Responding to ongoing concerns of witness intimidation in Baltimore, Rep. Elijah Cummings joined Patricia Jessamy, the city state?s attorney, to urge passage of a federal bill that would fund protection of city witnesses by U.S. Marshals.
“We can spend $780 billion in Iraq, but we can?t protect our own citizens,” Cummings said at a news conference outside the Mitchell courthouse in downtown Baltimore on Tuesday.
“Even my own neighbors feel this is terrorism at home,” he said.
Jessamy said her office?s spending on witness assistance has increased significantly this year.
“Last year we spent $300,000; this year we?re well on our to $500,000,” Jessamy said.
“But we?re not law enforcement,” she said. “We don?t have guns and badges.”
Cummings introduced the Witness Security Protection Act of 2007 in February. The bill would provide money to cities averaging more than 100 homicides per year for the past five years to pay U.S Marshals for short-term witness protection. A similar proposal introduced by Cummings in 2006 failed to pass.
The Examiner reported on Monday that a witness in the murder case of 15-year-old Christina Richardson, who was stabbed to death in her home last week, has left the city out of fear for her life. A relative told The Examiner that after the witness was questioned by police she was threatened repeatedly and beaten.
Carl Stanley Lackl, a witness in a city murder case, was gunned down outside his Rosedale home on July 2, just days before the trial was scheduled to begin.
Jonathan Cordish, 15, and Ronald Williams, 21, both of Baltimore, were charged Friday in Lackl?s death.
Since 2005, 12 witnesses in the city have been killed.
Last week Jessamy sought federal help with witnesses protection in a meeting with U.S Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. He reportedly promised Jessamy he would seek support for Cummings? legislation.
