Annapolis (Map, News) - A slew of anti-gang measures received strong support from police and prosecutors statewide in a Senate committee hearing in Annapolis on Tuesday.

The eight bills were aimed at strengthening the anti-gang act passed last year by broadening the criteria for prosecuting criminals as gang members and stiffening the penalties for crimes committed by gangs.

“The gang problems in Maryland have reached epidemic levels. Gang members are now in every county and every jurisdiction in this state,” said Sen. Nancy Jacobs, sponsor of the bill.

Jennifer Rallo, assistant state’s attorney for the Baltimore City juvenile division, supported the bill that would allow gang members older than 16 to be prosecuted as adults. She said her office often is faced with increasingly violent teens in gangs and has difficulty getting the cases waived to the adult court system.

“These violent gang offenders do not belong in the juvenile system,” Rallo said. “This bill will untie the hands of prosecutors and really go after the violent gang members who are hiding behind juveniles.”

Even inside the juvenile system, gang members are able to recruit others inside juvenile facilities, mark territory or use intimidation to exploit the juvenile court’s inability to compel witnesses to testify.

Cpl. Thomas Gamble, head of Harford County’s anti-gang task force, testified in favor of a bill that would include misdemeanor assault and malicious destruction of property on the list of crimes carrying an additional penalty if committed by a gang member.

Sen. Lisa Gladden, vice chairwoman of the committee, cautioned that gangs’ intimidation of witnesses and neighbors might make it difficult to produce the evidence prosecutors would need, regardless of the laws.

Sen. Jamie Raskin had doubts about lowering the bar for the severity of crimes that could be prosecuted under the gang law, worrying that the definition of gangs was getting too broad and questioning the merits of tackling nonviolent crimes. Gamble responded that the intimidation that sustains a gang is usually nonviolent, such as gang tags spray-painted on the house of police cooperators.

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

8:36 AM MST on Sun., Mar. 30, 2008 re: "Prosecutors frustrated with bills not passed"

Examiner Reader said:
Only republicans thought the so-called, anti-gang bills were worthwhile. No democrats supported them--guess O'Malley wasn't pushing those 4 bills.

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10:59 AM MST on Tue., Feb. 26, 2008 re: "Indictment includes glossary of gang slang"

Winner said:
There is a limit to which man can bear no more taxes. Sound bites, Cool.

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5:15 PM MST on Tue., Feb. 12, 2008 re: "Gang bills may get �some teeth�"

D said:
NO more taxes.

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5:04 PM MST on Tue., Feb. 12, 2008 re: "Gang bills may get �some teeth�"

Examiner Reader said:
Move the trials to Western Md or the shore where criminals are handled and not cuddled as they are in Balt City and County

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4:22 PM MST on Tue., Feb. 12, 2008 re: "Gang bills may get �some teeth�"

AnOnYmOuSiSbAcK said:
It's not let they're gonna pay attention to the law when they can just unite with other gang members in jail. Also some get credit in jail. Like a merit credit, and they'll just get out and start back where they left off when they get. IF their native gang still exists.

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3:59 PM MST on Tue., Feb. 12, 2008 re: "Gang bills may get �some teeth�"

Oracle said:
Gang activity will continue to flourish unfettered by prosecution until a prominent politician or their family is killed by a gang. The rest of us will continue to be nothing more than "prey" for the gang animals. Advice to the wise: leave Maryland as soon as possible. You may live longer.

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6:21 AM MST on Tue., Feb. 12, 2008 re: "Gang bills may get �some teeth�"

Examiner Reader said:
Baltimore City has a BIG problem with Gangs. The city has turned a blind eye to it for years allowing it to gorw! Now they are faced with an uphill battle. All the parts for and equation of large scale disaster are in place. DIXON has to act now and take back the city. We can plant trees later!!!!!!

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9:47 PM MST on Thu., Jan. 10, 2008 re: "Maryland Gang Act called �useless�"

Examiner Reader said:
here's a thought: end the drug war that's impossible to win. wars end. let the law enforcement/penal system put away violent people instead of routinely turning them back onto the corners to maim and kill again or be killed.

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8:42 PM MST on Thu., Jan. 10, 2008 re: "Maryland Gang Act called �useless�"

Scared In Baltimore County said:
Baltimore County is raging with gang members. And stupid assed Jim Smith is either too much of a coward to admit to it or too stupid to see them in front of his house. HELLLLOOOOOOOO? Can't Smitty notice the increase in crime by the Bloods?

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5:35 PM MST on Thu., Jan. 10, 2008 re: "Maryland Gang Act called �useless�"

Examiner Reader said:
Examiner erased another reader's comment regarding Examiner's censorship. What's up Examiner?

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2:40 PM MST on Thu., Jan. 10, 2008 re: "Maryland Gang Act called �useless�"

Examiner Reader said:
What's "uselesss" are prosecutors that are too incompetent to prosecute cases.

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2:39 PM MST on Thu., Jan. 10, 2008 re: "Maryland Gang Act called �useless�"

Examiner Reader said:
This paper prints stuff handed to them by that omalley stalking site. what do you expect?

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9:24 AM MST on Thu., Jan. 10, 2008 re: "Maryland Gang Act called �useless,� changes proposed"

Examiner Reader said:
Here's a novel idea, prosecute juveniles and adults under existing laws for 2nd degree assault, pandering and gamling, malicious destruction of property, etc. Seize property of all the drug dealers. Or, is the problem with both Gansler and Jessamy that they are incompetent prosecutors that could not try a case to save their lives?!

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8:20 AM MST on Thu., Jan. 10, 2008 re: "Maryland Gang Act called �useless,� changes proposed"

Examiner Reader said:
Why did you erase my comment regarding the fact that Gansler and Jessamy have not attempted any prosecutions yet are complaining prematurely. And that gansler has been sanctioned in the past, regarding the Montgomery County Sniper case, by the Attorney Grievance Commission for his grandstanding. Want me me to post the case number? Why the censorship?

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7:59 AM MST on Thu., Jan. 10, 2008 re: "Maryland Gang Act called �useless,� changes proposed"

Examiner Reader said:
The Maryland Gang Act of 2007 was typical, unnecessary, feel good, Liberal legislation. It allows a failed judicial system to make excuses and hide the truth. The people committing the bulk of the gang crime are under 18. Liberal lawmakers long ago gutted the justice system�s ability to prosecute young adults as real criminals; and in the rare case when they are tried as adults, Liberal judges typically let �the children� off with a slap on the wrist. However, this is what the voters of Maryland have elected year after year, decade after decade. The mayhem and pain the people of Maryland reap is self imposed and well deserved. As a sanctuary state, the gang problem will only get worse. Maryland voters are fools, with the biggest fools in Baltimore City.

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6:39 AM MST on Thu., Jan. 10, 2008 re: "Maryland Gang Act called �useless,� changes proposed"

John Lewis said:
This legislation is as effective as the clowns who wrote and passed it. What else can we expect from Annapolis but doggerel bills, secret sessions and taxes.

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3:36 AM MST on Thu., Jan. 10, 2008 re: "Maryland Gang Act called �useless,� changes proposed"

Examiner Reader said:
As a retired court reporter for almost thirty years, I can say without reservation that it is going to be very difficult for the judges here in Maryland to render consecutive sentences. My experience has been that concurrent sentences with a portion being suspended are the norm; and I attribute that to the fact that because of Maryland politics our judges are of the liberal mind.

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