June 2, 2011 -- Baltimore City State's Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein today announced the formation of the Major Investigations Unit, a division dedicated the the investigation and prosecution of violent, repeat offenders. State's Attorney Bernstein also announced the appointment of federal prosecutor Thiru Vignarajah to head the unit.
"Research and data reveal that a relatively small number of violent, repeat offenders commit a disproportionately large amount of the violent crime. By strategically and aggressively pursuing, prosecuting, and imprisoning these individuals, we will have a dramatic impact on the level of violence in the city, and as a result make Baltimore a safer place to live and work," Mr. Bernstein said. "To that end, I am creating a unit that will work with our local and federal partners and employ a wide range of proactive investigative techniques to build successful cases against these individuals."
The new unit will be headed by Mr. Vignarajah, a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. Mr. Vignarajah is scheduled to leave the U.S. Attorney's Office and join the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office on June 20.
A graduate of Woodlawn High School, Yale University, and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review, Mr. Vignarajah clerked for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer before ultimately joining the U.S. Attorney's Office.
M. Vignarajah also serves a law professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law and the University of Maryland School of Law. He was voted Outstanding Adjunct Professor of the Year for each of the last two years at the University of Maryland.
"I am honored to join this office and excited to lead his important initiative," Mr. Vignarajah said.
"The formation of the MIU is an important and significant step in our work to reduce violence crime in Baltimore," Mr. Bernstein said. "Under Thiru's supervision and direction, I am confident that we will be successful in our efforts."