Black and White and Thin Blue Lines

Join summer intern and law clerk Lauren Pountnay, Serge Antonin, and Clarke Ahlers as they veer off the beaten path of criminal justice issues to discuss something that everybody is talking about: the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution.  This isn't a political diatribe. One (or maybe two) of the hosts make reference to apparent shortfalls of President Biden. Still, this is a fair and balanced discussion of the constitutional process of dealing with presidential disability. We hope you will listen, or watch the "Vodcast" on YouTube. 

Say her name: Rachel Morin. On August 5th, 2023, Rachel -- a mother of five -- was murdered while exercising on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Hartford County, Maryland. Rachel's family turned to Maryland attorney Randolph Rice, the managing partner of Rice, Murtha & Psoras for assistance. In today's episode, Randolph Rice describes the efforts he and Morin family made to bring Rachel's killer to justice. Recently, Victor Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was charged with Rachel's murder. Randolph Rice is a well known and respected courtroom advocate. The Rachel Morin matter also proves him to be one hell of a victim's advocate!

Join Serge and Clarke and special guest Lauren Pountnay for this podcast about the Hunter Biden trial. Lauren is a rising senior at N.C. State. She is Clarke's intern/law clerk for the summer of 2024. Lauren and Clarke attended one day of the Hunter Biden trial in Delaware and are interviewed by Serge about the trial. If you follow this podcast, you may be surprised at Clarke's analysis but whether you listen to this podcast regularly or are a new listener, this is an interesting assessment of one of the nation's biggest trials.

In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss a video of Sean "Diddy" Combs assaulting Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura in the hallway of the L.A. InterContinental Hotel in 2016 as well as the recent Homeland Security search warrant raids on Diddy owned properties in Los Angeles and Miami. Clarke offers Diddy's team some legal advice. Serge disagrees. In the second portion of the podcast, the hosts discuss the defunded and demoralized Chicago Police Department's abject failure to timely respond to a woman's 911 call for help during a home invasion robbery.  And ... this is the first podcast (Season IV, Episode 2) that Serge and Clarke visually record the podcast have upload to YouTube. This may not be exciting to our longtime listeners, but to an old dog like Clarke and a "young adult" like Serge, this is good stuff! A special thank you to Lauren P -- go Wolfpack!!!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU4KpMpJ7RE

Serge and Clarke begin Season IV with a discussion of the tragic shooting death of a United States Airman in his own home by a Deputy Sheriff in Okaloosa, Florida. Then Serge and Clarke discuss the efforts of Marilyn Mosby and her supporters, including the NAACP, to have the President of the United States pardon her before her sentencing in federal court. Clarke is okay with it; Serge ... not so much! It's an interesting episode with the podcast hosts mostly in disagreement. Where do you stand? 

In Baltimore County, Maryland a man has been arrested and accused of creating and publishing a recording that purported to be a high school principal making offensive racial remarks to the vice-principal. This is the new world of artificial intelligence and is the topic of a discussion between Serge and Clarke. Be assured: this episode is a genuine Black and White and Thin Blue Lines podcast. Avoid cheap imitations!

In part 2 of the podcast, Kenny Somers reflects on the arrest, his incarceration, and his thoughts on the past and future of Baltimore. 

Imagine the following story. "John Doe" steals a car -- or more accurately, John Doe steals the same car two times. The car owner, Kenny Somers, a professional automobile recycler, recovers the car the first time and attempts to recover the car a second time. But John Doe has other plans and tries to kill Kenny Somers. Somers fights back and prevails. Police are called. While police are investigating, Somers kicks John Doe in the head as John Doe lay on a sidewalk. This is part one of a two part series of how the criminal justice non-system in Baltimore treated John Doe, Kenny Somers, and the responding Baltimore City Police Officer. This podcast is worth a listen!

Serge and Clarke comment in the murder of Ofc. Diller and update the listeners on renewed efforts on the Columbia Project. Worth a listen. 

