Podcast Show Notes
The Dust Settles on Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations.
For three decades, the United States Congress has passed laws to fund forensic examinations in sexual assault cases. But it doesn’t seem to matter. The country is awash in untested rape kits while repetitive sex offenders continue to violate. In fact, Maryland leads the nation in rape kit backlogs at the forensic lab. But at…
Read MoreIs the federal government finally satisfied with the Derek Chauvin sentence?
After Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, the federal government permitted anarchists to loot and burn communities across the country. The State of Minnesota successfully prosecuted Chauvin and he was sentenced to 22 years in prison. However, the federal government was not satisfied. A federal grand jury was convened. Chauvin was federally indicted. Chauvin pled guilty…
Read MoreNot All Prosecutors Think Alike; Some Thoughts on the Marilyn Mosby Case
The United States Attorney for the District of Maryland successfully indicted and convicted former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby of two counts of perjury. In this weeks episode, Jack Mitchell — a former police officer who worked for Ms. Mosby as an Assistant State’s Attorney — joins Serge and Clarke to discuss Mosby’s perjury…
Read MoreIs it the Shoplifting Season, or Are We a Culture Devolving into Anarchy?
Who would have thought that in 2023, shoplifting could become a major crime in the United States? Wait — stop. Not everyone believes that shoplifting is even on the rise. But we do! In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss the changing social conventions surrounding the crime of shoplifting as further evidence of a breakdown…
Read MoreThe Plot Thickens in the Kashef Khan MSP Termination Case
Kashef Khan was the Maryland State Trooper of the Year until he was fired for allegedly writing a false report. The “falsity” in the report was the location of a traffic stop which Khan accurately documented in many ways. Khan uploaded a slightly inaccurate longitude and latitude location from a reporting system that MSP admits…
Read MoreThe Curious Case of Marlon Koushall
You can always find three things in Baltimore: Natty Boh beer, Old Bay seasoning & ludicrous “justice.” In this week’s podcast, Serge and Clarke discuss the case of Baltimore Police Sergeant Marlon Koushall whose videotaped conduct during a late night arrest were simultaneously deemed completely consistent with the rules, policies, procedures and training of the…
Read MoreShould the FBI be Downsized or Deconstructed?
In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss the popular idea among conservatives for downsizing the FBI and deconstructing it into as many as five independent investigative agencies, each with a focused interest in the type of cases being investigated. Clarke says, as it stands today, just writing the word FBI into the title likely invites…
Read MoreWTH is the Balkanization of Law Enforcement?
In three recent incidents, the police got it right and prevented serious mass casualty events. In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss how the number of police agencies impacts the ability of sharing information and investigating criminal incidents. Clarke — but not Serge — thinks it is a miracle that the police got it right…
Read MoreA Maryland Circuit Court Judge is Murdered in His Driveway
The Honorable Andrew Wilkerson, Judge of the Circuit Court for Washington County, Maryland, was murdered in his driveway on the evening of October 19, 2021. Serge and Clarke discuss this shocking crime, assess how social media was tracking the law enforcement investigation, and offer thoughts on the root causes — and a possible incremental solution…
Read MoreSage Advice from Baltimore’s Unrivaled “Barber’s Son.”
Reverend P. M. Smith, a “barber’s son” and Pastor of Baltimore’s Huber Memorial Church, shares the wisdom of his life with Serge and Clarke. Reverend Smith never fails to challenge all of us to be better people. Please listen to be inspired.
Read MoreTu Culpa Part 2 — Can an Attorney General Issue an Executive Bill of Attainder?
Tu Culpa is a Latin phrase meaning “your fault.” In part 2 of the podcast on the (Maryland) Attorney General’s Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Serge and Clarke and special guest FJ Collins, discuss whether the AG’s report is fair, the impact of expanded statutes of limitation, and whether the…
Read MoreTu Culpa — The Attorney General Points the Finger of Fault at the Archdiocese of Baltimore
Most Catholics, and many lawyers, know the meaning of the Latin phrase, “mea culpa.” The phrase is literally translated as “through my fault.” It is the foundation of a traditional prayer sometimes recited during the Penitential Act of the Roman Catholic Mass: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Recently, Maryland’s Attorney General issued a…
Read MoreHow Does Inaction Merit a 173-Page “After Action” Report?
On July 8, 2023, Serge and Clarke discussed the South Baltimore Brooklyn Day Party that ended when 30 people were shot. Two died. On August 30th, the BPD and other city agencies issued an “After Action Report.” Join Serge and Clarke and our distinguished guest, Colonel Osborne “Moe” Robinson, Baltimore Police Department (ret.) and former…
Read MoreWould you like to pose for a picture with Danilo Cavalcante? Get in line.
The “picture of the week” was a group shot of heavily armed law enforcement officers surrounding the bleeding, captured and pathetic Danilo (or “Danelo”) Cavalcante in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Taking and posting the “trophy” photograph violated the rules of many of the law enforcement agencies that participated in the escapee’s capture. But lawmen breaking the…
Read MoreWhy has everyone heard of George Floyd and no one has heard of Ta’Kiya Young?
On August 24, 2023, a police officer of the 14-member Blendon Township (Ohio) Police Department shot and killed Ta’Kiya Young, a 21-year-old woman being detained for suspicion of shoplifting alcohol from a grocery store. The body worn camera evidence shows Young operating a vehicle in the parking lot of the grocery store during daylight hours.…
Read MoreHow to Make a Living While Under Federal Indictment and Ordered Not to Possess a Gun
In this episode, Serge and Clarke acknowledge that Frederick County, Maryland is openly competing with Baltimore City, Maryland for the most upside down criminal justice non-system in America. Frederick County Sheriff “Chuck” Jenkins is under federal indictment accused of lying about machine gun purchases, Jenkins was required to turn over all of his guns to…
Read MoreYou’re in trouble or, if you prefer, urine trouble.
In this—the 75th episode of Black and White and Thin Blue Lines—Serge and Clarke discuss the public nuisance offense of urinating in public in the context of two cases: one in Mississippi and one in Texas, You decide if race was a motivating factor for what happened. Also, “you’re in” and “urine” aren’t the only…
Read MoreJudges Gone Wild
The recent controversy and criticism of Justice Clarence Thomas was the subject of enough off-air debate by Serge and Clarke that they turned it into an episode. What are some of the public mistakes (or worse) by Judges, and what should we as citizens do about it.
Read MoreTraining Maryland Police Officers in the 21st Century
Join Serge and Clarke for a discussion with our special guest, Michael (“Mike”) Johnson, who shares his smart, committed, and motivated view of training men and women to be law enforcement officers in this day and age. This is a must listen episode. Mike has unique ideas that ought to become the national standard for…
Read MoreIs it possible to be arrested in the United States by a non-citizen of the United States?
The title of this episode asks a question that few have ever thought about. Is it possible to be arrested in the United States by a non-citizen of the United States? It is! But listen anyway because Serge and Clarke discuss listener mail, and the topic of non-citizen police officers in this episode of Black…
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