2015–2021 Term Report

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YEAR SIX In tandem with convictions and lengthy sentences for repeat violent offenders, the SAO once again showed that it has the ability to carefully utilize resources to hone in on violent crime while addressing the systemic issues that fuel crime in the first place. In the face of a global pandemic, the SAO adapted to the restrictions imposed on the court system in 2020 and took massive steps to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Throughout the crisis, the SAO continued to work to safeguard communities in Baltimore through the effective prosecution of crime and offer all services, ensuring the safety of the community and staff. Understanding the need to focus on victim and violent crime, especially during a global pandemic, and after consulting with public health experts on how to slow the spread of COVID-19 in prisons and jails to minimize public and police exposure, State’s Attorney Mosby decided to stop prosecuting minor offenses that did not impact public safety. Those offenses included: CDS (drug) possession, paraphernalia possession, prostitution, trespassing (with exceptions allowed), minor traffic offenses, open container, and urinating/defecating in public. The SAO also dismissed 1423 pending cases because of this policy and quashed (eliminated) 1415 warrants for the aforementioned offenses, and refined the bail and bench warrants process to focus exclusively on those individuals that posed public safety risks. At the same time and continuing to be responsive to the COVID-19 crisis, the office also pushed Governor Hogan to reduce the prison population, resulting in two executive orders on the early release of 2000 people and created a new Sentencing Review Unit to review and reduce excessive sentences for juvenile lifers and elderly individuals. The Office hired former Deputy Public Defender Becky Feldman to head the unit and led SRU’s support for Maryland’s longest serving female prisoner, Eraina Pretty. To date the SRU has released 23 individuals for an estimated savings of $12.5M to the DPSCS Budget. CONVICTION RATES 93% FELONY 91% GUN VIOLENCE ENFORCEMENT DIVISION CONVICTION INTEGRITY UNIT MELVIN THOMAS Ă In 2020 Melvin Thomas was exonerated for his role in a non-fatal shooting. His conviction was predicated wholly on the testimony of one witness, the victim, who recanted his testimony in 2018. SENTENCING REVIEW UNIT CALVIN McNEILL Ă After launching in 2020, within the same year, the SRU secured the release of Calvin McNeill who was incarcerated at the age of 16 years old and given a life sentence for which he served 39 years of. 85% HOMICIDE 91% MAJOR INVESTIGATIONS UNIT 98% NARCOTICS 100% SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT ERAINA PRETTY Ă The unit later secured the release of Maryland’s longest serving female inmate, Eraina Pretty, who served 42 years of her life sentence beginning at the age of 18. Both released individuals demonstrated tremendous personal growth while incarcerated and deep remorse for their crimes. 27ANGLE-RI Sao at a glance 2020
POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS VICTORIES Ă FORFEITURE BY WRONGDOING: This legislation made it easier to present out-of-court statements against those that intimidate witnesses by lowering the burden of proof needed for a prosecutor to secure convictions. This standard puts Maryland in line with the federal government and the majority of the states in our country. Ă PARTIAL EXPUNGEMENT, MARYLAND JUDICIARY CASE SEARCH: This legislation began the process to dismantle the ‘unit rule’ and requires that Maryland Judiciary Case Search no longer provide information on an individual’s record related to any cases that were acquitted, dismissed (except if there were requirements for drug or alcohol treatment) and allows for the expungement of additional misdemeanor charges. Ă PARTIAL EXPUNGEMENT, POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA RECORDS: This legislation provided those who have a marijuana possession record, to have an opportunity to gain meaningful employment and move past other roadblocks by having their records automatically removed from Maryland Judiciary Case Search. Ă JAILHOUSE INFORMANTS LAW: This bill toughened restrictions and requires the State to take specific precautions regarding testimony from jailhouse informants including reporting the information to the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth and Victim Services and disclosing it to the defendant. In Maryland alone, four innocent people have been proven to have been wrongfully convicted as a result of jailhouse informant’s false testimony. VICTIM AND WITNESS SERVICES In FY21, the SAO secured $1.7 million in VOCA grant funds from the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services to fill 24 victim advocate positions, including bilingual advocates and social worker therapists, for an advocate total of 40. 8,644 VICTIMS AND WITNESSES OF CRIME SERVED 722 SURVIVORS OF HOMICIDE OFFERED COUNSELING SESSIONS 153 VICTIMS AND WITNESSES OF CRIME RELOCATED CRIME CONTROL & PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 138 VIOLENT OFFENDERS Ă Rodney Harris was sentenced to 35 years for Assault and Manslaughter of his pregnant girlfriend who lost her unborn child as a result. Ă Michael Williams, a violent repeat offender was sentenced to 45 years in prison for Armed Robbery and Weapon Charges. Ă Ryan Hazel was sentenced to 22 years on 11 counts of Firearm and Drug Trafficking Offenses. Ă Victor Robinson was sentenced to Life suspend all but 40 Years for Strangulation of his pregnant girlfriend. The victim, Shawna Davis, was found dead on a playground bench in the Waverly community. 58 VIRTUAL JUNIOR STATE’S ATTORNEYS 9,734 YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES PARTICIPATED IN THE SAO’S FIRST EVER VIRTUAL #BMOREPOPUP’S SUMMER SERIES. AIM TO B’MORE PARTICIPANTS SINCE 2015 Over 3,300 community services hours completed by AIM To B’More participants The SAO’s First Virtual Court in the Community Event discussing the impact of the global pandemic on the criminal justice system. Ă Willard Turner was sentenced to Life plus 80 Years for Kidnapping, Torture, and Murder. The victim, Tiffany Jones was abducted in broad daylight and found dead inside a burning vacant home the next day. Ă De’Andre Sleet was sentenced to life plus 25 years with the first 10 years to be served without the possibility of parole. Sleet was found guilty in December 2019 for the murder of Timothy Moriconi in Federal Hill. <strong>2015–2021</strong> TERM REPORT 28ANGLE-RI
Page 2 and 3: JUSTICE over convictions /Baltimore
Page 4 and 5: Our MISSION The mission of the Offi
Page 6 and 7: HOW THE PROCESS WORKS Citizen calls
Page 8 and 9: SAO AT A GLANCE 2015-2021 T he past
Page 10 and 11: YEAR ONE On January 8, 2015, Marily
Page 12 and 13: JANUARY 2015 Marilyn Mosby was swor
Page 14 and 15: YEAR TWO In 2016, the office contin
Page 16 and 17: MAY 2016 After investigation by the
Page 18 and 19: YEAR THREE Whether it was kicking o
Page 20 and 21: FEBRUARY 2017 JANUARY 2017 The City
Page 22 and 23: CONVICTION INTEGRITY UNIT YEAR FOUR
Page 24 and 25: JUNE 26, 2018 2018 States Attorney
Page 26 and 27: YEAR FIVE In 2019, the Conviction I
Page 28 and 29: JANUARY 2018 State’s Attorney Mar
Page 32 and 33: MARCH 2020 All courts in the Maryla
Page 34 and 35: YEAR SEVEN 2021 was a year of const
Page 36 and 37: MARCH 2021 The SAO announced the on
Page 38 and 39: GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: VICTIMS OF
Page 40 and 41: OUR IMPACT Since the inception of m
Page 42 and 43: OUR IMPACT: SUPPORTING VICTIMS AND
Page 44 and 45: OUR IMPACT INVESTING IN OUR YOUTH S
Page 46 and 47: OUR STORIES When innocent people ar
Page 48 and 49: 45ANGLE-RI Our stories
Page 51 and 52: we are in the JUSTICE BUSINESS

2015–2021 Term Report

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