2015–2021 Term Report
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PARTNERED WITH THE UNIVERSITY<br />
OF PENNSYLVANIA FOR THE FAIR<br />
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, THE<br />
UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE INNOCENCE<br />
PROJECT CLINIC and other partners to<br />
release a root cause analysis report, also<br />
known as the Baltimore Event Review Team<br />
(BERT) report. The report provides<br />
recommendations on how the criminal<br />
justice system can decrease the occurrence<br />
of wrongful convictions. Recommendations<br />
included best practices for investigating and<br />
charging single witness identification cases,<br />
sharing discovery and evidence between<br />
the SAO and BPD, and developing an<br />
objective team within the SAO to review<br />
claims of innocence.<br />
OCTOBER 2017<br />
The SAO doubled the size of the<br />
Victim & Witness Services Unit,<br />
by having a total of 30 Victim &<br />
Witness advocates and support<br />
staff to meet the needs of<br />
Baltimore City residents when<br />
they may be most vulnerable.<br />
SUCCESSFULLY CONVICTED<br />
EVERY PUBLIC ENEMY #1<br />
who has been brought to trial<br />
since 2015; collectively, their<br />
sentences included six life<br />
sentences plus 700+ years in<br />
prison. This list is no longer<br />
maintained by BPD<br />
HE GUN VIOLENCE<br />
ORCEMENT DIVISION<br />
), on September, the SAO<br />
ounced a collaborative<br />
division devoted to<br />
tigating and prosecuting<br />
rime in Baltimore. GVED<br />
intelligence gathered by<br />
detectives and CSU in the<br />
te’s Attorney’s Office to<br />
hend, charge and convict<br />
c gun offenders who have<br />
identified as top drivers<br />
f crime in Baltimore.<br />
SEPTEMBER 2017<br />
The SAO and the Mid-Atlantic<br />
Innocence Project had their joint<br />
motion to vacate Lamar<br />
Johnson’s convictions granted<br />
and he was released from prison<br />
after serving nearly 14 years for<br />
a crime he did not commit.<br />
VICTIM/WITNESS WAITING<br />
ROOM RENOVATION began in the Mitchell<br />
Courthouse to make it a more welcoming space<br />
for victims and witnesses to receive services and<br />
await their appearances in court. Thanks to grant<br />
funds from the Governor’s Office of Crime<br />
Control and Prevention, the Design Angels<br />
nonprofit, and the Department of General<br />
Services, updates began for a dedicated play<br />
area for children, updated power-integrated<br />
furniture, and a computer so visitors can<br />
access resources while they await trial.<br />
NOVEMBER 2017<br />
BPD Detective Sean Suiter<br />
was found dead due to a<br />
gunshot wound to the head<br />
while on duty in West<br />
Baltimore. His death came one<br />
day before he was scheduled<br />
to testify before a federal<br />
grand jury investigating a<br />
2010 drug-planting incident,<br />
involving the GTTF police<br />
corruption investigation.<br />
<strong>2015–2021</strong> TERM REPORT<br />
18ANGLE-RI
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