Nice to know that sentencing is equally meted out depending on whether you are a cop being shot out or a general person "on the street".

I do find it interesting that the cops and prosecutors enthusiastically capture and prosecute people that shoot at them, but almost no killers of regular citizens are caught or prosecuted. Nolle Prosequi seems to rule in Baltimore City.

I mean I have to admit I get the whole "they chase those that go after their own" but when it comes to judges and sentencing there would, I would think, be some degree of difference but not one as stark as this - But I might way off - there are, in fact, increased sentencing statutes for crimes against police - http://www.nysun.com/new-york/case-to-test-stricter-sentencing-for-harming/26930/ - which one would expect (you can't have the last vestige of justice part of open season on law) but something goes askew (esp. when it comes to when THEY do crimes to others). Need to research this more. Anyone?

If he had HIT someone with a bullet, the judge might have made it a long sentence. As it is, he'll be released well before the sun implodes.

Cop kills unarmed innocent man - gets 15 years.

Man shoots at armed cops, hits no one - gets 11 lifes plus 118.

Just curious???? What would he have received if hit hit one - 12 lifes???

Has anyone reviewed the criminal histories of these three individuals? I have not, but I would venture a guess that Mr. Green's rap sheet was much longer than the police officer's and likely longer than the member of the Black Guerrilla Family gang member.

Unfortunately while it seems attractive to compare the two situations, it doesn't work. Judges are, and should be, allowed to consider 1) the circumstances; 2) the background of the guilty party; and 3) the likelihood that the individual will reoffend. The off-duty officer may have been legally guilty but had a reasonable belief that their actions were correct. He may have been a complete dick. Since the background isn't given there's no way to know. On the other hand, a man who comes out of a cab blazing away is almost assuredly 1) not meeting the police for the first time, and 2) wouldn't hesitate to shoot at anybody the chose to. The judges (and legislature) are left in a no-win situation. When mandatory sentencing has been tried there have been lengthy articles complaining about the unfairness in disparity between types of crimes and lack of consideration for individual circumstances. When judges are allowed to do their job... judge, then they are abusing their power because they don't sentence everyone the same way. So this article is pretty useless without context.

I'm betting there was more to this perpetrator's past than this single event, when the judge was considering sentencing.

Sorry, but shouldn't some lawyer or some random person maybe ring up the issue of equal protection under the law. Seems to me like this is an issue that needs to go to the supreme court. It is in no way, form, or fashion equal protection if there are wildly differing penalties for differing people. This is just a single example of this massive problem we have in our country. It's almost as bad as when some random schmuck is sentenced to life or some outlandishly high number of years for something like repeat petty crime. I don't like criminals either, but when you have one person going to jail for a couple hundred bucks of theft or crime; yet the wealthy and politicians and wall street get off with a slap on the wrist for billions in misappropriation and corruption and theft (and don't bring up Madoff as a counter-argument, the exception does not make the rule); how is that equal protection.

i agree with the life and then some.
anybody willing to go that far with the police when they KNOW its gonna "annoy" the cops and the courts should NEVER be on the streets again.
personally, i dont thik the cops should even try to capture such a person alive......

the gang leader, doesnt really matter. 15 years, life, he'll still be part of the gang and still be reaching outside of the prison.
but if he was executed, his criminal career would be OVER.....

I do find it interesting that the cops and prosecutors enthusiastically capture and prosecute people that shoot at them,

Hey cta, you shouldn't do things things that you KNOW will "annoy" the cops? Really? Since when do police officers gold bricks? Last time I checked, underneath the uniform they're skin and bones like the rest of us. Respect is earned and just because you wear a badge doesn't mean you've earned my respect. Not condoning the random shooting at random people part but seriously...you guys need to stop putting cops and judges on pedestals. They make mistakes, they lie and break the law too so don't think for one second that just because they've gone through training and can legally carry a weapon, that they're above the rest (a good part of the police population think this way and not only think they're above the citizens but above the law as well.) Koodos to them for dealing with some of the people and situations that they deal with but in the same breath, they chose to be in that line of work. Nobody forced them.

Why hand out these rediculous sentences? One life sentence that is REALLY is a life sentence is good enough. As far this particular judge goes.....he has no idea, and is just trying to make a name for himself. He caved in to public outcry. For instance: in the case of the police officer who shot the unarmed man.....if the so called Marine had kept his hands to himself, it would have just been another night at the club. I don't know any man who wouldn't be angry if someone had grabbed the companion's butt. He is an embarrasment to real marines(discipline is the key word here). Did you know that Baltimore police recruits are trained to empty their weapon in a shooting? That accounts for the undercover cop who was shot over 20 times.The police are not being trained by police any more. They are trained by Diamond.

Well the judicial system is crazy....Im not ashamed to admit this....but I got caught driving on a suspended license and the judge gives me 30 days in jail, meanwhile Dontae Stallworth drives drunk hits and kills a man and gets the same 30 days. I hate everything about the judicial system....

Judges are gods on earth. I have personally seen judges make rulings, had attorneys object citing legal rules to the contray and overruled. Police are above the law, just ask them. Both have been an embarassment to our legal system. Justice is just a word in the dictionary. If you go to court in Maryland, you are at the mercy of cops who may or may not lie (seen it) judges who make arbitrary rulings (seen it) and your future is pretty much a crap shoot. Cuba has a better legal system (seen it)

Your totally correct on this one..