Posted on 03/18/2020 12:30:26 PM PDT by lightman
Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby ordered her staff Wednesday to drop all pending criminal charges against anyone arrested for drug possession, attempted distribution, prostitution, trespassing, minor traffic offenses, open container, and urinating in public.
Mosby said she is taking the action in an effort to reduce the threat of a coronavirus outbreak behind bars. These crimes pose no risk to public safety and the defendants would be released before trial in normal conditions, she wrote in a memo to prosecutors.
“An outbreak in prison or jails could potentially be catastrophic,” she wrote them. “Now is not the time for a piecemeal approach where we go into court and argue one one by one for the release of at-risk individuals."
Many of those whose cases will be dropped are not currently in jail.
In addition, Mosby sent a letter to Gov. Larry Hogan urging him to set free all inmates over the age of 60 in state prisons, anyone approved for parole and all prisoners scheduled to complete their sentence in the next year.
The move answers calls from advocacy groups and public defenders for precautions to limit the chance of a coronavirus outbreak in prisons and jails.
“We are grateful that our criminal justice partners recognized these concerns and collaborated to reduce the jail population and save the lives of our most vulnerable clients," wrote Kirsten Gettys Downs, the district public defender for Baltimore, in an email. “Ongoing detention during this public health crisis threatens the lives of our clients and creates conditions that will exacerbate the spread of this pandemic."
Elsewhere, such efforts are catching on. Sheriffs in Los Angeles, Virginia Beach and Chicago have released vulnerable, nonviolent offenders to trim prison populations amid the pandemic.
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...
I don’t live anywhere near Baltimore. Its her citizens and neighbors, not mine. If they don’t mind crime in their own hood, why should I care?
How does this differ from the usual state of things in Baltimore?
Gee just in time to vote in the april elections. and november.
Why, nothing bad will come of this.
Because letting criminals go during a time when law enforcement and courts won’t deal with them seems perfectly great to libtard socialists.
Open season for the lawbreakers.
Begs the question, what is the difference now from before.
Because arrests for crimes are raycis!
I’m guessing this isn’t a good time to be a prostitute. The demand for drugs but maybe a little bit more inelastic but I don’t know if I’d want to be doing that either.
I’m guessing the demand for prostitutes is less inelastic than the demand for drugs. But I’m just guessing.
Well, then, cut staff and salaries. Why pay for work not being done?
“These crimes pose no risk to public safety...”
How can the writer say this? I think it’s stupidity.
These same officials I’m sure are advocating social distancing and self quarantine.
But then think prostitution, drug use and public urination do not create public safety risks, but going outside does.
I bet drug supply lines are still operating at high capacity.
Liberals response :don’t prosecute crimes and let all the criminals out of jail
What could possibly go wrong?
The cash payoff to her from rampant spooks and others in the dope business has to be massive.
“From an abundance of caution....” a bullcrap phrase. Cops should still bust Baltimore’s heroin traders, and crack and all the rest that Nanzi Pelousi’s daddy and her mafia brothers left to the streets when her daddy was Mayor— D’alessandro.
Well, all of the drug addicts in other states know where to go.
She is a f-tard like all of the a-hole dimcrats. The police still have to police. These criminals can still get arrested and they can get on the “book” to be summoned later and when things settle,they can be fully put into the system.
Protect yourself people these fuc##rs could give a rats a## about you and your family
Liberals will be using Coronavirus as an excuse to pull this crap all across the country. People who pull this nonsense should be busted out of office right away.
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