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Baltimore Jailing Practices Get Progressive Recommendations

June 14, 2010 By webmaster Leave a Comment

In 2008, Baltimore had the highest percentage of its population incarcerated in jails, when compared with other major cities in the United States. 90% of these individuals had not been found guilty of a crime and instead were awaiting court dates according to the Daily Record. These numbers are startling and not lost on the Justice Policy Institute.
The JPI issued a report this week to the city of Baltimore, making several recommendations to help curb the city’s propensity for jailing. The overuse of pretrial incarceration is not only said to negatively impact those that are awaiting court dates behind bars but also costs taxpayers millions every year.
The reason for Baltimore’s numbers is multiple. Judges here are less likely to release non-violent offenders on bail, the police are quicker to make arrests on non-violent offenses, and the probation system is more likely to lock up probationers for minor violations when compared with other communities across the country.
Other big cities, like NYC, will issue a citation with a court date for offenses like disorderly conduct, shoplifting, driving on a suspended license, and public intoxication. If you are caught doing any of these in Baltimore, however, there’s a good chance you will go to jail.
Another issue, bail, is seen as a promise to return to future court dates. Because judges here seem more reluctant to release non-violent offenders on bail, more sit in the jails waiting for court. High bails also disproportionately affect the poor, allowing those with more money to get out pending court.
The report from the DC based Justice Policy Institute makes some recommendations to assist Baltimore including creating community support mechanisms like treatment and employment assistance, citing non-violent misdemeanants rather than jailing them, and reducing the amounts of bail required in criminal cases.
Bail is used to keep the community safe. A judge sets your bail amount depending on how much of a risk he/she thinks you are to flee from future court dates. If you are seen as a risk to the public, you might not be granted bail at all.
Something called an “OR bond” is granted when the judge sees little risk in releasing you. OR stands for being released on your “own recognizance”. In these situations, no payment is required, only your promise to return.
While the facts about your case play a big role in your chances of being granted bail at all, much less an OR bond, as your defense attorney I may be able to help. If you are facing criminal charge and are curious about bail and your potential penalties, contact me today.

Filed Under: Baltimore

Violent Crime Down but still High in Baltimore

May 19, 2010 By webmaster Leave a Comment

The Associated Press reports this week that violent crime is down in the city known as the setting for gritty dramas like Homicide and The Wire. But despite these drops, the Baltimore is still high when compared with other cities of similar sizes. Officials are questioning whether new policing techniques may be positively impacting the violence.

This report details how 10 years ago cops would have broken up any illegal activity they believed was going on in their presence. Now, they’re more selective, focusing on quality, not quantity of arrests.

Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III is quoted as saying he isn’t trying “to win the drug war”, but rather “the war on violence.” By focusing their efforts on some of the more notorious violent offenders in the city, the police claim they have been able to keep violence down to levels not seen in over 20 years.

In addition to going after the “regular suspects”, police are serving warrants on people with violent pasts quicker than before—even if the warrant is for a nonviolent charge. The city has also developed a gun offender registry, similar to the one in NYC requiring people with gun convictions to register their address.

While the police may drive by a known drug dealer on the corner, this doesn’t mean drug offenses are allowed to run rampant. Arrests for drug crimes are still a fact of everyday life in Baltimore too.

Another change that has gone with the decrease in crime, is an increase in successful convictions on the part of the prosecutor. Because crime is lower, the cases being referred to the DA are better, making dropped charges less and less common. This should be a top concern if you are facing criminal charges today.

If you are facing charges in Maryland, you need to discuss the details of your crime with a defense attorney. Contact me today to talk about the circumstances surrounding the charges against you and what you can do.

Filed Under: assault, Baltimore, crime, drug possession

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