Arrests in Baltimore for illegal guns often lead to dropped charges or little jail

[BradyWarrior]

Pretty good article: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-ci-gun-arrest-prosecutions-20161022-story.html

I know we've been saying this for years, hopefully people start to listen.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

Putting one criminal away means losing 20 to 30 votes down the line.

Mother, grandmothers, grand fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, friends, neighbors, etc.

Not one inner city politician is going to cut their own throat by cracking down on criminal activity.

Not one.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Putting one criminal away means losing 20 to 30 votes down the line.

Mother, grandmothers, grand fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, friends, neighbors, etc.

Not one inner city politician is going to cut their own throat by cracking down on criminal activity.

Not one.

Or lighten their own wallet. When they tell you otherwise, they're lying.

 

[notfast]

If anyone has spent any time in any Balt City/County court rooms, you will see what an absolute joke the judicial system is. I thought Harford Co was lenient but it's night and day to the others I've seen.

 

[tmd99]

I don't think this one lies with politicians or the laws. The politicians have passed the laws. The laws are already there and we do not need new ones. Possession of firearms cases live and die on the fourth amendment intrusion to find the weapon and whether it passes constitutional muster. Like Judge Becker said, it is very difficult for lawyers and judges sitting in the comfort of a courtroom to judge an officer's actions that occurred in the middle of the night on the street when there is a high potential that a person possesses a firearm. If it does pass muster under the fourth amendment, there are few hurdles at trial to possession cases unless there are 4 people in a vehicle with one firearm found on the floor or multiple people living in a home with a firearm found in an area accessible to all. Then you have to decide, who do you prosecute? I agree with having a unit that concentrates and has some level of expertise on the convoluted Maryland firearms laws. A knowledgeable prosecution unit will be able to better determine what should be prosecuted (or not) (hopefully they have some discretion or guiding criteria - no discretion leads to absurd results) and how to prosecute these cases. I guess time will tell.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

I don't think this one lies with politicians or the laws. The politicians have passed the laws. The laws are already there and we do not need new ones. Possession of firearms cases live and die on the fourth amendment intrusion to find the weapon and whether it passes constitutional muster. Like Judge Becker said, it is very difficult for lawyers and judges sitting in the comfort of a courtroom to judge an officer's actions that occurred in the middle of the night on the street when there is a high potential that a person possesses a firearm. If it does pass muster under the fourth amendment, there are few hurdles at trial to possession cases unless there are 4 people in a vehicle with one firearm found on the floor or multiple people living in a home with a firearm found in an area accessible to all. Then you have to decide, who do you prosecute? I agree with having a unit that concentrates and has some level of expertise on the convoluted Maryland firearms laws. A knowledgeable prosecution unit will be able to better determine what should be prosecuted (or not) (hopefully they have some discretion or guiding criteria - no discretion leads to absurd results) and how to prosecute these cases. I guess time will tell.

Dust the firearm for fingerprints.

Take the fingerprints of the criminals.

Match the fingerprints found on the firearm to the fingerprints found on the criminals.

Let the prosecutions and jail sentences begin.

Done.

 

[tmd99]

sounds good but...

Dust the firearm for fingerprints.

Take the fingerprints of the criminals.

Match the fingerprints found on the firearm to the fingerprints found on the criminals.

Let the prosecutions and jail sentences begin.

Done.

...fingerprints are rarely successfully lifted from handguns that have been recovered.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

...fingerprints are rarely successfully lifted from handguns that have been recovered.

Can't some prints be planted?

Just kidding.

What is the reason for prints not being on firearms? Smudges, textured grips, etc.

 

[tmd99]

I've heard all of the above that you mentioned, texture, heat, wiping off/smudging either purposefully or when in clothes, oils already present from cleaning can disrupt leaving prints, or just partial prints that cannot be matched. I'm sure there are a million articles on why exactly this is the case or an expert on this forum that can provide more insight but a prosecutor is extremely lucky to have prints on a recovered handgun when there are multiple people in proximity and none of them "takes" the charge. When a handgun is recovered from one person, lacks of prints are rarely an obstacle (although a common defense tactic to call attention to).

 

[Alea Jacta Est]

...unless you're a denizen of downtown, you just might be prosecuted for firearm charges

 

[MocoJed]

Some seriously lame quotes in that article from Webster...

 

[mopar92]

Can't some prints be planted?

Just kidding.

What is the reason for prints not being on firearms? Smudges, textured grips, etc.

Legible, good prints are best found on smooth surfaces. The items in question (firearms) aren't very smooth, stippling, grooved surfaces like grips and cocking serrations mean they're lucky if they get a good print. Add in the fact that heat and oils break them down and it's hard to get a good, solid print that would lead to a conviction.

 

[DC-W]

Anyone catch how Davis wants a city where no one arms themselves for personal protection?

 

[tmd99]

Anyone catch how Davis wants a city where no one arms themselves for personal protection?

gun free zones work everywhere else right?

 

[Name Taken]

Start putting the names and cases and murders associated with the actions of the police, states attorneys, and judges.

If the judge lets someone go on a laughable sentence and that person goes out and kills someone put that judge on blast. Release a news article (or hundred) about it and let the public know for when they are up for re-election.

 

[BeoBill]

Or lighten their own wallet. When they tell you otherwise, they're lying.

^^^ GOSPEL!

 

[aray]

Legible, good prints are best found on smooth surfaces. The items in question (firearms) aren't very smooth, stippling, grooved surfaces like grips and cocking serrations mean they're lucky if they get a good print. Add in the fact that heat and oils break them down and it's hard to get a good, solid print that would lead to a conviction.

Thanks for the insight. I learned something today. But it makes sense when you explain it. That's obviously not what you see on TV!

For when you can get something, it is likely to be off the slide (outside the cocking serrations) or does the heat get to that? Likewise do the shell casings offer fingerprint evidence, or does the heat destroy that too?

 

[mopar92]

Thanks for the insight. I learned something today. But it makes sense when you explain it. That's obviously not what you see on TV!

For when you can get something, it is likely to be off the slide (outside the cocking serrations) or does the heat get to that? Likewise do the shell casings offer fingerprint evidence, or does the heat destroy that too?

*opinion only* most people don't grab guns by other than where you're supposed to so I doubt it, but the slides are fairly well insulated so heat is unlikely to destroy them unless fired comtinously on full auto which is more likely to destroy the firearm.
As far as shell casings no idea, this info is all secondhand from talking to a CSI lady with the Frederick PD.


Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

[tmd99]

I honestly do not recall if I've ever seen a case involving fingerprints recovered from a spent shell casing. I do not remember if most departments even test those in the regular course of most investigations. Maybe someone else can weigh in on that. Even if they did retain fingerprints, not sure that it would be that feasible to get the 12-points of identification (or whatever identification criteria that is used by a particular examiner or department) off of such a small object. I think typically the examiners looking at casings are just looking at the manufacturer, caliber, tool marks of the extractor, and firing pin impressions.

 

[Mr. Ed]

Start putting the names and cases and murders associated with the actions of the police, states attorneys, and judges.

If the judge lets someone go on a laughable sentence and that person goes out and kills someone put that judge on blast. Release a news article (or hundred) about it and let the public know for when they are up for re-election.

^^^ This. Let's hold the the actors in the judicial system accountable for their under-prosecution and under-sentencing.

Biggest problem that I see is finding folks to monitor all the cases through the system so we can illustrate the ones that need to be brought to light.