Baltimore Drug Trends Changing

Baltimore Sun Crime Beat writer Peter Herman posted an interesting piece about the changing face of the Baltimore drug trade this week, pointing out several changes and trends in the city and surrounding areas. How drugs are moved, what they cost, and how they are prepared for sale is all changing.

How drugs are moved into the state and from overseas into the country is changing dramatically. Whether coming from Atlanta or Pakistan, drugs are more frequently being sent through the mail. This method allows traffickers to track their packages online and refuse delivery if a hold up flags them to possible law enforcement interference.

Drug dealers are outsourcing their work. What this means is the dealers aren’t doing the dirty work anymore. They are paying people to prep the drugs for sale. More hands in the pot but less work for the dealer to worry about.

The drug business is lucrative. There is a reason that so many people turn to dealing drugs in inner cities where demand is often higher. The reason: it pays and it pays well.

According to the Baltimore Sun article, Mayor Dixon estimated that dealers on Pennsylvania Avenue bring in over $10 million per year. True some of them get caught and some of them are too low on the totem pole to see the big dollars but the numbers are staggering.

Dealing drugs or being around large quantities of controlled substances has major risks. One wrong deal and you could be looking at a 20 years behind bars. That’s right, if you are charged with possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I or II drug like heroin or cocaine, you will face up to 20 years in prison and fines reaching $25,000.

Luckily, most drug charges aren’t this serious. In fact, more people are charged with simple possession than with possession with intent. Regardless, if you are facing any drug charge you want an aggressive hard working defense attorney on your side. Call our attorneys today to discuss the best way to handle your case.

BBC Documents Baltimore Crime

Following Baltimore Sun reporter Peter Hermann for one day, the British Broadcasting Group ran a piece on crime and crime reporting in our city. Entitled Baltimore’s Crime Scene Reporter, the video shed light on the job of a man tasked with documenting the criminal offenses of our metropolis.

Baltimore is often seen as a capital of crime, a mecca of criminal behavior. We know our city has its high crime areas and often a violent disposition, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have redeeming qualities as well. However, as Hermann states in his Baltimore Sun blog, the BBC piece may shed light on how the city gets accustomed to the crime and it becomes less and less horrific as people are desensitized to it.

Even those folks who are accused of criminal activity know the city has a high crime rate. They feel it as they are shuffled through the local criminal justice system, as one small piece in a system that is busting at the seams. Whether waiting in a local holding cell to be processed in or awaiting trial, criminal defendants often feel just how congested the system is.

As cable would have you believe, murders are rampant here in Baltimore. While we do have our share of violent crime and none of it is acceptable, drug offenses and property crimes are far more common. Sure they don’t make the headlines, but they are there, making up a large percentage of arrests and court cases.

Facing any criminal charge, whether violent or “victimless” can be frightening and extremely stressful. Filled with delays and technicalities, the journey from arrest to trial can be long and arduous. When up against charges, a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney is an asset.
If you are facing criminal charges in the Maryland criminal courts, contact me today to discuss your case.

Officer No-Shows Lead To Charges Dropped in Maryland Courtrooms

There are many reasons a prosecutor could drop criminal charges against a defendant. In Baltimore District and Circuit Courts, it seems that a police officer no-show is one of the more common reasons, and one that could be prevented according to many interested parties.

When a police officer is called to testify in a criminal case it is often because he or she investigated the case or played a key role in the suspects apprehension. As an important and credible witness, the prosecution often rests much of their case on what the officer will say.

However, what happens when this potentially crucial witness does not show up for the court date? More often than not, it seems, the prosecution has no choice but to drop the charges without sufficient additional information to move forward.

This report from the Baltimore Sun details this interesting problem that the police and prosecutors offices are dealing with. Several cases are outlined where a suspect may have been convicted and sentenced to prison but ended up walking due to a failure to appear on the part of a police officer.

So, why is this happening? Well, for one, police officers have lives too. Many are reluctant to spend additional hours in a courtroom waiting to be called when they have already pulled a shift or even on their day off. Court dates may also fall on the officer’s vacation or when they have plans to be somewhere else.

In many situations, the case would be continued or rescheduled. That isn’t always possible though and defense attorneys will rightly claim that is is unfair for a dependent to be held in limbo while a key prosecution witness can't be bothered to show up.

When facing criminal charges in MD, every defendant hopes for a complete dismissal. Although it happens, dismissals due to officer absence aren’t that likely.

But these things absolutely happen. The standards of Justice requires that the prosecution has the burden to prove it's case beyond a reasonable doubt, and in a reasonable time frame. If they can't do that for any reason, justice can't be delayed.

Call our attorneys today and we can take a look at the specifics of your situation and devise a way to handle your legal defense .

A complete dismissal of charges is always a possibility, but an in depth analysis is necessary before we can make any sort of recommendations.