Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from July 2008

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from July 2008

Md. Court of Appeals lifts limit on use of defenses.
July 1, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash Imperfect self-defense and hot-blooded response to provocation -- defenses that earlier applied only to homicide-related offenses -- can mitigate first-degree assault to second-degree assault, the state's highest court...

The Daily Record News Summaries: July 1, 2008.
July 1, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Legg to protect 3 funds Legg Mason Inc. said it entered agreements to protect three money-market funds against potential losses that will cut earnings in the three months ended today by 64...

The Brattle Group report: PJM's power auctions work, but could be better.
July 1, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman The region's new power auctions essentially work, according to a study commissioned by the area's grid monitor, but some modifications could make the process better. A report released Monday by The Brattle Group,...

Even with cuts, Venetoulis still wants The Baltimore Sun.
July 1, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer Despite the turmoil that will see 60 journalists leave The Sun's newsroom by the end of the month, a group of local businessmen still wants to buy the paper -- for better or worse. Our position has always been the...

Some high-end restaurants in downtown Baltimore using special prices to fight tough economy.
July 1, 2008... Byline: Anne Riley With discretionary spending down this summer as energy costs soar, a number of high-end restaurants in downtown Baltimore are cooking up new ways to attract customers. At the times now when the economy is bad, people...

Served in South Carolina, casually attired Giannasca appears for hearing in Baltimore court.
July 1, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney After skipping court dates last week in advance of a Baltimore judge's $33.6 million verdict against him and his co-defendants in former Raven Michael McCrary's fraud lawsuit, Edward V. Giannasca II appeared as...

At 4 Md. hospitals, health now starts with the food.
July 2, 2008... Byline: Anne Riley Invoking images of watery Jell-O and mystery meat, hospital food has a bad reputation for being mass-produced, bland and, ironically, unhealthy. No more. As part of University of Maryland School of Nursing's...

The Daily Record News Summaries: July 2, 2008.
July 2, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff AAA: Fewer travelers expected AAA Mid-Atlantic expects fewer Marylanders than last year will be traveling far during the Independence Day weekend. The forecast says 762,000 state residents will be traveling...

Gebhardt & Smith expert: Trade center in Md. charges were excessive.
July 2, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen A Florida-based commercial real estate expert called by the law firm Gebhardt & Smith LLP Tuesday said charges to the firm by the Maryland Port Administration for operating the World Trade Center were excessive. The...

A new president at Under Armour in Baltimore.
July 2, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer Under Armour Inc. announced Tuesday founder Kevin Plank will be handing over his duties as company president to former Lands' End President David McCreight, a move that some say could be a response to the company's...

Baltimore-based Legg's shares drop as ratings services revise outlooks.
July 2, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman Legg Mason Inc. shares hit a five-year low Tuesday after the company announced it will cut earnings and ratings services downgraded outlooks. Shares of the Baltimore-based investment manager's stock fell 9...

Pikesville methadone clinic renews quest against enforcement of zoning ordinance.
July 2, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs Baltimore County and a Pikesville methadone clinic were back in federal court on Tuesday, battling over whether the county can force it to move out of its residential surroundings. It's a battle A Helping Hand LLC...

Commentary: MetroNation: An idea from Brookings whose time has come?
July 3, 2008... Byline: Joe Nathanson With many Americans concerned about the fragile state of the nation's economy, some researchers at the Brookings Institution are promoting a new way to think about our economy. Before an audience of some 850 gathered...

Commentary: The Pursuit of Justice: Originalists rule in Supreme Court's handgun decision.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Steven I. Platt Now that the presidential nominees of this country's two major political parties have been unofficially determined, the policy debate may begin in earnest. But don't get too excited yet. That great debate has so...

Marylanders on the Move: July 3, 2008.
July 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record AWARDS The Residences at Bulle Rock was recently honored in the National Sales and Marketing Council's awards competition The Nationals, the nation's largest competition for new-home sales and marketing...

Maryland's bars and restaurants find different ways to deal with smoking ban.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen There's a new message on the signboard outside of the Crossroads Inn, a roadside tavern that's just a 15-minute drive from the Pennsylvania line. THIS IS NOW A SMOKING BAR, the sign reads. BARTENDERS WANTED. A...