Join Serge and Clarke as they share Nathan Steelman's experience sitting as a juror in judgment of a woman charged with domestic violence in Florida.  You have heard the expression "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6." (Clarke disagrees: he would rather be carried by six than judged by 12).  But as you will learn, that expression doesn't work in Manatee County, Florida.  This episode is interesting, entertaining, and informative. Enjoy. 

Serge and Clarke celebrate Easter. We have friends who have a blessed Ramadan. We have friends who we will wish Happy Passover in several weeks. We have re-uploaded an episode. We will be back next week with a brand new episode.In rural New York, a 65-year old man fired two shots from his porch killing a young woman in a car who was lost and turned around in his driveway. In Missouri, an 84-year old man fired two shots from his front door injuring a teenager who rang his bell, mistakenly at the wrong address to pick up his younger brothers. In both cases, activists allege that stand your grounds laws are in part responsible for these tragic circumstances. Serge and Clarke discuss the cases and dismiss stand your ground arguments, but disagree on the lessons from these cases.

Law Enforcement firearms training has historically emphasized reaction time and marksmanship. But the decision to shoot or don't shoot is the most fundamental choice  the police officer faces in highly stressful situations. For the most part, civilians (who sit in judgment of the police) have not had large scale access to simulator training. In this week's episode, join Serge and Clarke and special guest Chris Mabe, a Maryland Realtor, to discuss Chris's recent experience at Guntry, an Owings Mills, Maryland Indoor Shooting Facility. Chris and some of his staff participated in Guntry's Simulator training course which is unusually realistic. In fact, it is painful to make the wrong decision in more ways than one.  

At the request of a listener, Serge and Clarke offer their advice to young people without law enforcement experience who wish to apply to become police officers. People: this is solid advice from two men who have been there.

February 1, 2024 -- Prince George's County, Maryland. Prince George's County Police Officer Braxton Shelton is dispatched to a burglary in progress at an apartment in Suitland. He arrives within a minute of the dispatch, finds the apartment door ajar, and enters by himself. Seven seconds later Shelton fires one shot killing Melvin Jay, who almost certainly was lawfully in the apartment. Prince George's County Police Chief Malik Aziz released Shelton's body worn camera. The Office of the Attorney General's Independent Investigation Division is investigating the fatal shooting. Is this a case of a justified homicide or criminal, civil, and/or administrative misconduct? Serge and Clarke comment upon the case and Serge offers an idea he believes may have prevented the unfortunate outcome. 

What is worse than a plethora of undereducated, jobless, and unfocused young men with semi-automatic handguns shooting at each other in cities across America? Answer: A group of undereducated, jobless, and unfocused young men with machine-guns shooting at each other in cities across America.Welcome to the $50 "Glock switch." This small, inexpensive, and easily obtained part turns a Glock semi-automatic pistol into an automatic pistol or "machine pistol." In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss the increasing problem of the Glock switch. 

There IS something new under the sun! Tom Mauriello, the mastermind of FORENSIQ, has organized decades of law enforcement expertise in a CSI phone app that is exceptional, affordable, and practical. Any criminal justice stakeholder can access an investigative blueprint for every type of investigation from arson to mass casualty event. In this episode of Black and White and Thin Blue Lines, Tom sits down with Clarke and explains his incredible professional experience, the idea for a systemic approach to investigations, and the development of this modern technology. 

The Black and White and Thin Blue Lines podcast began in spring of 2021 as the effort of Serge Antonin and Clarke Ahlers. The podcast concerns itself with issues of criminal justice, particularly at the intersection of race in America. Since then, Serge and Clarke have learned the technology of podcasting, produced and edited 100 episodes (to date), met wonderful guests and enjoyed the positive feedback of thousands of people who have listened to one or more episodes. First of all: thank you! In this episode, Serge and Clarke briefly reminisce about how the podcast came to be, and update our listeners on several of the important stories we have discussed in our podcast production. Serge and Clarke commit to more episodes to come and to continue to strive to be a voice of reason in the cacophony of criminal justice. 

