Thread: Baltimore Riots

Basically, this was aired within the last 2 weeks, basically. (Judge Judy's most favorite word, next to LIKE) lmao

We are huge fans of our friend Stilton Jarlsberg at Hope and Change cartoons because he really does seem to hit right where it hurts.

And while the Left appears to be completely oblivious, right now where it’s really, really hurting is in the black community.

Stilton says, “by almost any definition the president seems to be ignoring a pretty major ground war right here at home. Over (the past holiday) weekend, shootings in just two Democrat-controlled American cities racked up horrifying body counts which didn’t appear on the presidential radar: in Chicago, 12 dead and 43 wounded. In Baltimore, 9 dead and 29 wounded.”

Stilton says, “by almost any definition the president seems to be ignoring a pretty major ground war right here at home. Over (the past holiday) weekend, shootings in just two Democrat-controlled American cities racked up horrifying body counts which didn’t appear on the presidential radar: in Chicago, 12 dead and 43 wounded. In Baltimore, 9 dead and 29 wounded.”

http://allenbwest.com/2015/06/this-s...black-victims/

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, Jr., who has previously stated that Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby should recuse herself from the case, ripped into Mosby’s latest move:




What’s Mosby afraid of?

http://twitchy.com/2015/05/01/sherif...herself-video/

Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby is working to keep the results of Freddie Gray’s autopsy a secret: http://twitchy.com/2015/06/03/baltim...autopsy-secret

http://libertyfirstnews.com/here-it-...-in-baltimore/

From the comments :

Arletta

May 11, 2015 at 12:17 pm


Yes, but, those police officers are high yellow and anyone can see that they thought they were better than other black folks.

Yes, that is a joke and yes it is in poor taste; but, mostly, because every black person I knew was highly prejudiced against “high yellow” people and tended to mistreat them. So, maybe that’s why the cops were acting the way they were and, so, maybe racism is to blame – because, the constnantly bullied do tend to bully others.

And, I said “maybe” I don’t know if anything you said here was true, except about the President being black, because, I haven’t looked it up for myself. But, assuming it is all true, then, maybe, black people need to learn to stop picking on their lighter skinned relations and also need to stop calling them Uncle Toms for trying to have decent jobs and fit into society.

But, that still doesn’t excuse what grown men decided to do. If they had cause to feel anger towards black people, they also had a pay check and the ability to ask for therapy.

FEMA Denies Disaster Aid for Baltimore Riot Costs
Posted: Jun 19, 2015 2:08 PM CDT

BALTIMORE (AP)- Federal officials have denied Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's request for a disaster declaration to let the city of Baltimore and the state recover millions of dollars in costs stemming from rioting that followed the police-involved death of Freddie Gray, officials said Friday.


The state and city said they are reviewing their options, including a possible appeal, which must be filed within 30 days.

"We thought the request we put together was pretty comprehensive in relation to other requests I've seen," said Chas Eby, a spokesman for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, which prepared the governor's request.

In a June 12 letter, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator W. Craig Fugate wrote that after reviewing all available information, the agency determined that federal aid "is not appropriate for this event."

In a request submitted May 22, the Republican governor included a $19.4 million estimate for emergency protective measures and damage to buildings and equipment. He also cited a Baltimore city estimate that the rioting and looting in late April, followed by a five-night, city-wide curfew, had an economic impact of $30.5 million.

Baltimore officials have set aside $20 million to cover their direct costs, including police overtime.

"The $20 million has been taken from city's Rainy Day Fund, so, if necessary, we are prepared to use that money," said Howard Libit, the city's strategic planning director.

The type of assistance Hogan requested would enable public agencies to recover at least 75 percent of their eligible costs.

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat, said in a news release Friday he was disappointed with FEMA's decision. "The unrest we saw in Baltimore impacted the region far too much for local officials to handle on their own," Cardin said. "At a time Maryland's budget is already stretched thin, the people of Baltimore need and deserve a strong federal partner."