Commentary: Tech Talk: Cell phones can enhance your children's safety.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Larry Fiorino With the summer season in full swing, children are spending more time outdoors or away from home at friends' houses, camps or other activities. Fortunately, cell phone technology enables parents to stay in close...

Son set to admit role in death of mother's boyfriend in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs A Millersville man is set to enter a plea in the death of his mother's boyfriend who was stabbed to death and then set on fire two years ago, according to his attorney and court records. Matthew J. Haarhoff, 20,...

Man claims Md. residency, right to coverage.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney David Brooks considers himself a Maryland resident. The 47-year-old historic preservation consultant and landlord lists a Columbia, Maryland address as his home, has his car registered and insured in Maryland,...

Week in Review.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Staff and wire reports Healthy hospital food? Evoking images of watery Jell-O and mystery meat, hospital food has a bad reputation for being mass-produced, bland and, ironically, unhealthy. No more. As part of University of...

Rally in Baltimore: NAACP 'Day of Action' puts focus on loan discrimination.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Robbie Whelan At least 17 of the country's biggest mortgage lenders have discriminated against African-Americans, according to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. State and local NAACP leaders were...

End of an era: Md.-based Celera moves its HQ to California.(Company overview)
July 3, 2008... Byline: Anne Riley Celera Corp., which helped put Maryland's biotechnology sector on the map with its role in sequencing the human genome, has split from its parent company and relocated its headquarters to California. Founded in 1998...

Extravagance, isolation among retreat requirements.
July 5, 2008... Byline: Alan Dessoff From Anguilla and St. Barthelemy in the Caribbean to the Galapagos and Tahiti in the Pacific, from Banff-Lake Louise in Canada to the Amalfi coast of Italy, on Baltic cruises or the Orient Express, affluent Marylanders...

Luxury autos combine beauty, brawn.
July 5, 2008... Byline: Joseph Patrick Bulko For the high-end car buyer, luxury, performance and status factor into the purchase, as a wide range of makes and models are especially attractive to those with money to splurge. Heated seats, parking...

Baltimore's restaurants raise the bar.
July 5, 2008... Byline: Karen Nitkin Baltimore's hottest and newest restaurants are all about small plates, small spaces, fresh, seasonal ingredients and inventive twists on comfort foods from around the world. Cinghiale, Three..., Abacrombie,...

Baltimore 'Foodies' continues to grow.
July 5, 2008... Byline: Karen Nitkin Baltimore Foodies started as a group of four friends who were getting bored with local bars and decided to explore the local restaurant scene. The group now has about 350 members and active participants, said Lars...

The Daily Record News Summary: July 7, 2008.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff CSA: Pretrial detention is not the same as serving time Pretrial detention is not equivalent to serving time for a crime when it comes to defining multiple convictions for sentencing purposes, the Court of...

Baltimore Area Grantmakers group helps direct resources to meet needs.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Anne Riley Health care and health are supposed to go hand-in-hand, so when Betsy Ringel learned that hospitals are a top producer of toxins nationwide, she said she knew a call to action was in order. Ringel, executive director...

Maryland's Sun cuts will kill business section.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman The Sun will publish its last standalone business section July 25, a result of upcoming job cuts and a redesign of the newspaper, according to sources and an internal e-mail. Before the newspaper is completely...

Baltimore dealer wants all to know new trucks are clean and green.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer There's something odd about the commercial trucks at Beltway International LLC. Peering into their exhaust pipes, you find none of the crusty black soot you'd expect from your typical veteran of the highways. You're...

Legal Opinions - Maryland Court of Appeals: July 7, 2008.
July 7, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff MARYLAND COURT OF APPEALS Criminal Law Mitigation defenses BOTTOM LINE: Defenses of hot-blooded response to adequate provocation and imperfect self-defense could apply to mitigate first-degree...

U.S. Supreme Court Opinions: July 7, 2008.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff U.S. SUPREME COURT Criminal Procedure Right to counsel BOTTOM LINE: A criminal defendant's initial appearance before a magistrate judge, where he learns the charge against him and his liberty is subject...

U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Case Summaries: July 7, 2008.(Case overview)
July 7, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Civil Rights Ineffective assistance of counsel BOTTOM LINE: Because defendant's counsel failed to investigate reasonably available mitigating evidence about defendant's...