The Maryland General Assembly proposes an excise tax on the sale of guns and ammunition, the Howard County Council debates a ceasefire in Gaza, and several state senators propose to eliminate good time credits for a very small number of convicted felons. Is our government fiddling while our community burns? Serge and Clarke add their two cents in the latest episode. 

Dateline Harlem: Friday night January 26, 2024 about 6:30 P.M.  A NY City police officer stops city councilman Yosef Salaam for unlawful tinted windows on a BMW sedan. The officer was polite and professional and sent Mr. Salaam on his way after Salaam, the driver, identified himself as a city councilman. Professional courtesy? Presumably so. After all, why else would Mr. Salaam identify himself as a city councilman unless he wanted courtesy. But Salaam was not satisfied with professional courtesy. He thinks the stop was unwarranted and is reversing his decision to participate in police ride-alongs to better understand the job. Bottom line: no good deed goes unpunished.

In 1968, Graham Nash, later of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, wrote a song about the difficult relationship he had with his father who was sent to jail for receiving stolen goods. The song “Teach Your Children” has beautiful lyrics including this stanza: “Teach your children well, Their father's hell did slowly go by, Feed them on your dreams, The one they pick's the one you'll know by.” In Michigan this week, the first of two trials of the parents of a convicted school shooter — Ethan Crumbley — began. Serge and Clarke discuss the legal issue of proximate causation and the morality play which is — like the song by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young — about what James and Jennifer Crumbley  taught their child Ethan. 

On the afternoon of January 10, 2024, more than 20 police officers in tactical gear carrying long arms and deploying flash bangs served a search warrant in Elyria, Ohio. Sure ... the usual stuff. You know. The guy the police were looking for hadn't lived at the residence the cops trashed for more than a year. Oh, and there was another hiccup. It seems the police deployed a flash bang grenade that blew out a glass window over a bassinet where a 17-month old baby was breathing on a ventilator. Not to worry. The Police Department issued a press release assuring the public that no baby was injured in the fiasco (because flash bangs don't use caustic chemicals). In other news, the baby was admitted to the hospital for treatment of his non-injuries. Don't let the baby's picture fool you; the child always looked like that. Clarke vents and Serge analyzes the unintended battery on the baby and the intentional assault on our intelligence.

Serge often observes that America is declining into anarchy. Clarke is sometimes pessimistic. Serge and Clarke bring their inclinations to the story of a young man who jumped the bench in a Las Vegas courtroom and beat up the judge who was sentencing him to prison for beating up a person with a baseball bat. What the heck is in the water in this country? Also, New York Governor declares war on shoplifting. Welcome Governor to the chaos you and others have created. 

Almost six decades after the United States Supreme Court's landmark Miranda decision, police administrators in Maryland are claiming that a 2022 Maryland law that requires police adhere to Miranda during juvenile arrests is making their job more difficult. In a now familiar whine, our state and local governments blame their inability to fight crime on a document designed to protect citizens from the overreach of government. In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss the Maryland Child Interrogation Protection Act. This episode is a counterbalance to official state propaganda. 

Police Commissioner Worley has implemented 8 hours of empathy instruction for every Baltimore Police Officer. In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss the instruction. Serge begins with the valid premise that it is a good idea for victims of trauma -- like most police officers and many Baltimoreans--to learn understanding. On his part, Clarke is a bit more "Doctor, Heal Thyself." 

This week, the Mayor of Baltimore filed suit in federal court against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It turns out that ATF sends gun trace information to the Police Commissioner but does not send the same information to the Mayor. Rather than figure a workaround, the Mayor -- represented by Everytown Law -- filed suit. The lawsuit is largely a press release in the form of a lawsuit pretending that Mayor Scott is stymied in his war on crime by federal authorities. Serge and Clarke discuss this farce. 

