Maryland Gang Act called ‘useless,’ changes proposed

(Posted 10 Jan 2008)

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Maryland Gang Act called ‘useless,’ changes proposed.
Examiner, 10 Jan 2008 (Broadwater).

The Maryland Gang Act of 2007 was supposed to allow prosecutors to crack down on the state’s growing problem of criminal street gangs. So it’s logical to assume that more than three months after the law took effect on Oct. 1, prosecutors would be using the act to press charges against gang members.

Right? Wrong.

An Examiner survey of Maryland’s largest jurisdictions — including gang-plagued Baltimore City and Prince George’s County — produced zero cases in which prosecutors have filed charges using the new law.

“It's useless,” said Margaret Burns, a spokeswoman for prosecutors in Baltimore City, where authorities have documented 2,600 gang members. “I don’t know if anybody else is using it, but we haven’t. It's basically not helpful to prosecutors at all.”
[More]

So, who was responsible for this feel-good, but obviously ineffective waste of legislative effort? Why couldn't they do the job right? Prince George's County senators did not sponsor the bill, county delegate sponsors included:

• District 21:
• Del. Ben Barnes (D-21) Bio |E-Mail | 301-858-3046, Fax: 301-858-3116.
• Del. Barbara Frush (D-21) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3114, Fax: 301-858-3116.
• Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D-21) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3502, Fax: 301-858-3342.
• District 22:
• Del. Tawanna Gaines (D-22) Bio | E-mail | 301-858-3058, Fax: 301-858-3197.
• Del. Anne Healey (D-22) Bio | E-mail | 301-858-3961, Fax: 301-858-3777.
• Del. Justin D. Ross (D-22) Bio | E-Mail |301-858-3652, Fax: 301-858-3699.
• District 23:
• Del. Marvin E. Holmes, Jr. (D-23B) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3310, Fax: 301-858-3850.
• Del. James W. Hubbard (D-23A) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3103, Fax: 301-858-3234.
• Del. Gerron S. Levi (D-23A) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3101, Fax: 301-858-3850.
• District 24:
• Del. Joanne C. Benson (D-24) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3692, Fax: 301-858-3442.
• Del. Carolyn J. B. Howard (D-24) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3919, Fax: 301-858-3925.
• Del. Michael L. Vaughn (D-24) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3691, Fax: 301-858-3055.
• District 25:
• Del. Aisha N. Braveboy (D-25) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3707, Fax: 301-858-3850.
  
• Del. Dereck E. Davis (D) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3519, Fax: 301-858-3558.
• Del. Meloney G. Griffith (D-25) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3557, Fax: 301-858-3498.
• District 26:
• Del. Veronica Turner (D-26) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3212, Fax: 301-858-3105.
• Del. Kriselda Valderrama (D-26) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3210, Fax: 301-858-3339.
• Del. Jay Walker (D-26) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3581, Fax: 301-858-3403.
• District 27A:
• Del. James E. Proctor, Jr. (D-27A) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3083, Fax: 301-858-3459.
• Del. Joseph F. Vallario, Jr. (D-27A) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3488, Fax: 301-858-3850.
• District 47:
• Del. Jolene Ivey (D-47) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3478, Fax: 301-858-3403.
• Del. Doyle E. Niemann (D-47) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3326, Fax: 301-858-3403.
• Del. Victor Ramirez (D-47) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3340, Fax: 301-858-3239.