Goods shook his head as the verdicts were read, clearly upset. He untied his long dreadlocks, which had been pulled back in a ponytail for the trial, and untucked his pressed white shirt. During the trial, his attorneys had said he was just a small-time marijuana dealer and not associated with a conspiracy or any killings.
Gilbert and Dinkins stayed calm, with their eyes on the jury, though they refused to stand as members left the courtroom, as they've done for the duration of the multiweek trial.
The prosecution outlined a scenario during the trial in which Gilbert ran the drug ring and Dinkins was his enforcer, killing when asked or provoked, though both men denied the charges.
A defense attorney declined to comment, citing a rule that prevents certain press communication during a trial.
Prosecutors Kwame Manley and Debra Dwyer also declined to comment, though they didn't need to. Their reactions were visible: There was much back-slapping among their team members after the judge left, and Manley whooped and leaped in the air outside the courtroom near the elevators.
"We view this case not as just as one trial standing alone, but as part of a larger effort to combat gang violence in Baltimore," Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said in an interview. "When you look at it in conjunction with all the other work we've been doing ... it really presents a sustained effort."
He pointed to the conviction this spring of Byers, who was found guilty of ordering a witness murder from jail using a contraband cell phone. His office also participated in a lengthy investigation that led to an indictment, raids and the arrests of dozens of alleged Bloods gang members.
Thursday's convictions were particularly important to vindicate Dowery's murder and send a message about witness intimidation, Rosenstein said: "We're going to do everything in our power to make sure we hold perpetrators accountable."
