Former County Prosecutor Facing Carjacking and Armed Robbery Charges

Isaiah Dixon III, a former Baltimore County Prosecutor is being held on charges of carjacking and armed robbery. According to the Baltimore Sun, at last check, Dixon was being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center, in what is an unexpected view for him, from the other side of the bars.

Dixon is accused of taking a 2009 Honda Accord from its 31 year old female owner earlier in the week. The robbery happened on Smith Avenue outside of Shoppers Food & Pharmacy. Dixon allegedly used a knife and threatened the woman, who handed over her keys. When Dixon was pulled over later in the day on Belle Avenue, he ran from the car but was apprehended and arrested.

This isn’t Dixon’s first run in with the law. As a matter of fact, proceedings to remove him from the bar are currently underway. Dixon, who practices out of Towson, is said to have taken on new clients as late as July of last year, even after he was notified of the complaints against him.
Thos complaints originate with Dixon’s past drug issues and this current incident causes one to wonder if those issues are, in fact, in the past.

A drug problem can cause people to do things completely out of character. A once highly respected professional man can turn down a path of self destruction and crime when addiction is in the picture.

While drugs aren’t a valid defense in the criminal courts, the courts do occasionally provide resources for people who are accused of crimes related to drug addiction. This is especially true for cases involving possession of a controlled substances or possession of marijuana.

If you find yourself facing criminal charges and aren’t sure what options you have, a consultation with a defense attorney is in order. Together we can take a look at your case and determine the best course of action.

Whether you are up against charges of drug possession or even theft, misdemeanor or felony charges, I may be able to help. Call me today for a consultation.

Holiday DUI Checkpoints in Maryland

Over the holidays people tend to drink alcohol a bit more freely. The police are well aware of this upswing in drunk driving incidences and often set up checkpoints or saturation points to stop DUI offenders in their tracks. In Hartford County, these checkpoints are being credited with 4 arrests over a 2 day period.

Checkpoints are set up in random areas across the state where law enforcement agencies come together to prevent drunk driving tragedies. State Troopers and local police often work together to make operations like this run as smoothly as possible.

According to the Baltimore Sun, a two day saturation patrol ended in more than 100 warnings and citations in addition to the 4 DUI arrests. They also state two arrests were made unrelated to driving while intoxicated.

With holiday parties, football, and friendly gatherings drinking seems to be more common at this time of year. Unfortunately, it seems that there is always a holiday drunk driving tragedy in the news, where an accident claims the life of someone who was traveling home for the holidays or shopping for those last few gifts.

Police and other organizations seek to minimize the occurrences of these Christmastime tragedies by taking preventative measures like the saturation points. By randomly stopping vehicles, they aren’t only taking those drunk drivers off the road, but possibly deterring others from getting behind the wheel in the first place.

But it is certainly questionable whether these is an effective use of police resources, as opposed to regular patrols. A case can be made that stopping every car looking for possible drunk drivers means there are less patrols on the road watching for seriously impaired people weaving across the road.

Regardless, if you are stopped for DUI you are facing some serious consequences. For many people, a single DUI can be a life changing experience. For others, a second and third offense with stricter penalties seems to be the wakeup call required.

No matter how many times you have been before a judge for a DUI, it will still make you nervous and add stress to your life. If you are facing DUI charges in the state of Maryland, you need the assistance of an aggressive defense attorney.

Call me now to discuss the details of your case.

Baltimore Mayor Dixon Guilty of Embezzlement The mayor faced 5 charges, was acquitted on 3, deadlocked on one, and found guilty of the last. Facing se

The mayor faced 5 charges, was acquitted on 3, deadlocked on one, and found guilty of the last. Facing sentencing for embezzlement, the Mayor’s continued service to the city is now in question.

Many in the community and in local city government believe the Mayor should step down or be forced to leave after being convicted of this misdemeanor charge. It’s not the amount of embezzlement they are concerned about but rather the loss of trust they now have towards Dixon.