Gray, 25, died April 19, a week after suffering a severe spinal cord injury in police custody following an arrest for carrying what police called an illegal switchblade knife. Public outrage peaked on the day of his funeral, April 27, when rioters burned police cars and buildings and looted or damaged hundreds of businesses.

Disaster declarations for civil unrest are rare. President George H.W. Bush declared a disaster for civil disturbance in 1992 in response to the los Angeles riots sparked by the Rodney King beating, but that was the only instance found in a 2004 Harvard University study covering the period 1989 to 1999. Ninety-nine percent of the 570 declarations analyzed were for extreme weather, including fires.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has made a separate disaster declaration enabling people to apply for low-interest loans to repair damage caused by the rioting. The quasi-public Baltimore Development Corp. is offering no-interest loans financed by private donations.

http://www.wboc.com/story/29363397/f...ore-riot-costs

Baltimore Received $1.8 Billion from Obama’s Stimulus Law

City burned despite ‘massive investment’ implemented by president
May 4, 2015

http://freebeacon.com/issues/baltimo...-stimulus-law/

Major Honor and Accolade for Criminal Drug Dealer Freddie Gray in Baltimore
July 13, 2015 

There’s reality and then there’s the incredibly ridiculous false narrative that the Left often pushes in order to further advance their agenda. One of the main things on their agenda, as has been made quite apparent during Barack Obama’s time as president, is to drive a deep wedge of divide, resentment, and hatred between the races, more specifically of black people towards white people. To accomplish this, they have supported anarchy and destruction from rioters in cities like Baltimore and Ferguson, as well as the Occupy Wall Street astroturf movement.

One of the tactics that the Left often uses as they swoop in to wreak their havoc upon a community in order to exert control in achieving their agenda is to portray a criminal or thug as an innocent victim. With Freddie Gray, the Left has catapulted him to not only victim status, but is giving him the posthumous honor of naming a youth center after him.

In the case of Freddie Gray, there have been questions surrounding his death while in the custody of officers, however, many believe the officers have been overcharged and there is evidence that, with his arrest, they were just following orders to clean up that corner where known drug dealers did their work.

Gray was a known drug dealer and user. He was also, according to police, carrying an illegal switchblade, which is one of the reasons they arrested him.

Did Freddie Gray deserve to die? Of course not. But, was he the angel that he has been made out to be? Given his police record, the answer is no.

Drug dealers have no interest in improving society. In fact, they prey on those who are lost often convincing them that life will be much better if they would simply escape with an illicit drug, even for awhile. Age is of no consequence to drug dealers. In fact, the younger to get them hooked on the drug or on the money they could make from selling it, the better.

Now, I don’t know all the details about Gray’s drug business or complete drug habits. But, drug dealers operate under the same principles. Distribute the drugs in any way you can regardless of the harm, financial, physical, social or emotional, that it may cause for your victim.

As they have virtually ignored the black on black crime that is not only plaguing the black community, but killing far too many innocent members of it, the Left has instead pushed forward the narrative that police are using young black men as target practice, waking up each day with the thought of which black person they will harass or kill today.

It is a disgusting sentiment to put forward, but, hey, as long as it works to keep blacks under their thumb, the Democrats will try anything.

They perpetuate that lie-based narrative by also elevating to national prominence a ‘victim,’ without regard to truth or history.

Fox 45 reports on the dedication ceremony of The Freddie Gray Youth Empowerment Center during which Gray’s grandfather, Richard Shipley, spoke. http://foxbaltimore.com/m/news/featu...l#.VaQ_i0vbI3H

“I’m sorry it had to take a tragedy to put a spark in Baltimore City but that tragedy has brought triumph and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

The Freddie Gray Youth Empowerment Center was dedicated by the Empowerment Temple whose members helped convert the empty, water-damaged building into a space for kids to learn. The center will offer year-round community programs and meals to kids free of charge along with job and computer training.

