Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The results of the Quinnipiac University poll come as proponents of reinstating the death penalty in Maryland say the law is needed because of incidents such as the Boston Marathon bombing.
Americans support the death penalty for terrorists, according to a national poll released by Quinnipiac University. The national survey found that 63 percent favored the death penalty for someone convicted of murder involving an act of terrorism compared to 32 percent who said they opposed capital punishment. The results of the poll come as political leaders including Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger, a Democrat, and Washington County Republican Del. Neil Parrott announced a plan to collect more than 55,000 signatures in order to reinstate the death penalty in Maryland. "One only has to look back to Oklahoma City, Aurora, CO, Newtown, CT, and the recent massacre in Boston to recognize that if these crimes were …
Monday, May 6, 2013
A Quinnipiac University poll shows the Maryland governor in the back of the pack regardless of whether or not Hillary Clinton decides to run in 2016.
The early prospects for 2016 White House bid for Gov. Martin O'Malley are dim, according to one national poll. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would get 65 percent of the vote in a Democratic primary, according to a poll released last week by Quinnipiac University. Trailing Clinton is current Vice President Joseph Biden and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo with 13 and 4 percent of the vote respectively, according to the poll. O'Malley joins Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner at the back of the pack. Each polled with 1 percent of less of the support in the national poll. If Clinton were to decide not to run, Biden becomes the frontrunner with 45 percent of those polled saying they would support the vice …
Friday, May 3, 2013
The effort to place the issue on the ballot will be led by Democratic Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger and Washington County Republican Del. Neil Parrott.
Proponents of the death penalty in Maryland will attempt to overturn at the ballot box a new law repealing capital punishment. The effort to place the issue before voters in 2014 will be spearheaded by Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger and Washington County Del. Neil Parrott. The pair is expected to make the effort to collect the required 55,736 official during a Friday morning announcement near Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Shellenberger said the death penalty is an important tool for prosecutors. "One only has to look at what has taken place in our country in the last 10 years—Virginia Tech; Aurora, CO; Boston," Shellenberger said. "We don't know what is going to happen in the future but we should at least have the …
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger and Del. Neil Parrott are scheduled to make an announcement Friday morning.
Two elected officials Friday are expected to make an announcement related to a possible effort to overturn Maryland's repeal of the death penalty -- a measure signed into law this week by Gov. Martin O'Malley. Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger, a Democrat, and Washington County Republican Del. Neil Parrott are expected to make an announcement related to an effort to place the issue on the 2014 ballot as a referendum question. Parrott runs the website MDPetitions.com, which was responsible for placing laws such as the state's recognition of same sex marriage on the 2012 ballot. Shellenberger testified against the repeal of the death penalty during hearings in Annapolis earlier this year. A March poll released by the …
The Middle River Republican wants Gary Maynard "fired two weeks ago" and Gov Martin O'Malley to call in the FBI to investigate gang problems in state correctional facilities.
The head of the state prison system should be fired after federal indictments of 25 guards and inmates were made public last week, according to Del. Pat McDonough. "Gary Maynard should be fired, like two weeks ago," McDonough, a Middle River Republican, said. "This has been going on for years. It's widespread and it's institutional." Raquel Guillory, a spokeswoman for the governor, said O'Malley "has repeatedly expressed confidence in Secretary Maynard." Earlier this week, O'Malley called the indictments a positive development in the fight against gangs, according to a WMAR television report. The governor praised Maynard during a May 1 Board of Public Works meeting. "You do good work rooting out corruption," O'Malley told Maynard. The …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
The Baltimore County Executive speaks about his outburst with senior citizens who heckled him at a school groundbreaking.
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz Tuesday used a news conference on rabies shots as an opportunity to joke about a confrontation between himself and seniors who heckled him at a school groundbreaking in Mays Chapel. "Contrary to popular belief, I did have my rabies shot last week at Mays Chapel," Kamenetz said. Attendees of the groundbreaking on Friday and television viewers may have been wondering after video on several news websites showed the executive angrily confronting seniors citizens who came out to heckle him. "Sir let me talk for a second, ok?" an animated Kamenetz shouted at the hecklers. "It's my job to talk and your job to listen right now." [See a short video shot by WMAR television and WBAL TV has a longer cut.] Don Mohler, a …
The Baltimore County Council was about to end a public meeting on the budget as soon as it started but one late arrival arrived with something to say.
It almost happened again. For the second year in a row, the Baltimore County Council was on track to end its annual public hearing on County Executive Kevin Kamenetz's proposed budget as soon as it began. Just as Council Chairman Tom Quirk appeared ready to close the meeting, in walked Jean Suda, an education advocate and member of the Dulaney High School PTA. "I was so flabbergasted by the fact that nobody was there," Suda said following the meeting. The council typically holds the public to a 3 minute rule during public testimony in order to allow everyone to speak and have an equal say. Suda received that and more. In fact, the council staff didn't bother to turn on the timer as Suda addressed her comments regarding teacher to student …
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz: "I believe he has the capacity to recognize his failures and learn from them, and can successfully complete such conditions as the court might impose in disposition."
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz was one of three people to write a character reference to a Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge on behalf of Councilman Todd Huff, who has pleaded guilty to DUI. The letter, which carried the county seal, was part of a defendant's exhibit provided to Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Martin two weeks ago as the judge began to contemplate Huff's sentence. The packet included letters from Nancy Hafford, executive director of the Towson Chamber of Commerce, and Rev. Paul Cummins, retired pastor of Hereford United Methodist Church and long-time family friend. Kamenetz, a Democrat, was the only elected official to pen a letter on Huff's behalf. The letter did not ask for leniency for Huff or make any …
Councilman Todd Huff's defense attorney had been seeking probation before judgement.
Councilman Todd Huff was sentenced Tuesday to one year in jail suspended and 24 months supervised probation after pleading guilty two weeks ago to one count of drunken driving. Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Martin said Huff's probation will be supervised by the Drunk Driving Monitoring program. Huff will also have to remain alcohol free for the term of his probation and submit to random urine tests. An alcohol restriction was also placed on his license for the next 24 months. Additionally, the sentence carries 12 points on his drivers license and could lead to revocation following an expected administrative appeal by Huff. Huff, a first-term Republican from Timonium, pleaded guilty on April 18 to one count of driving under …
Monday, April 29, 2013
The Baltimore County Ethics Commission should review the early-morning call, according to the government watchdog group.
A phone call from Councilman Todd Huff to Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson should be reviewed by the Baltimore County Ethics Commission, according to one government watchdog group. The call, made by Huff following his arrest for driving under the influence raises questions about whether or not the councilman attempted to use his office in order to get out of trouble. "You want to make sure when a case like this occurs that there is an appropriate response so other people don't think 'Here is my way out, too,'" said Jennifer Bevan-Dangle, executive director of Common Cause Maryland. County ethics laws prohibits public officials from using the prestige of their office for personal benefit. Huff made the call to Johnson following his…
George Young
1:03 am on Thursday, May 9, 2013
H.R. you are a dreamer. more ›