The misdemeanor conviction was for using gift cards that were purchased by Developer Patrick Turner for the “children of Baltimore.” They were a charitable donation to the city but were used by Dixon to purchase things for herself and her aides, according to the Baltimore Sun report.

The investigation in this case dates back to March 2006 and involved raids on her home and interviews with people in the Mayor’s close circle. The company that donated the gift cards in question is owned by Dixon’s former boyfriend.

Her defense team argued that Dixon believed the cards were from her boyfriend at the time, Lipscomb, and when they arrived in an unmarked envelope she had no other indication that they weren’t intended for her usage. That argument ultimately failed.

Embezzlement is considered a fraud related white collar crime and is essentially theft from your employer. Because Dixon’s employer is the city of Baltimore and the people as well, it is unclear right now what will become of her job.

As for her sentence, Dixon could face time in prison, though this is not likely. More likely, because of her clean criminal record, Dixon will be sentenced to serve some sort of probation, whether supervised or not.

Being charged with theft or any white collar crime can be humiliating and this case just goes to show it can happen to just about anyone. If you are facing criminal charges in Maryland of this nature and need help, contact me immediately.

Maryland Theft Charges Dropped Due to Officer No Show

This article from the Baltimore Sun details one way in which criminal court cases get dropped on what many people refer to as “a technicality”. Everyone was there except the arresting officer, resulting in numerous criminal charges against Walter Grant being dropped.

Oftentimes the case against a criminal defendant rests solely on the report written by the arresting officer. The attorneys must be able to call this officer as a witness and when they are not, the charges get dropped.

The article details how things like this happen and it basically boils down to a complicated system with several parts not working optimally. Several parties involved were quick to point the finger at why this happened or who should be responsible, but it seemed as if no one had a solution.

For Walter Grant, the bureaucracy worked in his favor. Once facing charges of possessing stolen vehicle, Grant, a convicted felon, walked away from that court date as if nothing had happened.

While cases like this do happen, when you are facing criminal charges you cannot depend on it. You have to be ready to defend your case and hope for the best.

Theft charges like those Grant was facing come with fairly stringent sentences and one would be mistaken to assume they might get charges dropped “on a technicality”. This is where having an experienced defense attorney comes in.

As your defense attorneys, we plan for all possibilities. Our experienced defense lawyers will examine your case from the moment of your arrest to the present, ensuring the police acted in accordance with the laws and procedures designed to protect your rights.

Next, together, we will come up with a plan. That plan might include possible defense strategies and the possibility of reaching a plea bargain with the prosecution. Throughout this process we will act as your advocate, providing you with sound legal advice while being open to your input.

If you are facing criminal charges in Maryland, whether they are related to drugs, theft, DUI, or assault, we can help. Contact us today to discuss the details of your case.

Maryland Among States Using Mobile Fingerprint Devices for Criminal Cases

Technology is constantly moving forward. The military is consistently supplying the civilian world with innovative devices to assist in crime fighting and the fight against terrorism. Mobile fingerprinting devices are being used in several cities across the country, including some Baltimore suburbs.

As this article from the Washington Post discusses, technology for the mobile devices being used in Maryland and Virginia comes directly from the military. These devices, when used in police work, are useful in identifying both suspects and victims.

The Post outlines several cases where the devices were useful in identifying bodies or accident victims. However, police are most interested in using them to identify suspects who may be lying about their identity.

For now, the police can only scan someone’s fingerprints if they are under arrest or if they agree to submit. Interestingly, the officers interviewed said that have not had many refusals simply due to the fascination people have with the technology.

The scanners scan fingerprints or irises (eyes) and immediately compare them with prints already in the states database. If there is a match the scanner details who the person is and if there may be any active warrants for their arrest.

