The agency's internal processes have been under a microscope lately, with the city settling a race discrimination lawsuit brought by a group of black officers who accused the department of institutional racism. As part of the agreement, police officials agreed to have an outside consultant monitor its internal disciplinary process for three years and will pay for upgrades to its record-keeping system.
Sgt. Louis H. Hopson Jr., the lead plaintiff in that case, attended Thursday's news conference and said Woodson-Branche's comments reinforced his concerns.
"The department is losing the confidence of people, and this kind of conduct makes it harder for officers to do their job," Hopson said. "It's embarrassing, and the mayor must act boldly."
There has also been criticism about the way the department has handled the dismissal of those 50 misconduct cases, with the Baltimore chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People calling for police to disclose why the cases were dropped.
Cherry said the union would support the department explaining more about why the charges were dropped.
Guglielmi said the agency is optimistic that its internal processes are on the right track. Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III recently appointed a new head of the internal investigations section, and privately officials say the trial board office is on the right track with Woodson-Branche's departure. New legal affairs chief Mark Grimes initiated the review that resulted in the dismissal of cases.
The Baltimore Sun confirmed that Woodson-Branche, described by her attorney as a "career prosecutor," worked for the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office from 1984 to 1989, her last position as an assistant state's attorney assigned to the trial team.
She later went on to work for the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office. She joined the city law department in 2007 and took over the trial board office in 2008. She was eventually elevated to a command-level position, making her an at-will employee.
When allegations of misconduct against officers arise, an internal investigation is initiated. The results are taken to a charging committee, made up of six sworn officers. The charging committee decides on the charges. An officer who wants to fight the accusations can request a trial board, where the case is heard by a panel of officers. As trial board chief, Woodson-Branche acted as an internal prosecutor.
