A prominent Baltimore defense attorney says the Bloods gang is using young teens as gunmen in order to avoid prosecution in adult criminal court.
Warren Brown said Wednesday that two of his young clients were given guns by older members of the Bloods gang and told to kill, because the gang believes penalties for young killers will not be severe.
“They?re young enough to be manipulated,” Brown said outside a Baltimore County Circuit Court room, afterhis client, James “Lil? J” Smoot, 15, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for second-degree murder. “They tell them, ?You gotta be a good solider.? They don?t give them any time to think about it. They give them the gun. They shoot. It?s not that difficult to pull a trigger.”
Smoot, of Baltimore, was only 14 when Bloods gang members persuaded their newest recruit to commit a murder in Baltimore County.
Armed with a handgun, the teen admitted to walking up to the home of Marquel Smith, 32, of Essex, who allegedly owed the gang money, and shooting him to death on Dec. 17, 2006.
Brown also represents Johnathan Cornish, 15, who is charged with murdering witness Carl Lackl Jr., 38, in front of his Rosedale home on July 2.
Brown said older Bloods gang members convinced Cornish to join the gang after Pop Warner Football season ended.
“I asked him, ?Why did you join up with this gang?? and he told me football season was over,” Brown said. “The opportunity to do something positive ended, and he joined something negative.”
Cornish is alleged to have shot Lackl, a witness in a Baltimore City murder trial, at the behest of older suspects who have since been federally indicted. Brown said those older suspects are members of the Bloods gang.
In Maryland, juveniles 13 and younger cannot be tried as adults for murder though teens 14 and older are commonly tried in adult court and face up to life in prison for a first-degree murder charge.
No juvenile under 18 is eligible for the death penalty. Any penalty imposed on teens tried in juvenile court, such as placement in a juvenile facility, ends at the suspect?s 21st birthday.
“They think they?ll be tried as juveniles and they know they?re impressionable,” Brown said. “These teens are being sold a false bill of goods.”
Earlier this week, federal prosecutors announced indictmentsagainst 28 members of the TTP Bloods gang, which authorities said carried out murders, shootings and robberies, dealt drugs and intimidated witnesses in the Baltimore area.
Among those charged with crimes were older members of the Bloods gang that Brown said ordered Smoot to kill to Marquel.
Baltimore County police say they have identified gang members in every precinct in the county. Baltimore City has about 2,600 known gang members, including 400 Bloods, police say.
Gangs on the rise
Rising gang violence is affecting every county in the Baltimore metropolitan area, according to state authorities, who say the problem is spreading throughout the state:
» Baltimore County has about 35 known gangs ? half with national affiliations, such as the Bloods or Crips ? with more than 300 members.
» Anne Arundel has about 25 known gangs, including MS-13, with about 100 members.
» Carroll authorities have identified nine gangs with 77 members, including 45 Crips and 12 Bloods. They say gang activity is most prominent in Westminster.
» Harford police say they know of more than 200 Bloods and 90 Crips active in the county.
» Howard County authorities says their biggest problem is MS-13, with police arresting at least 55 suspected members of the gang.
» The area?s gang problem is most prevalent in Baltimore City, with about 170 known gangs and 2,600 known gang members, including 400 Bloods.
Source: Maryland?s gang information Web site
