BALT maintains that many areas of reform are needed, but we have directed comment and recommendations on the following critical areas: 1) unconstitutional stops, frisks, searches, and arrests; 2) the current and historical role of BPD in the greater system of structural racism; 3) infringement on individuals’ rights of free speech and assembly; 4) gender bias in policing; and 5) implementation of a community-led monitoring system over BPD and the Consent Decree.
BALT'S Juvenile Specific Recommendations for BPD Consent Decree
Mosby Announces There Will Be No Justice for Freddie Gray
Baltimore, MD - The Baltimore Action Legal Team (BALT) is devastated to learn that the Baltimore State’s Attorney has dropped all of the remaining charges against the police officers who killed Freddie Gray.
“Freddie was walking down the street, doing nothing wrong, when he had the misfortune of meeting the gaze of Lt. Brian Rice. It should offend and terrify every resident of Baltimore that in 2016 the act of locking eyes with a white police officer cost Freddie his life.” said Iman Freeman of BALT. “On top of that, today we learned that no one will be held accountable for his murder.”
In announcing the decision, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said that Baltimore Police Department (BPD) displayed “consistent bias” at “every stage” of the investigation. Police Commissioner Kevin Davis continues to preside over a police department that is not doing enough to end police brutality. Today marks three months almost to the day since plain clothes police shot a 13-year-old child who was running away from police while holding a toy. BPD still has not released the results of its investigation into the shooting of a child or taken any action to punish the officer.
Baltimore Police Conduct Illegal Mass Arrests, Followed by Inhumane Treatment in Police Vans
Baltimore, MD – Yesterday, Baltimore Police arrested 65 peaceful protesters including legal observers, bystanders, and 10 children. After their arrest, more than 30 people spent more than seven hours trapped inside police vans with their hands painfully cuffed behind them in violation of police procedure and international human rights standards. One protester passed out and vomited inside the wagon.
“The targeted arrests of peaceful protestors and Legal Observers is a shameful tactic that demonstrates that the Baltimore Police Department’s goal was not to uphold the law, but to silence dissent. Any person who favors freedom should be outraged by these arrests and the treatment protesters received,” said Jenny Egan, Baltimore Action Legal Team.
BALT Informing the Community | 2016 Primary Election Information
Timeline
April 5, 2016: Deadline to register to vote for the primary election. (by 9:00 pm)
April 14, 2016: First day for early voting (in person)
April 19, 2016: Deadline for a registered voter to request a mailed or faxed absentee ballot.
April 21, 2016: Last day for early voting
April 22, 2106: Deadline for a registered voter to request an electronic absentee ballot
Poll Hours
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM (Early Voting)
7:00 AM-8:00 PM (Election Day)
Online Voter Registration
The State of Maryland allows online voter registration: Visit: https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/OnlineVoterRegistration/InstructionsStep1
Restoration of Voting Rights
Effective, March 10, 2016, if you have been convicted of a felony and have completed serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment, you are eligible to register to vote. If you are on parole or probation, you can still register to vote.
A Busted System Will Always Render Broken Results
Baltimore, MD - As our entire city is aware, Judge Williams declared a mistrial in the matter of the State of Maryland v. William Porter because 12 jurors could not agree on a unanimous decision on any of the four charges Mr. Porter faced. Baltimore Action Legal Team (BALT) is saddened by the news, but hopeful that Freddie Gray will receive justice. To be clear, anything less than a guilty verdict for all officers involved is not justice.
In response to the mistrial, BALT held a panel discussion on Wednesday night to dissect what happened in the Porter trial. BALT is committed to increasing the awareness of injustices rooted in structural racism and economic inequality. Unfortunately, the law in this case is not as clear as it needs to be. As attorneys, we understand the complex nature of this case. Mr. Porter was not charged with committing an act. In fact, he was charged for failing to act. Aside from the obvious legal questions raised by this case (and the many others like it), there is a much broader discussion BALT can’t ignore – we must not simply decry the unfair results of an unjust system – we must explore ways we can create a better system.