The trial was postponed for snow, heat, illness ? and even a hurricane. Simmeon Anderson?s case was delayed so many times ? 27 in all ? that it?s almost become Baltimore City criminal justice folklore.
But on Monday, Anderson?s odyssey through Baltimore?s Circuit Court came to an end when a judge sentenced the 31-year-old man to 50 years in prison on assault andhandgun charges.
The end of Anderson?s case may be a demonstration, officials say, that the wheels of criminal justice are spinning a bit quicker in Baltimore thanks to a new system for processing cases.
“Anecdotally, it?s working real well,” said Circuit Judge M. Brooke Murdock. “There are far fewer postponements.”
In March, city judges implemented a new system in which designated “Reception Court” judges handle plea negotiations and postponements and funnel cases that are ready for trial to eight “trial judges.” There are also judges designated solely for arraignments.
The new system was implemented after a City Criminal Justice Coordinating Council subcommittee found 51 defendants with Circuit Court cases in 2006 have had their cases postponed more than 10 times. Nearly 49 percent of the time cases were postponed because defense attorneys were unavailable.
“From what I can gather, things are moving along more smoothly,” said Circuit Court Clerk Frank Conaway, who with Murdock co-chaired the postponement subcommittee.
Margaret Burns, spokeswoman for the Baltimore City State?s Attorney?s Office, said the increased efficiency is what her prosecutors want.
“The longer we delay trials, the more likely we are to lose our witnesses,” she said. “Memories become hazy and the facts become fuzzy. But it?s a heavier workload on our prosecutors and it?s causing them to have back to back-to-back murder trials. That is a very overwhelming situation to be in ? when you?re indicting and trying cases with very little preparation time.”