“It’s not going to fix all the problems but I think it’s a step in the right direction,” said Empowerment Temple Church Pastor Jamal Bryant. “There are 2000 churches in the city of Baltimore. Imagine if just 200 said ‘we’re going to take our corner and open our doors and do something akin to this.’ It doesn’t have to be this massive but if we save one child it’s going to make a Herculean difference.”

I understand that the Gray family feels pain, and this is not to diminish their loss. But, naming a youth center after a criminal who suffered an untimely death while in police custody after once again breaking the law sends the absolute wrong type of signal.

This community would be better served naming the center after an innocent victim of violence who lost their life simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time or died while being robbed.

Or how about naming it after a teacher or community leader who has truly tried to effect change by empowering the youth to know, believe, and understand that they are not victims, but are victors and can truly accomplish anything they put their minds and hard work to. What about dedicating it to someone who does not perpetuate the narrative that blacks are poor and cannot accomplish as much as others because they white man keeps them down?

What will these kids who enter The Freddie Gray Youth Empowerment Center learn about the center’s namesake? Will they learn the truth that keeping their life on the straight and narrow and staying out of trouble will help them not follow the criminal history of Gray or will they be indoctrinated with the belief that white people and police are out to get them?

http://politistick.com/major-honor-a...-in-baltimore/

Freddie Gray's family settles with city for $6.4M
BALTIMORE — The family of Freddie Gray, who died after being critically injured in police custody, reached a $6.4 million wrongful death settlement with the city of Baltimore, resolving civil claims about a week after the first hearing in the criminal case against six police officers, officials said Tuesday.

Six Baltimore police officers face criminal charges stemming from Gray's death. Gray, who was black, was critically injured April 12 in the back of a prisoner transport van after he was arrested. His death sparked protests, rioting and unrest that shook Baltimore for days.

The settlement still needs the approval of a board that oversees city spending. The board meets Wednesday.

"The proposed settlement agreement going before the board of estimates should not be interpreted as a judgment on the guilt or innocence of the officers facing trial," Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in a news release. "This settlement is being proposed solely because it is in the best interest of the city, and avoids costly and protracted litigation that would only make it more difficult for our city to heal and potentially cost taxpayers many millions more in damages."

The settlement does not resolve any factual disputes, and expressly does not constitute an admission of liability on the part of the city, its police department or any of the officers. The settlement has nothing whatsoever to do with the criminal proceedings, the press release said.

Initial police reports said Gray was arrested with a knife, though whether Gray was legally carrying that knife is sure to be a centerpiece of the case as it moves to trial. Prosecutors say it's legal under a city ordinance, while defense attorneys argue that it's a switchblade, and thus illegal under both city and state law.

All six officers, including Edward Nero and Garrett Miller, are charged with second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment. Lt. Brian Rice, Sgt. Alicia White and Officer William Porter also face a manslaughter charge, while Officer Caesar Goodson faces the most serious charge of all: second-degree "depraved-heart" murder.

Three of the officers are black and three are white.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fre...d=ansmsnnews11

The jury could not come to a definitive conclusion in the trial of William Porter, one of the six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray.

NBC News reports that as a result of the mistrial, Judge Barry Williams dismissed the 12 jurors and told them:

“The court finds you are a hung jury.”

After state’s attorney for Baltimore Marilyn Mosby announced that the 25-year-old Gray’s death was determined to be a homicide, the city issued charges for Porter and the other five officers.

Gray’s death has been a central point to the various activist movements involving police-related misconduct, of which “Black Lives Matter” is one of the most prominent.