U.S. District Court, Maryland, Case Summaries: July 7, 2008.(Case overview)
July 7, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff U.S. District Court, Maryland Civil Procedure Supplemental jurisdiction BOTTOM LINE: District court granted plaintiffs' motion to dismiss defendant's counterclaims based on lack of supplemental...

Legal Opinions - U.S. District Court, Maryland.
July 7, 2008... U.S. District Court, Maryland Civil Procedure Supplemental jurisdiction BOTTOM LINE: District court granted plaintiffs’ motion to dismiss defendant’s counterclaims based on lack of supplemental jurisdiction where...

Law Digest.
July 7, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record MARYLAND COURT OF APPEALS Criminal Law: Mitigation defenses: Defenses of hot-blooded response to adequate provocation and imperfect self-defense could apply to mitigate first degree assault. Christian v. State,...

Commentary: Of Service: Domestic Violence Center of Howard County celebrates 30 years.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Joe Surkiewicz Founded in 1978 around a kitchen table by volunteers from a local chapter of the National Organization for Women, the Domestic Violence Center of Howard County has expanded from an all-volunteer organization to a...

Eastern Shore leader narrows his focus closer to home.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs J. Scott Robertson has always been active in his community, but in recent years two people have refocused his energy to highly local matters: his two young daughters. My priority is really my family, said...

Commentary: Legal ADvice: A buddy with a bad business plan gets indigestion.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Jim Astrachan My buddy was in the process of starting a new business, he told me while we sat in the stadium and watched the Orioles beat the Yankees a few weeks back. He was buying very expensive wristwatches in New York from...

Commentary: Slots won't help if state can't live within its means.
July 7, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Editorial Advisory Board As the summer progresses and the November election nears, we will hear more about slot machines and how necessary they are to solve Maryland's budget problems. The truth is, no matter how...

Week in Review - Legal Edition.
July 7, 2008... Top court lifts limit on use of defenses Imperfect self-defense and hot-blooded response to provocation — defenses that earlier applied only to homicide-related offenses — can mitigate first-degree assault to second-degree...

Maryland Lawyers on the Move: July 7, 2008.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff Nineteen partners from Saul Ewing LLP have been recognized by Chambers USA 2008: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. In addition to the partner recognitions, Saul Ewing was ranked No. 1 for its real estate...

Maryland Court of Special Appeals: Plea leading to deportation cannot be withdrawn.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash The Court of Special Appeals rejected a man's effort to withdraw his guilty plea for child endangerment Thursday, turning aside his argument that he had only entered the plea in the mistaken belief that by doing so he...

In compromise, Howard County jury awards damages for future surgery.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney A jury has awarded $111,000 to a 69-year-old woman who was rear-ended in June 2006 and, according to her doctor, will soon require spinal surgery. After a one-day trial before Judge Timothy J. McCrone, the jury...

Maryland Court of Special Appeals rejects limit on damages cap.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs The Court of Special Appeals has rejected an attempt to lift the statutory cap for non-economic damages under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act in lead paint cases. The ruling upholds a reduction of damages from...

Verdicts & Settlements July 7, 2008: Jury awards worker $65K for retaliation claim.(Case overview)
July 7, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney A federal jury in Baltimore has awarded $65,000 to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services employee as compensation for not receiving a raise in retaliation for previously lodging complaints against his...

Fearing the Terrapin:state environmentalists lobby to overturn court's county zoning board ruling.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash Maryland environmental groups -- with a potential assist from the state Planning Department -- intend to lobby the General Assembly next year in an effort to overturn a Court of Appeals decision they contend renders...

Sides await ruling in WTC rent fight in Baltimore.
July 8, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney Trial wrapped up Monday in the lawsuit between the Maryland Port Administration and its former prime tenant at the World Trade Center, Gebhardt & Smith LLP. After both sides presented closing arguments in...

Baltimore County Circuit Court postpones killer's day of reckoning.
July 8, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs The family and friends of Elizabeth Walters came to Baltimore County Circuit Court on Monday expecting some measure of closure with the sentencing of David Lee Miller, convicted in March of killing Walters and their...

Md. Gov. O'Malley: 100,000 added to Medicaid just the beginning.
July 8, 2008... Byline: Anne Riley More than 100,000 formerly uninsured Maryland residents are now eligible for health care coverage, thanks to the passage of a new Medicaid expansion act that, according to Governor Martin O'Malley, is just one step in...

