Darrell Russell

Judge G. Darrell Russell created a firestorm of protest when he married a defendant in an assault case to the victim ("Judge defends his actions in marrying couple in assault case," March 31). Under Maryland law, a victim cannot be compelled to to testify if married to the defendant. The storm has been directed at the judge for doing what his "Catholic" conscience had guided. The protest should have been directed at the legislature for continuing to permit the "spousal" exception to remain on the books.

If the Baltimore Thunder is going to reach the Major Indoor Lacrosse League championship game again, it will have to be without star goalie Jeff Gombar.Only a few weeks before its opener against the Boston Blazers Dec. 27 at the Baltimore Arena, the Thunder learned that Gombar will not return from British Columbia.Gombar wanted to enroll in a master's degree program in business at an area college and obtain what he called a "meaningful" job here for the indoor lacrosse season, but was unable to do either.

VS. DETROIT TURBOS* WHEN: Tomorrow, 8 p.m.* WHERE: Baltimore Arena.* RADIO: None.* OUTLOOK: In the only game on the Major Indoor Lacrosse League's opening night, the Thunder will entertain the Turbos in the first of its five games at the Arena. The Thunder finished in fourth place with a 4-4 record in the six-team league last year, while the Turbos were last at 1-7. Detroit features Gary and Paul Gait, who led Syracuse to three straight NCAA titles.Thunder general manager Darrell Russell calls the team "the best in my three years as GM."

Despite two court hearings and a hurried telephone negotiation with Riverdale Apartments owner Richard Schlesinger yesterday, the drama of the slowly dying housing complex continued to build toward a climax next week.That's when Baltimore Gas and Electric has said it will turn off the power at the dilapidated Essex development because of an unpaid $600,000 bill.In Essex, Baltimore County District Judge G. Darrell Russell declined to allow 42 evictions scheduled for the complex, at least until a hearing Monday.

What happens to some Maryland district court judges -- and I'm not making excuses for Baltimore County's G. Darrell Russell Jr. -- is their eyes start to glaze. An opaque film appears, cataract-like, over the eyeballs as the enrobed jurist peers into the fluorescent blah of the courtroom, half-listening to testimony about some glue-sniffer who tried to get out of Rite Aid with 20 sticks of deodorant in his pants. The judges of the district court hear this sort of thing, over and over -- along with stories of narcotics possession and vandalism, traffic violations and parking tickets, landlords and tenants, boyfriends and girlfriends, hookers and johns, bouncers and drunks, junkies and vagabonds -- and they start to daydream.

The article in the Baltimore Sun of April 5 ("Disorder in the court") criticized six judges for misconduct. About a quarter of the story (which took up half a page with a photo of Judge Darrell Russell) had to do with Judge Russell's performing a marriage between an woman and a man who had been accused of abusing her. The offenses of these six judges seem to me to be pretty small beer. In a story of March 20 ("Police say man woke up to a gun in his face"), the contrast between The Sun's treatment of these six judges and the unnamed judge (or judges)

Oakland (5-4) at Denver (3-7)Time: 9, chs. 2, 7Line: Broncos by 1 1/2.Vs. spread: Raiders 5-4; Broncos 5-3.Last week: Raiders beat Chargers, 28-9. Broncos lost to Seahawks, 20-17.Series: Raiders lead 49-27-2.Last meeting: Broncos won, 16-13, on Oct. 10, at Oakland.Outlook: The Broncos are a shell of the team that won back-to-back Super Bowls, but the Raiders know better than to take them lightly. Last month, the Broncos went to Oakland with an 0-4 record and won. QB Brian Griese beat the Raiders last month.