While Porter was not convicted on any charges this time around, the prosecutors will be able to return to court with the same case, but with a new group of jurors.

http://www.ijreview.com/2015/12/4952...ent=%7BAdID%7D

Evidence That Baltimore Prosecutor Mosby May Have Framed 6 Cops



Marilyn Mosby, Baltimore state's attorney, approaches the podium for a media availability, Friday, May 1, 2015 in Baltimore. Mosby announced criminal charges against all six officers suspended after Freddie Gray suffered a fatal spinal injury while in police custody.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Lawyers for the 6 Baltimore police officers, who have been charged in the death of Freddie Gray, have filed papers with the court that if true means that Marilyn Mosby has hidden exculpatory evidence and may have helped shape the autopsy report. In any criminal case, the prosecutor must provide ALL evidence gathered to the defense lawyers. Apparently, that is not the case if the filings are correct. The black activist prosecutor has been accused of questionable acts and has been seen as a self promoting politician hellbent on prosecuting the police officers for political gain.

According to the filing by defense attorneys, Mosby met with Carol Allan in a private meeting days before the autopsy results were made public. Mosby did not report this to the defense and leads one to wonder if she didn’t convince Allan to rule the death a homicide. The meeting could have been harmless, but if that was the case, why was it not included in the discovery of the case? Had this been the only information withheld from the defense, it would not be so quite damning.

prosecutors allegedly withheld statements from witnesses who said that Grey had been banging against the inside of the van and rocking it on the day of his arrest. It has also been asserted that prosecutors received evidence that Freddie Grey tried to hurt himself during previous arrests. Both of these items were withheld from defense attorneys, raising questions about the ethics of Mosby. Hiding exculpatory evidence is grounds for disbarment.

Defense attorneys, should they so desire, could have grounds for the disinterment of Grey’s body for an independent autopsy, to see if the original report may have been doctored to fit Mosby’s narrative. I would assume that it isn’t uncommon for a prosecutor to meet with a coroner performing an autopsy in a suspicious death, but that wouldn’t explain Mosby refusing to let the defense know about it. it doesn’t add up in my mind, especially if the other assertions are correct.

This would not be the first time that Mosby attempted to paint the officers as murderers using questionable tactics. At the time she announced the charges, Mosby declared that the arrest was invalid because the knife Gray had on him was legal in Maryland. That much was true, but the knife was illegal in Baltimore. Defense attorneys insist that Mosby was informed of the fact prior to her announcement, which would seem to explain why she specifically said Maryland and not just legal.

She also acted as if Freddie Gray was an innocent picked on by police. The truth is Gray had been arrested 18 times, mostly for drugs. He had a long history of running from the police in an attempt to ditch drugs he had on him. Anytime, you run when you see a policeman, you are automatically suspect.

If all that defense attorneys say is true, Mosby should be severely punished and even chased from office. Imagine the cost, both monetarily and mentally these officers are paying. Some may even be forced to end their careers. Furthermore, we can expect more rioting if the officers are found innocent. Somehow, I think everyone but Mosby will pay a heavy price for this.

http://www.thepcgraveyard.com/2015/0...framed-6-cops/

Could Outcome in Caesar Goodson Trial Spell End for Freddie Gray Case?
by Safia Samee Ali June 9, 2016

The Baltimore prosecutor's office on Thursday is beginning its highest profile and most pivotal case in the six Freddie Gray trials — the effort to convict Officer Caesar Goodson of "depraved-heart" murder.

And in data exclusively obtained by NBC News, a conviction for Goodson would be the first of its kind in at least a decade.

Failure to net a conviction for Goodson, who was driving the police van when Gray sustained ultimately fatal spinal injuries, could spell an end to Baltimore City State's Marilyn Mosby's high-stakes legal gambit to send a message on combating police brutality.

"She has a tremendous amount on the line, her entire career, particularly her credibility," said former Maryland prosecutor Rene Sandler. "She should take a strong look at the other cases, if there is another acquittal."

The odds are against her.

Goodson's defense team saw a more promising legal strategy in opting for a bench trial on Monday, which some legal experts say should affect the prosecution's counter-strategy.