High gas prices fueling theft in Maryland.
July 8, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman Craig Wess never imagined a fuel tank that weighed more than half a ton might disappear from one of his construction sites. But, when crew workers returned to the Buckeystown Pike site in Frederick County Monday,...

July 4th crowds bigger in both Baltimore and Ocean City.
July 8, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer Despite record-high gas prices, a down economy and predictions for curtailed holiday travel, at least two of Maryland's tourism destinations not only made it through the Fourth of July weekend unscathed but improved over...

U.S. Judge Messitte in Md. to take senior status.
July 8, 2008... Byline: Caryn Tamber U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has notified President Bush that he will take senior status effective Sept. 1. Messitte, 66, sits in the southern division of the U.S. District Court for the District of...

The Daily Record News Summary: July 8, 2008.
July 8, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff Brown Advisory, ABIM combine Two investment firms that were once part of Alex. Brown & Sons have merged. Representatives of Alex. Brown Investment Management and Brown Advisory announced the union of the...

The Daily Record News Summary: July 9, 2008.
July 9, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff Lockheed's $1.2B contract Lockheed Martin Corp., of Bethesda, the world's largest defense contractor, announced it received a $1.2 billion contract from the Transportation Security Administration to manage...

Methane-fired power plant to open in Worcester County.
July 9, 2008... Byline: Anne Riley Baltimore-based power generation company Curtis Engine & Equipment Inc. and Worcester County have teamed up to prove the age-old idiom that one man's trash is another man's treasure by opening the Eastern Shore's first...

Leasing, land deals bring some jobs back to E. Baltimore.
July 9, 2008... Byline: Robbie Whelan At the height of its production in the late 1970s, the old General Motors assembly plant on Broening Highway employed 7,000 workers. By the time the plant was shuttered in 2005, it had stopped making cars...

Going green in Howard County.
July 9, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman Howard County Executive Ken Ulman added another component to plans to make the county a model green community, with the creation of a Green Business Council Tuesday. The council will act as a conduit for...

Dundalk lawyer gets $3.1M award against ex-bookkeeper.
July 9, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs Mark Wittstadt left Baltimore County Circuit Court on Tuesday morning knowing he would probably not see much of the $3.1 million in damages a judge awarded his former Dundalk law firm from a bookkeeper accused of...

Mission fights Elkton on zoning.
July 9, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney The town of Elkton, already facing one lawsuit over its treatment of the homeless, has been hit with another -- this time by a religious organization that seeks to operate a daytime facility near its existing...

Friendly skies at BWI as airport sees rise in May traffic.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Anne Riley Despite soaring ticket prices that are keeping many would-be fliers firmly on the ground this vacation season, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport set an all-time record for May passenger...

Medicaid expansion may up drug treatment slots in Md.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney In a presentation to the Baltimore City Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Wednesday afternoon, retired Judge Allen L. Schwait suggested the state's expansion of Medicaid that went into effect last week could...

Telos wins another round in Baltimore City Circuit Court.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Barbara Grzincic Defense contractor Telos Corp. was jubilant this spring, when it defeated a $79 million lawsuit challenging the actions of its board and management. It didn't have long to celebrate, though. One day after the...

The Daily Record News Summary: July 10, 2008.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff MIPS OKs 22 research projects The Maryland Industrial Partnerships program announced the approval of 22 research projects partnering Maryland companies with university researchers to develop high-tech...

The Daily Record News Summary: July 11, 2008.
July 11, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Bank offices closing at Giant Giant Food LLC, of Landover, announced the imminent closing of 54 Chevy Chase Bank in-store branches. Most are in Giant stores in the Washington metropolitan area; nine are...

U of Maryland law school dean Rothenberg to lead stem cell commission.
July 11, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman In her final year as dean at the University of Maryland School of Law, Karen H. Rothenberg will also take on another role -- chair of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission. The commission announced Thursday...

Standalone: Foreclosure Sessions Sells Out.
July 11, 2008... Byline: SARAH BECK More than 200 people showed up for the first MICPEL session on the state’s new foreclosure rules, an overflow crowd that required a simulcast to a second classroom in the University of Maryland School of Law....

