A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.
From the Baltimore Sun: Trial of Baltimore Officer Goodson Postponed by Maryland Appeals Court
"Maryland's second highest court has intervened and postponed the trial of Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., just as the case was set to get underway Monday with jury selection.
"The last minute order from the Court of Special Appeals followed a series of legal filings last week in which Officer William Porter sought to block a Circuit Court judge's order forcing him to testify at Goodson's trial in the death of Freddie Gray. Porter is also charged in Gray's death, and his trial in December ended in a mistrial with jurors deadlocked. His next trial is not slated to begin until June.
"Circuit Judge Barry G. Williams — who is presiding over the trials of all six officers charged in Gray's arrest and death — briefly took the bench Monday morning to note the appeals court stay and place Goodson's trial in recess.
"Williams said the prosecution had also asked for a continuance, but that the request was "moot" given the appeals court stay. He also said Goodson had objected to a continuance.
"In the Court of Special Appeals order signed Monday morning, Chief Judge Peter B. Krauser wrote that it was 'presumably in the interests of all parties' that Porter's appeal be resolved before the trial got underway.
"New dates for a Goodson trial are dependent upon the resolution of Porter's appeal. It is unclear how the postponement of Goodson's trial may impact the scheduling in the trials of the other officers."
From the Washington Post: A $400 Million Maryland Tax Cut Seems Huge — But Doesn’t Go Very Far
"Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who vaulted to an upset victory in 2014 on a platform that promised tax cuts, is pushing for $400 million in tax and fee relief over the next five years.
"It sounds big, but even Hogan concedes it’s modest.
"The governor is not offering his specific proposal until a formal announcement that is scheduled for Tuesday. But he said last week that the relief would benefit 1 million residents — a sixth of the state’s population-- and 300,000 small business owners.
"On average, for those 1.3 million people and businesses, that’s $60 of tax relief a year for five years. It is but a fraction of the $8 billion in tax and fee increases that the state Department of Legislative services says were put in place during the eight-year tenure of Hogan’s predecessor, Martin O’Malley (D).
"Hogan prefers to say that under O’Malley, the average Maryland family had to pay $4,600 more in taxes and fees — a number that seems to come from dividing the total increase in the state budget during those years by the number of households in the state, and does not separate out federal funding or taxes that are borne by businesses."
From the AFRO American: Fla. Gay Rights Groups Protest Against Jamal Bryant Appearance at MLK Event
"Gay rights organizations in St. Petersburg, Fla. are asking for prominent Baltimore pastor the Rev. Jamal Bryant to be uninvited as the keynote speaker at the 30th annual MLK Leadership Award Breakfast on Jan. 18 because of past remarks he has made about homosexuality.
"The Tampa Bay Times reported that Bryant denounced homosexuality in a 2012 YouTube video, calling it a sin and put it on the same level as gambling and drug addiction.
“'Homosexuality is not the only sin,' Bryant said in the nine-minute-long video clip. 'But it is a sin. It is an alternative lifestyle. It’s an alternative rebellion.'
"Susan McGrath, chairwoman of the Pinellas County Democratic Party and president of the Stonewall Democrats, believes that his views of homosexuality are not in line with King’s message of love and inclusion.
"McGrath also said that Bryant’s stance goes against St. Petersburg’s image as a diverse and welcoming city."