Md. Lawmakers Weigh Proposal To Toughen Penalties For Intimidating Witnesses
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- A House committee heard testimony Tuesday on Governor Larry Hogan's proposal to increase prison time for anyone who kills or seriously injures a person to prevent that person from testifying.
In 2002, Baltimore saw the worst case of witness intimidation and retaliation in recent memory.
Baltimore resident Angela Dawson, her husband and five children were killed in their east Baltimore home in a house fire deliberately set to prevent Dawson from reporting drug activity.
Memorial Held To Mark 10th Anniversary Of Dawson Family Murder
"What happened to the Dawson family is an absolute tragedy, and it's very frightening what happened to that family," Hogan said.
A hearing on Gov. Hogan's Witness Intimidation Prevention Act brought this and other cases to the forefront.
"If you don't think this is a serious problem, meaning witness intimidation, you're sorely mistaken," Steven Kroll, of Maryland State's Attorney's Association, said. "Especially Baltimore City. They need all the tools they can get."
On Friday, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby told lawmakers just how big of a problem witness intimidation is.
"Thirty-five percent of the cases we're dismissing are based upon a lack of victim-witness cooperation," Mosby said. "I cannot emphasize this enough."
Gov. Hogan's Witness Intimidation Prevention Act toughens penalties for witness intimidation that leads to death or serious injury.
There are other bills in the works.
"I don't care which bill you take," Kroll said. A combination of A-B-C, or all of the above, or none of the above. But make sure it's some of the above. What I mean by that is witness intimidation is that serious of a problem."
These same crime-fighting issues are being addressed in legislation by the House and Senate Democrats.