Park Heights is banking on revenue from slots.
July 11, 2008... Byline: Robbie Whelan Bringing slot machine gambling to Maryland could be a boon to the developers and residents of one of Baltimore's most distressed neighborhoods. Many in Park Heights, home of Pimlico Race Course, which hosts the...

Benjamin R. Civiletti to head Maryland death penalty panel.
July 11, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash Former U.S. Attorney General Benjamin R. Civiletti will chair a 23-member state commission that will examine the death penalty's future in Maryland and issue a report within about five months, Gov. Martin O'Malley said...

Marylanders on the Move: July 11, 2008.
July 11, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record ACCOUNTING Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates P.A. announced that Phillip Kennedy joined the firm's technology solutions group as a systems consultant. Prior to joining Gross Mendelsohn, Kennedy was chief...

Commentary: Charitable Giving: Center Stage sets the bar high for artistic and financial performance.
July 11, 2008... Byline: Betsy Nelson Looking for a fun summer theater outing at a world-class venue? Look no further than our own Center Stage. Center Stage, the State Theater of Maryland, is a leading light among America's nonprofit regional...

Week in Review.
July 11, 2008... Byline: Staff and wire reports Sun cuts biz standalone sectionBWI booming Despite soaring ticket prices that are keeping many would-be fliers firmly on the ground this vacation season, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood...

Two Maryland papers' approaches to winning advertising.
July 11, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer It can be a harsh reality: Pulitzer Prizes are great, but somebody's got to pay the bills -- and in the newspaper industry that somebody is advertisers. But with ad revenue declining for papers across the country, two...

Less Baltimore business news not necessarily bad news.
July 11, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer When The Sun dissolves its standalone business section -- typically six pages on weekdays -- into two pages-worth of coverage inside its weekday news section, the drop in content could seemingly open the door for...

Place to Be.
July 12, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Ongoing Starting Feb. 2, 200 real human body specimens will unveiled in Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 2: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies, and Maryland Science Center visitors will see a...

Legal Opinions - Maryland Court of Appeals: July 14, 2008.
July 14, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Criminal Procedure Preservation for appeal BOTTOM LINE: Court of Special Appeals properly concluded that appellant's sufficiency of evidence argument was not preserved for appellate review. CASE: Starr v....

Legal Opinions - Maryland Court of Special Appeals: July 14, 2008.
July 14, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Administrative Disciplinary proceeding against physician BOTTOM LINE: In disciplinary proceeding, State Board of Physicians properly determined that the jury verdict sheet and judgment from physician's...

Legal Opinions - U.S. Supreme Court: July 14, 2008.
July 14, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Administrative Electricity regulation BOTTOM LINE: Federal Energy Regulation Commission failed to determine whether contracts imposed excessive burden on consumers down the line relative to rates they could...

Legal Opinions - U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals: July 14, 2008.
July 14, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Criminal Procedure Habeas Corpus jurisdiction BOTTOM LINE: Defendant's immediate custodian remained in the warden of the Kentucky prison in which he was permanently confined, thus Maryland district court did...

The Daily Record News Summary: July 14, 2008.
July 14, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff CSA: Counsel's actions were sound trial strategy Convicted murderer Kenneth Maurice Smith is not entitled to a new trial after all. The Court of Special Appeals reversed last year's ruling by a judge...

Some Maryland farms profiting from apprehension over store-bought produce.
July 14, 2008... Byline: Anne Riley University of Maryland doctoral student Farhaana Nyamekye has no plans to forgo a degree in mathematics education to become a farmer, but that didn't stop her from hand-picking more than a pound of blueberries at...

Maryland-based Wealth Advocacy Partners: Growing wealth unconventionally.
July 14, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman Standard financial advice says investing in a 401(k) is the smartest way to save for retirement, but that advice makes the consultants at Wealth Advocacy Partners cringe. Leonard Raskin, the company's president...

Week in Review - Legal Edition.
July 14, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Telos wins another round Defense contractor Telos Corp. was jubilant this spring, when it defeated a $79 million lawsuit challenging the actions of its board and management. It didn’t have long to...

Law Digest.
July 14, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Maryland Court of Appeals Criminal Procedure: Preservation for appeal: Court of Special Appeals properly concluded that appellant’s sufficiency of evidence argument was not preserved for appellate review....