Schmoke campaign manager defending Jessamy
Over the Baltimore Crime Beat blog, Baltimore Sun colleague Justin Fenton tracks down the sender of an unsigned e-mail written in support of Baltimore City State's Attorney Paticia C. Jessamy:
The first line read, "Jessamy: Tough and Smart on Crime," (her campaign slogan) and it proceeded to explain that since Jessamy took office in 1995, crime had declined substantially. It didn't say whether Jessamy was taking credit for this decline, nor did it draw any parallels between prosecutions and crime rate. There was no contact information.In an attempt to discern the sender's identity, I wrote back. It turned out it was from none other than Larry S. Gibson, an old hand in politics once described as the "man behind [former mayor] Kurt Schmoke" and a political "kingmaker" in the city. Though the statistics and exact wording of the email appear on the front page of Jessamy's election web site, Gibson said he had prepared the email as a private citizen because it was important that the "public know the truth," calling Democratic primary challenger Gregg Bernstein "dishonest."
Gibson said he has had almost no involvement in local politics since 1999 (he ran former state's attorney Stuart Simms' failed bid for Attorney General in 2006), but wants to get involved with the Jessamy campaign. "I intend to do what I can to re-elect Patricia Jessamy," he wrote in a reply email.
Among the stats highlighted is the 80 percent decline in rapes, which victim's advocates say "doesn't make sense on any planet" as a team of detectives audits police investigations.
It's an interesting strategy, to be highlighting police statistics as she is criticized over conviction rates, which she has called an "old school" way of measuring effectiveness. The police, among Jessamy's biggest critics, would say they achieved those declines in spite of her office, not because of it. But it's not the first time Jessamy has made the claim, telling The Sun's Julie Bykowicz in May: "I tell everyone ... crime has been going down since 1995, and the only consistent thing there has been me."
Read more on Patricia C. Jessamy and Larry S. Gibson at Baltimore Crime Beat.
Comments
I was shocked an amazed to read what Larry Gibson had to say about Mr. Bernstein in the Sun's blog. People should read your blog more often. Thanks for keeping us informed.
Posted by: Alan | July 19, 2010 12:28 PM
Of course Larry Gibson supports Pat Jessamy. They're both part of the problem of Baltimore politics. Lib-Dems who put color first.
Posted by: Renfro | July 19, 2010 1:05 PM
"Gibson said he has had almost no involvement in local politics since 1999"
This is a blatant lie by Mr. Gibson, who represented Keiffer Mitchell, Sr. against his own son and effectively derailed Keiffer Mitchell's 2007 mayoral bid. Mr. Gibson who is a law professor in representing Mitchell, Sr. deployed many tactics that should have gotten him disbarred, yet he is still a distinguished law professor at UMD.
One would have hoped that Gibson's politics of hate and division would have passed, but given that it is an election year and Gibson can't stand to be without attention, he has injected himself once again into the fray. The only question is: this time, what nasty tricks will he deploy?
Posted by: Rachel | July 20, 2010 8:33 AM
Another day has arrived and Mr. Bernstein has still not identified the sources for his allegation that Baltimore City has "the lowest conviction rate in the state." He has also not listed the conviction rates for Baltimore County, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and any of the other counties. He can not do so, because his allegation is without foundation.
Posted by: Larry S. Gibson | July 20, 2010 9:24 AM
Renfro, you are right. He's part of the problem with the justice system in Baltimore City, she's weak. With Schmoke and Gibson behind her, this should alert the voters that she is the problem with the system and not the system. Criminals are not afraid to commit unspeakable crimes in Baltimore City. If the police don't bumble the evidence, the states atty. office won't prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Let's get her out of that office. She's to confortable doing nothing.
Posted by: uncleollie41 | July 20, 2010 10:01 AM
Gibson may be a professor of law at the University of Maryland but there is nothing "distinguished" about him. Ask anyone who has taken one of his classes.
Posted by: Pushkin | July 20, 2010 3:14 PM
An 80 percent reduction in rape cases since 1995 does seem a view 'through the looking glass', likewise, the notion that convicting less violent criminals means that crime is declining. Unfortunately, many people in our neighborhoods don't seem to be experiencing the renaissance of truth, justice, and the American Way that Ms. Jessamy likes to tout as her record. In fact, voters seem increasingly to be gettiing the impression that the entire criminal justice system is just a pack of cards.
Posted by: Bernstein backer | July 31, 2010 9:34 AM