Often, people pulled over who know they have a warrant or are breaking the law by driving while their license is suspended will lie and state they don’t have identification. If they agree to be scanned, the police will likely be able to determine their identity and deal with the law violations immediately.

Opponents to these devices worry about potential abuses. Police pressuring people into submitting or not properly explaining that the scan is optional could cause some problems as criminal cases go to court.

Police have to be wary of civilian’s rights at every stage of an arrest. From a traffic stop to the investigation of more serious assault charges, they have a protocol that must be followed.
If you are facing criminal charges and need the assistance of a defense attorney to ensure your rights are protected at every stage of the game, call me. We can discuss the charges you are facing , potential outcomes, and the best way to approach the case.

Maryland’s New Texting While Driving Ban

It is officially against the law to text while driving in Maryland now. The ban became active just a few days ago but the law is riddled with some interesting flaws. As this report from WBAL radio points out, the texting while driving law isn’t cut and dried.

If you are cited for texting while behind the wheel you could face a $500 fine. This is considered a traffic offense, not a crime like some other criminal traffic laws on the books. However, a $500 fine is nothing to shake a stick at.

The points of interest in this law include the fact that you cannot be fined for reading text messages, only for actually texting. So, receiving messages will not get you in trouble, only responding to them will.

Next, the law says nothing about posting to social networking sites while driving. With so many people constantly updating their statuses or sending tweets on Facebook, Twitter, and similar sites, it is interesting that the texting law “is silent” on this issue.

Lastly, it isn’t clear if the law applies to emailing. Many people use their phone to email correspondences while on the move. Similar to texting, it requires the same amount of attention and distraction, but the law does not address this.

One of the major points of concern here is the determination that a drive has been actively texting while driving must be made by an officer. So, it seems the officer would have to witness the texting. How an officer, even when next to you at a stop light, would be able to determine if you are texting or simply dialing a number (or updating one of many social networking sites) is beyond me.

The application of this law will be interesting to say the least and I expect to see some arguments in traffic court over many $500 fines should the police choose to enforce this one on any regular basis.

If you find yourself facing fines and potential jail time and you think the reasoning is questionable, call me. There are many criminal traffic offenses on the books in Maryland and they are not to be taken lightly. Contact me today to see how having an aggressive defense attorney on your side can help on your day in court.

One Baltimore Adult, Two Juveniles Face Assault Charges

Three people are facing assault charges in a case with serious racial overtones. All three have entered not guilty pleas and the case is set for a December 11th trial according to the Baltimore Sun.

Twenty eight year old Calvin E. Lockner, 16 year old Emmanuel Miller, and 17 year old Zachary Watson all face charges in adult criminal court. The charges against them include 1st degree assault and carjacking. If convicted, the sentences could be enhanced under Maryland’s hate crime laws.

Last month, the trio was arrested on suspicion of beating elderly James A, Privott, a black man, who was fishing at Fort Armistead Park. During the beating the three shouted racial slurs and the prosecution believes this crime would have never happened had the victim been a white man.

This earlier report from ABC News reveals that the attack cost 76 year old Privott two teeth and a possible broken eye socket. He was treated at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. The weapon of choice used in the attack was a baseball bat.

Lockner is a known white supremacist, with racist tattoos and a nickname of Adolph Hitler. He has spent time in prison after a 2000 conviction on a sex offense.

The two juveniles do not, as of yet, have any adult criminal records, and their attorneys argue the boys were not involved and did not know of Lockner’s intention to beat Privott.

Assault charges are very serious and these are made even more serious because they appear to have been committed based on the skin color of the victim. There are special laws on the books that apply to hate crimes, potentially increasing the penalty because of the racially motivated nature of the offense.

A typical 1st degree assault charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 25 years. These men, if convicted, could serve more.

If you are facing assault charges it may not resemble this case at all. Perhaps you got into it with a companion or got stuck in the middle of a bar fight. Whatever the case, I want to help. Contact me immediately to discuss the situation that led to your charges.