Jury convicts Baltimore man in killing after visitation dispute
Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates touted the conviction as proof his office will hold people who commit gun violence in the city accountable.
Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates touted the conviction as proof his office will hold people who commit gun violence in the city accountable.
Baltimore resident John Best was sentenced on Monday, July 13, to an additional 20 years after a jury found him guilty of witness intimidation for threatening the woman set to testify against him in his arson case, the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office announced.
Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates unveiled his office's third legislative agenda at the Maryland General Assembly's Opening Day. Bates, now also the president of the Maryland State's Attorneys' Association (MSAA), is advocating for the Court Commissioners | False Statements bill with a focus on fairness and accountability in the criminal justice system. The proposed bill is a response to the arrest of rapper T.I. in 2023 from a warrant issued in Baltimore based on a court commissioner’s acceptance of a statement of facts from an individual, without any evidence or consultation with law enforcement or prosecutors.
We came in with 140 prosecutors. We now have 200. We’d love to get more money from the city to have even more, and to get raises for the prosecutors here now, because they’re a golden commodity and they’re going to be offered jobs. So, the first thing is to continue to stabilize the office.
Mustafa Pitts, 48, was found guilty on July 16 of two counts of sexual abuse of a minor, and faced a total penalty of 55 years in prison, the state's attorney said previously.
Kendal Holt, Cameran's sister, was convicted of sending threatening text messages to a witness after the witness testified during the homicide trial of Alexis Cancel-Soto, Bates said.
Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates taking office in 2023 coincided with the beginning of the crime decline, and his crackdown on illegal guns became the cornerstone of his work.
“The harm caused by former Officer Curlon Edwards was profound, and no one—especially someone entrusted with authority—has the right to abuse their position and violate another person,” Bates said. “We hope this outcome affirms the survivor’s courage in coming forward and reinforces that our office will stand with victims, pursue accountability, and work to ensure their voices are heard.”
His first three years in office have been largely defined by the remarkable decrease in gun violence in the city. It’s a stark reversal of predecessor Marilyn Mosby’s eight years in office, when Baltimore recorded more than 300 killings each year.