For three decades, the United States Congress has passed laws to fund forensic examinations in sexual assault cases. But it  doesn't seem to matter.  The country is awash in untested rape kits while repetitive sex offenders continue to violate. In fact, Maryland leads the nation in rape kit backlogs at the forensic lab. But at least the rape kits make it to the lab in Maryland. In New York, cops ameliorate the crime lab backlog with a new strategy: just leave the Sexual Assault Forensic Examination kits uncollected from the hospital. In this week's episode Serge and Clarke discuss SAFE nursing with Marcia "T" and she provides insight into the process, the protection afforded to victims, and a great way to re-think the "she asked for it" bias. 

After Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, the federal government permitted anarchists to loot and burn communities across the country. The State of Minnesota successfully prosecuted Chauvin and he was sentenced to 22 years in prison. But the federal government was not satisfied. A federal grand jury was convened. Chauvin was federally indicted. Chauvin pled guilty to civil rights violations and a federal prison sentence was imposed to run concurrently with his state sentence. Then the federal government moved Chauvin to Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Tucson where a former FBI informant stabbed Chauvin 22 time before correctional officers intervened. Did the federal government ship Chauvin to a notoriously dangerous and poorly run federal prison and permit Chauvin to be stabbed for the same reason it let anarchists loot and burn communities? Please listen to this episode of Black and White and Thin Blue Lines and you be the judge.

The United States Attorney for the District of Maryland successfully indicted and convicted former Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby of two counts of perjury. In this weeks episode, Jack Mitchell -- a former police officer who worked for Ms. Mosby as an Assistant State's Attorney -- joins Serge and Clarke to discuss Mosby's perjury conviction. Two of three commentators think this case was a political hit job.  It might surprise you to learn who thinks the prosecution was righteous.

Who would have thought that in 2023, shoplifting could become a major crime in the United States. Wait -- stop. Not everyone believes that shoplifting is even on the rise. But we do! In this episode Serge and Clarke discuss the changing  social conventions surrounding the crime of shoplifting as further evidence of a breakdown of cultural norms and further proof that we are devolving into anarchy. 

Kashef Khan was the Maryland State Trooper of the Year until he was fired for allegedly writing a false report. The "falsity" in the report was the location of a traffic stop which Khan accurately documented in many ways. Khan uploaded a slightly inaccurate longitude and latitude location from a reporting system that MSP admits was NOT designed for highway use and may generate inaccurate locations. While Kashef Khan's case works its way through the Maryland appellate court process, Khan revealed to the Office of the Attorney General that he had tape recorded the interrogation that MSP alleged it could not locate. And lo and behold, Khan's copy of that interrogation contradicts the testimony of the interrogators before the Administrative Hearing Board and in statements made by them to Internal Affairs. The Maryland State Prosecutor has referred the case to MSP for administrative investigation. 

You can always find three things in Baltimore: Natty Boh beer, Old Bay seasoning & ludicrous "justice." In this week's podcast, Serge and Clarke discuss the case of Baltimore Police Sergeant Marlon Koushall whose videotaped conduct during a late night arrest were simultaneously deemed completely consistent with the rules, policies, procedures and training of the Baltimore Police Department AND a crime of misdemeanor assault and misconduct in office. The Baltimore Police Department exonerated the officer; the Office of the State's Attorney successfully prosecuted the officer. Listen to this episode to find out Koushall's status and the status of the former Baltimore City State's Attorney who approved Koushall's prosecution. Karma -- as they say -- is a bitch. 

In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss the popular idea among conservatives for downsizing the FBI and deconstructing it into as many as five independent investigative agencies, each with a focused interest in the type of cases being investigated. Clarke says, as it stands today, just writing the word FBI into the title likely invites the oversized, bloated, and sometimes unfocused agency to download and dissect this episode, especially if the FBI learns that Clarke attended a Catholic Mass in Latin, or a school board meeting. Serge says -- Director Wray, if you hear this podcast, please give Serge a call about Clarke.

