It’ll be another sunny day in the low 80s. One more tomorrow.
Some key court dates are coming up in the case against the officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray. On hearings scheduled for Wednesday, September 2nd, and Thursday, September 10th, a judge will consider whether the trial should be held in Baltimore, if each of the officers should have separate trials, if State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby should be recused from the case, or if charges should be dropped. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says the city is preparing for protests and potential unrest, coordinating with police departments statewide, and planning special sessions in schools to talk about the case and the justice system.
What’s going on with the hearings? The defense is arguing that Mosby shouldn’t be allowed to prosecute the case andserve as a witness (the defense plans to put Mosby on the stand during the trial, saying that she pressured police to increase enforcement on the corner where police first chased Gray). A new filing from Mosby’s team says that the defense is trying to “dupe” the court into having Mosby removed from the case. A judge just ruled that Mosby won’t have to take the stand during the upcoming hearing.
At least eight people were shot in the last 24 hours in Baltimore, with two men shot mid-afternoon in southwest Baltimore, and six more overnight.
Amid the surge in violence over the last few months, property crime has also increased in the city. Robberies (+22% in 2015 over 2014), burglaries (+11%), and auto thefts (+15%), are up this year, despite long-term downward trends. The Baltimore Brew reports that police detectives are not investigating property crimes where stolen items are worth less than $10,000.
Just in time: Baltimore schools just hired principals for seven of the eight schools that were still without one. A principal for the last school is expected to be named before classes start next week. On Monday, schools CEO Gregory Thornton was taken to task by the city council for the outstanding vacancies.
Baltimore just hired former DreamIt Health Director Jason Hardebeck as the city’s “Broadband Coordinator.” Hardebeck’s new role will follow-up on his involvement in a recent taskforce examining how Baltimore could improve high-speed broadband infrastructure and extend access to more city residents. The city’s long-term contract with Comcast ends next year, potentially opening up new options.