In a jury trial, the prosecution presents evidence to 12 members of a jury. Twelve different people work in tandem to return a verdict. In a bench trial, that job is put in the hands of one individual, the judge.

In data compiled for NBC News by Bowling Green State University criminologist Philip Stinson, who studies officer arrests, between 2005-2011, not a single officer was convicted by a judge during a bench trial for murder or manslaughter in the line of duty. "Goodson would be the first in at least a dozen years," Stinson said.

According to research by Stinson, 23 officers have been convicted of murder or manslaughter for shootings in the line of duty since 2005. During that time period, there were 6,724 officer arrests for a variety of on-duty crimes.

Legal experts say the weaknesses in the prosecution's approach are becoming increasingly apparent.

Prosecutors failed to obtain a guilty verdict in the previous trials of Officer William Porter, which ended in a mistrial in December, and Edward Nero, who opted for a bench trial and was acquitted last month.

Last year, Mosby charged six officers in connection with Gray's death.

At the time, Mosby's move was hailed by some as refreshingly aggressive and criticized by others as hasty and reactionary.





"They came out swinging strong, too fast, revealing information in the beginning that may or may not have been supported in discovery. That's dangerous to do," said Sandler, the former prosecutor.

The state over-dealt its hand, she said. Now prosecutors are going through the "fact by fact analysis of each officer" which isn't holding up the way they anticipated.

Either the "evidence they had wasn't as strong as they originally thought, or the strong evidence they have can't be presented," said Renee Hutchins, a professor at Maryland Carey School of Law.

For example, the prosecution was dealt a blow on Monday when Circuit Judge Barry G. Williams ruled that Porter's alleged statement to Detective Syreeta Teel that he heard Gray say "I can't breathe" is not allowed in evidence.

Prosecutors have also yet to make a strong case to show a link between the officers' actions and outcome under legal standards, Sandler said, adding "that is difficult to prove."

Add to the prosecution's challenges the fact that Williams, who will preside over Goodson's trial, is the same judge who declared a mistrial in the Porter case and issued an acquittal in the Nero case.

Police defendants are unique in that judges and juries tend not to convict, said Paul Butler, a professor at Georgetown School of Law.

Emotion can often play a big factor for juries said Baltimore area criminal defense attorney Warren Brown. But prosecutors in the Goodson case "now know that they can't seize upon the emotions of jury," he said.

In the days following Gray's death, riots and violent protests broke out in Baltimore. Public opinion towards law enforcement plunged and the city's minority communities demanded justice.

This was one of the reasons why Mosby responded so strongly and swiftly in announcing charges, said former Baltimore prosecutor Ahmet Hisim.

"It seemed like the decision was more for the appeasement of the community and now they (prosecutors) are thinking 'do we really have the evidence to prove this,' that's where they are at now," he said.

Goodson faces second-degree "depraved heart" murder, manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office charges.

Proving "depraved heart murder," which requires proof of that person acted with "callous disregard for the value of human life will be very difficult," according to the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University.

"It will be an uphill battle to convince a judge or a jury," said Douglas Colbert, a University of Maryland law professor adding that the state should focus on looking for other evidence to win. "They should look for evidence that shows Goodson was aware of Freddie Gray's dangerous health conditions or they should find other officers who were aware of the use of 'rough rides'," he said.

Ultimately, the stakes in the Goodson case are about more than a guilty verdict.

The Goodson case verdict could prove make-or-break when it comes to the pending trials for Officer Garrett E. Miller, Lt. Brian W. Rice, and Sgt. Alicia D. White.

If Goodson isn't convicted, the state might drop charges against the remaining officers slated for court, said David Gray a University of Maryland law professor. Another acquittal would force any rational prosecutor to take a step back and think whether they should expend time and resources to move forward after that, he said.

"A lot is riding on this case," he said. "It has to be their most airtight, they have to throw everything they have into this."

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/bal...y-case-n587681