In three recent incidents, the police got it right and prevented serious mass casualty events. In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss how the number of police agencies impacts the ability of sharing information and investigating criminal incidents. Clarke -- but not Serge -- thinks it is a miracle that the police got it right in one cross-state proactive police response.

The Honorable Andrew F. Wilkinson, Judge of the Circuit Court for Washington County, Maryland, was murdered in his driveway on the evening of October 19, 2021. Serge and Clarke discuss this shocking crime, assess how social media was tracking the law enforcement investigation, and offer thoughts on the root causes -- and a possible incremental solution -- to this specific type of violence.

Reverend P. M. Smith, a "barber's son" and Pastor of Baltimore's Huber Memorial Church, shares the wisdom of his life with Serge and Clarke. Reverend Smith never fails to challenge all of us to be better people. Please listen to be inspired.

Tu Culpa is a Latin phrase meaning "your fault." In part 2 of the podcast on the (Maryland) Attorney General's Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Serge and Clarke and special guest FJ Collins, discuss whether the AG's report is fair, the impact of expanded statutes of limitation, and whether the Attorney General of Maryland, as part of the Executive Branch of government, has done what is constitutionally prohibited by the Legislative Branch of government: issued a Bill of Attainder.  

Most Catholics, and many lawyers, know the meaning of the Latin phrase, "mea culpa." The phrase is literally translated as "through my fault." It is the foundation of a traditional prayer sometimes recited during the Penitential Act of the Roman Catholic Mass: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Recently, Maryland's Attorney General issued a report that calls to mind a less well-known Latin phrase: "tu culpa." Your fault! Our special guest, attorney F.J. Collins, takes issue with the AG's segregation of liability and joins Serge and Clarke for an interesting, and perhaps provocative, two-part podcast on the Attorney General's Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. 

On July 8, 2023, Serge and Clarke discussed the South Baltimore Brooklyn Day Party that ended when 30 people were shot. Two died. On August 30th, the BPD and other city agencies issued an “After Action Report.” Join Serge and Clarke and our distinguished guest, Colonel Osborne “Moe” Robinson, Baltimore Police Department (ret.) and former Chief of the York City Police Department for a candid discussion about the misnamed poorly named report. 

The "picture of the week" was a group shot of heavily armed law enforcement officers surrounding the bleeding, captured and pathetic Danilo (or "Danelo") Cavalcante in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Taking and posting the "trophy" photograph violated the rules of many of the law enforcement agencies that participated in the escapee's capture. But lawmen breaking the rules didn't matter to the Governor of Pennsylvania or Lieutenant Colonel Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police.  One your hosts found the picture and press conference appropriate; the other found it appalling. After listening, please let us know where you stand and why. 

On August 24, 2023, a police officer of the 14-member Blendon Township (Ohio) Police Department shot and killed Ta'Kiya Young, a 21-year-old woman being detained for suspicion of shoplifting alcohol from a grocery store. The body worn camera evidence shows Young operating a vehicle in the parking lot of the grocery store during daylight hours. She doesn't do what the two arriving police officers tell her to do. With one officer at the driver's window, and another officer standing in front of the vehicle on the driver's side, Ms. Young turns the steering wheel of the car as far to the right as she can turn it and slowly begins moving the car forward. The Blendon Township officer standing in front of the vehicle fires one shot at close range through the windshield striking and killing the woman. Serge and Clarke discuss this case and -- at the end of the discussion -- you will wonder why this case hasn't enraged America as much as the George Floyd case did.

In this episode, Serge and Clarke acknowledge that Frederick County, Maryland is openly competing with Baltimore City, Maryland for the most upside down criminal justice non-system in America. Frederick County Sheriff "Chuck" Jenkins is under federal indictment accused of lying about machine gun purchases, Jenkins was required to turn over all of his guns to federal law enforcement. He is ordered by a federal judge not to carry a gun as a condition of his pre-trial release. So, what is he doing for a living? Why he reinstated himself as Sheriff of Frederick County, Maryland. When the going gets weird, the weird get going!

