"This is not a victory lap for me. This is me saying to Baltimore, I said that we would reduce it by 15%. We reduced it by 20%, and now we have to keep going in partnership with everyone," he said.
“While I respect the jury’s partial verdict, my office will be pursuing the charges that they were hung on given the overwhelming evidence we have in this case and the egregious actions of the defendant captured on video,” said State’s Attorney Ivan Bates in the news release. “I am committed to doing everything in my power to achieve justice for Sgt. Ramberg, whose life has been impacted dramatically by the injuries sustained during this violent encounter with the defendant.”
"We heard a lot of critics of the legislation talk about the notion that we wanted to just lock individuals up, put them in jail for longer periods of time. That's not the case." Galeano said. "a lot of times you have a period of probation along with it. We want to be able to give individuals who have clearly made a bad decision time and give the state time to implement services for that individual so that once they return they can make better choices and become a productive, and contributing member of the city." Galeano said.
The State's Attorney’s office also spearheaded legislation holding people accountable for gun laws, "It used to be if you had an illegal handgun, [and] you were 18 to 21, you receive five years; 21 and above, the penalty was three. Now the penalty for everything is five years."
They gathered in a neighborhood called Graceland Park, a small community tucked away off Dundalk Avenue near O'Donnell Street.
This comes as some neighbors in Baltimore are already boiling over with frustrations about juveniles committing crimes and the current legal system.
"Before the victim is even spoken to or talked to, the case may be 60 days or older," Bates said. "That poor victim has had their car stolen, they've paid restitution, they've paid their insurance, they've done all of that, and now they are asked to be part of the process. For our young people, the research says they have swift and certain consequences and that's what we are trying to make sure we do."
Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy sat down for an exclusive interview with FOX45 News to go over the legislative package, which according to them, stems from listening to their constituents about their concerns.
Prosecutors also secured a life sentence in a quadruple shooting case. 23-year-old Jeremiah Tehohney was found guilty of a brazen shooting in Southwest Baltimore leaving one man dead and three others injured. Investigators allegedly uncovered jail calls where Tehohney admitted “This isn’t my first body.”
