are taking a closer look at a fatal 2002 house fire, now that the dead man’s widow has been sentenced in the death of a boyfriend in 2006 More  Read More →

Man accused of pumping aviation fuel into car

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Maybe he thought it would make his car fly. A 20-year-old man is accused of breaking into a small airport and trying to fill up his car’s gas tank with aviation gasoline. “We’ve had people try and steal gas here in the past,” said Jim Meide, who works at Reid-Hillview Airport. “It’s... More

At a loss for words?

I never played Scrabulous, the Scrabble imitator W4I1L1D2L1Y4 popular on Facebook. Personally, I don’t like playing regular Scrabble because I view it as a no-win situation as someone who makes a living with words: if I lose, I’m a dope; if I win, I’m supposed to. Still, I read with interest the decision by the Scrabulous... More

What would you change about the jury selection process?

Nothing. On the one hand, our jury system is terrible; on the other hand, our jury system is wonderful. The jury system is terrible because it delegates the most important decisions in the justice system to the people least knowledgeable of the justice system and the law. The jury system is wonderful because it demonstrates that, under our Constitution, so much power is delegated to the average citizen. Jury service is a duty and a privilege. Source: Professor Byron L. Warnken, University of Baltimore... More

What would lead you to strike a potential juror?

Most attorneys strike potential jurors who appear to resent that they have to be there. If you sense that someone is eager to be a juror, how might that affect your decision? It is not easy to tell whether a prospective juror is eager to serve. Even if an attorney can tell, that is not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. What’s the oddest excuse you’ve heard from someone trying to avoid being selected? “I get claustrophobia in jury rooms.” Source: Professor Byron L. Warnken, University... More

How many ticking time bombs are out there?

As I reflect on the recent Supreme Court decision concerning legal rights of Guantanamo Bay detainees, Abdullah Salih al Ajmi comes to mind. Ajmi is a former Kuwaiti detainee who was held with other suspected terrorists at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo. Ajmi was released but returned to the battlefield on March 23, when he and another Kuwaiti conducted a suicide truck bombing at an Iraqi military outpost in Mosul. Thirteen Iraqi soldiers were killed and 42 wounded in the attack. More  Read More →

The doctor who anticipated DNA testing

Dr. Rudiger Breitenecker, left, receives a citation for his achiedements from Baltimore County Executive James Smith.Dr. Rudiger Breitenecker Age: 78 Profession: Forensic pathologist. Founding director of the Greater Baltimore Medical... More

UR BUSTED - Catching bad guys by txt msgs

Police in the 1970s urged citizens to “drop a dime” in a pay phone to report crimes anonymously. In an increasing number of cities, tipsters are invited to use their thumbs to identify criminals — by sending text messages from their cell phones. Police hope teens and others who might not dial a Crime Stoppers hot line will share information with authorities by texting. “If somebody hears Johnny is going to bring a gun to school, hopefully they’ll text that in,” said Sgt. Brian Bernardi... More

Florida Senate’s ban on bull testicles on pickups snipped from bill

The Florida Senate tried to make it illegal to attach fake bull testicles to trailer hitches on pickup trucks. It passed a transportation bill sponsored by state Sen. Cary Baker, R-Eustis, that would have imposed a $60 fine on motorists who attached artificial “reproductive glands” to their vehicles. Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, opposed the bill. He said fake bull testicles are simply “an expression of truckliness” and noted that he displayed a pair of them on his own “all pimped out”... More

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