In this -- the 75th episode of Black and White and Thin Blue Lines -- Serge and Clarke discuss the public nuisance offense of urinating in public in the context of two cases: one in Mississippi and one in Texas, You decide if race was a motivating factor for what happened. Also, "you're in" and "urine" aren't the only homonyms or bad puns in this episode. Serge discusses the problem of people urinating in Baltimore alleys and Clarke discusses "Ally's law" in Texas and elsewhere. If you enjoy this podcast, please recommend it to a friend. Thank you. 

The recent controversy and criticism of Justice Clarence Thomas was the subject of enough off-air debate by Serge and Clarke that they turned it into an episode. What are some of the public mistakes (or worse) by Judges, and what should we as citizens do about it. 

Join Serge and Clarke for a discussion with our special guest, Michael ("Mike") Johnson, who shares his smart, committed, and motivated view of training men and women to be law enforcement officers in this day and age. This is a must listen episode. Mike has unique ideas that ought to become the national standard for de-escalation and promoting confidence in law enforcement. Several of his ideas changed the way that Serge and Clarke think about the future of law enforcement training. This episode may change your thinking as well.

The title of this episode asks a question that few have ever thought about. Is it possible to be arrested in the United States by a non-citizen of the United States? It is! But listen anyway because Serge and Clarke discuss listener mail, and the topic of non-citizen police officers in this episode of Black and White and Thin Blue Lines.

On June 24, 2023, two LA County Deputy Sheriffs arrested two persons in Lancaster, CA under confusing circumstances. The first arrest was of a man that the deputies told was being detained for investigation. He was arrested -- but the deputies conducted no investigation from detention to arrest. The second arrest was of a woman who recorded the police detaining (or arresting) the man. One of the deputies threw the woman to the ground, put his hand and knee on her neck, and pepper sprayed her from a distance of about 12 inches. As far as Serge and Clarke can determine, he did this to stop her from recording the deputies even though the deputies were recording the incident on body worn cameras in a parking lot with security cameras. A quick note of caution. In this episode, we play about five minutes of the body worn camera audio, which includes a small amount of cursing. Please be aware of this before you play this episode around children. 

This story begins with a 1989 rape in Central Park, involves a New York real estate tycoon who threw gas on a fire, and evolves into a remarkable and inspiring story of citizenship. Serge and Clarke discuss the life (at least so far) of Yusef Salaam. This episode is a short listen about a modern mentor.

Do you have a favorite Supreme Court decision? Join Serge and Clarke and attorney Shawn Vinson in a lively discussion about each person's top five favorite decisions of the United States Supreme Court. We might surprise you!

On July 2, 2023, two to 12 gunslingers shot 30 people, including 14 children, at a single holiday block party in Baltimore. No police officers were assigned to the event where 700 to 1000 people had gathered. But at the same time, many extra police officers were assigned to traditionally white areas of Baltimore festivity. Serge and Clarke discuss what happened, the anemic response by our government, and the double standard of justice that fails to hold city leaders accountable. 

Join Serge and Clarke in a discussion with our special guest Kemp Freund as we discuss the charges brought against School Resource Officer Scot Peterson for his inaction during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre on February 14, 2018. On June 28, 2023 Peterson was found not guilty on all 11 counts brought against him by a jury in Florida. Was the verdict just? Listen to our thoughts. 

A fatal stabbing on the J train is the subject of this week's podcast. Five weeks after Daniel Perry fatally choked Jordan Neely on the New York subway system, 20-year-old Jordan Williams is charged with manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon for the fatal stabbing of Devictor Ouedraogo. Serge and Clarke discuss the differences, similarities, and social ramifications of this recent New York subway homicide.