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Today in Baltimore bail reviews.
All the circuit court judges are in a judge's meeting, so they brought in retired judge Brooke Murdock. Before we get to the cases a few things from the chaos of a Judge Murdock docket.
All the circuit court judges are in a judge's meeting, so they brought in retired judge Brooke Murdock. Before we get to the cases a few things from the chaos of a Judge Murdock docket.
The docket started out with a chaotic roll call with garbled names and attorney's missing their cases. There were no COVID pre statements, Judge Murdock jumped into the first case without calling the case, giving case number or first name of the defendant.
There was a pre statement given that Judge Phinn had reviewed all the habeas petitions and there all eligible to be heard and there would be no habeas arguments.
It became obvious, very quickly, that it has been a long time since Judge Murdock had done a bail review. Amongst some of the highlights:
Constantly interrupting pretrial services and expecting them to do the defense attorney's job.
Constantly interrupting pretrial services and expecting them to do the defense attorney's job.
Question pretrial services why they did not know a defendant had been moved between facilities.
Not understanding how ROR to pretrial services work, or how home detention works.
Not understanding how ROR to pretrial services work, or how home detention works.
When a defendant asked politely to speak, telling him, "No. You have a lawyer." Then later, when same person asked to speak again, declaring, "No more speaking."
Not understanding release to addiction treatment or how that works.
Sending an ASA into timeout to re read the SOC.
Sending an ASA into timeout to re read the SOC.
Playing the role of Victorian school marm, berated an attorney for not responding in the aforementioned garbled, chaotic roll call.
Constantly interrupting pretrial the ASA and defense, asking for victim's names, had no files or information before her, snapped at a court room clerk for touching something - it sounded like a file.
In literally thousands of bail reviews cases, hundreds of dockets, we have never heard such a chaotic and mismanaged docket. Judge Phinn needs to seriously look at the use of some of these retired judges. At the very least, make sure Murdock never again does a bail review.
On to the cases:
Case 1: An abuse victim where every time she seeks a protective order, her abuser files multiple citizen's complaint in rapid succession.
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
Case 1: An abuse victim where every time she seeks a protective order, her abuser files multiple citizen's complaint in rapid succession.
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
Case 2: A motion for revocation of release. Not sure why it was on the bail review docket.
Case 3: The person who who the judge repeatedly told to stop speaking.
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
Case 4: A person with a medical issues. Stems from what Foxtrot described as an observed drug transaction. Except it was at night, they only used heat sensors, the foxtrot video does not match cop's story.
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders ROR with supervision.
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders ROR with supervision.
Case 5: A father of 2 children.
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
Case 6: A case where neighbors witnessed a violent attack of a young woman, neighbors confronted the perpetrator resulting in injuries.
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
Case 7: In the chaotic telling of the cop's story with lots of interruptions, ASA Gallo made claims of evidence that does apply to this case. When questioned, she had to backtrack.
ASA Gallo recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
ASA Gallo recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
Case 8: Cops saw a person with a bag, which led to searches.
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
Case 9: A traffic for a bad tail light. This loved one was not the driver, nor was it his car.
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
ASA Nash recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
Case 10: Our note takers managed only to write "very convoluted tale by the cops". It became so convoluted, ASA Nash was sent away to reread the SOC to himself. Five minute break was granted.
ASA Nash Recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
ASA Nash Recommends HWOB
Judge Murdock orders HWOB
That is the end of the docket.
