Joseph Curran

Maryland's highest court reversed yesterday the attempted-murder conviction of an HIV-positive man who was charged in three attempted rapes.The decision led the state's attorney general to call for stiffer penalties for defendants who use the virus that causes AIDS as a weapon.The Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that Dwight R. Smallwood could not be convicted of attempted murder for attempting to rape a woman when he knew he was HIV-positive in 1993.Smallwood, 21, of Temple Hills was sentenced Oct. 11, 1994, by Prince George's County Circuit Judge C. Philip Nichols Jr. to life in prison and two concurrent 30-year terms after he pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted first-degree rape and robbery with a deadly weapon for a series of three gunpoint attacks in September 1993.

Memo to Marylanders who expected the race for attorney general to be an arcane legal debate: It's not.It's a contest filled with juicy accusations of political hanky-panky and, yes, even illegal activities.The bulk of the charges are coming from the Republican bunker of Richard D. Bennett. He has accused Democratic incumbent J. Joseph Curran Jr. of breaking the law (by failing to file a routine report) and misusing taxpayer money (by taking a state bodyguard to political events).He has even blamed Mr. Curran for the prison system's early release of John Frederick Thanos, who subsequently murdered three teen-agers.

Maryland Comptroller Louis L. Goldstein and Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. pummeled their aggressive challengers to capture Democratic nominations last night.Mr. Goldstein, 81, who has been comptroller since Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, trounced James B. Moorhead, a lawyer half his age who had twice as much campaign money. With almost all precincts reporting, Mr. Goldstein led 66 percent to 34 percent.Mr. Moorhead, a political newcomer, ran an unusually well-financed campaign that accused Mr. Goldstein of getting rich at the public trough.

His opponents in the Democratic primary agree that Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. is a nice man with a long record of public service.But challengers Patrick J. Smith and Eleanor M. Carey claim that Mr. Curran, 63, is no longer energetic enough to be Maryland's top lawyer, and they are trying to make his recent record an issue in the Sept. 13 primary."Despite his relatively young age, [Mr. Curran] has demonstrated over the past several years being too old, too tired and too lacking in commitment to effectively serve as the general in the war on crime," says Mr. Smith, 46.Ms.

Louis L. Goldstein, Maryland's 81-year-old tax collector, formally launched his campaign for election to a record 10th term as state comptroller yesterday.Mr. Goldstein, who has served in the position since Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, said this would be his last run for office. Speaking at the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore, he emphasized his 36 years of experience in the job."To live up to our reputation as a well-managed, fiscally responsible state, we must keep a steady, experienced hand at the financial helm of state affairs," Mr. Goldstein said.

A proposed amendment to the state Constitution guaranteeing rights for crime victims is virtually certain to be sent to Maryland voters this fall, the governor and legislative leaders said yesterday.Those rights would include that victims be treated with "dignity, respect and sensitivity" when they come in contact with the judicial process. Victims also would have the right to be notified of relevant criminal justice proceedings, to attend them and to be heard.Similar proposals have passed the state Senate the past two years, only to die in the House Judiciary Committee.

A Jan. 31 editorial misstated Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr.'s position on reform of pensions for Anne Arundel's appointed and elected officials. Mr. Curran ruled that the county may retroactively repeal pension benefits (a ruling since superseded by a Circuit Court judge), but not that benefits already received be paid back.

A Jan. 31 editorial misstated Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr.'s position on reform of pensions for Anne Arundel's appointed and elected officials. Mr. Curran ruled that the county may retroactively repeal pension benefits (a ruling since superseded by a Circuit Court judge), but not that benefits already received be paid back.Anne Arundel County Council members made a big mistake in 1989 when they gave appointed and elected officials a ludicrously generous pension plan. So now they are trying to win political brownie points by punishing those who legally benefited from their error.

Sister Margaret CurranEducation directorSister Margaret Therese Curran, PHOTOS.S.N.D., who was director of religious education at St. Dominic's Roman Catholic Church on Harford Road, died yesterday of cancer at the congregation's motherhouse in Baltimore.The Baltimore native was 60.Sister Margaret was the daughter of the late J. Joseph Curran Sr., the longtime city councilman from Northeast Baltimore's 3rd District, and the late Catherine Mary Curran.She studied at the Blessed Sacrament School and graduated from the Institute of Notre Dame in 1950, then entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame as an aspirant.