Penalties

A cabal of corrupt corrections officers and members of the Black Guerrilla Family gang enjoyed nearly free rein inside the Baltimore City Detention Center, federal authorities allege, smuggling drugs and cellphones into the jail and having sexual relationships that left four guards pregnant. An indictment unsealed Tuesday names 25 people - including 13 women working as corrections officers - who face racketeering and drug charges. Twenty of the accused also face money-laundering charges.

The impact of Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones was obvious every time that one of the speedy outside wide receivers ran past flat-footed defenders and under a long, arching throw from Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. Smith, now entering his third season, has quickly become one of the NFL's premier deep threats. And Jones, who got behind defenses for huge touchdowns twice in the postseason, also has speed to be reckoned with. Part of their hidden impact -- besides forcing safeties to back away from the line of scrimmage to protect against the big play -- came in the penalties they drew downfield when they weren't catching Flacco's deep balls.

The impact of Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones was obvious every time that one of the speedy outside wide receivers ran past flat-footed defenders and under a long, arching throw from Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. Smith, now entering his third season, has quickly become one of the NFL's premier deep threats. And Jones, who got behind defenses for huge touchdowns twice in the postseason, also has speed to be reckoned with. Part of their hidden impact -- besides forcing safeties to back away from the line of scrimmage to protect against the big play -- came in the penalties they drew downfield when they weren't catching Flacco's deep balls.

One day after Gov. Martin O'Malley signed legislation to abolish capital punishment in Maryland, death penalty supporters said Friday they will launch a petition drive to give voters the opportunity to overturn the new law. At a news conference, Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said he plans to lead the effort to "repeal the repeal" of the state's death penalty. "We need to retain the death penalty for those prosecutors who wish to seek it because it is simply the right thing to do for public safety," said Shellenberger, a Democrat.

The Ravens ended a three-game losing skid with Sunday's 33-14 rout of the New York Giants, but they can't seem to rid themselves of drawing penalties. The team was flagged nine times for a loss of 92 yards Sunday, while the Giants were penalized just six times for 52 yards. This season, the Ravens have been flagged more often than their opponent six times and have lost more yardage nine times. The team's troubles were exemplified during the offense's second drive of the third quarter.

What the mayor faces These are the charges, and possible penalties, that Mayor Sheila Dixon faces at her trial beginning Monday: CHARGES Count 1: Felony theft, of gift cards worth more than $500 from developer Patrick Turner. Count 2: Felony theft, of gift cards worth more than $500 from developer Ronald Lipscomb and Doracon Contracting. Count 3: Theft, of gift cards valued at less than $500 purchased by Baltimore City Housing. Count 4: Fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary, of gift cards donated by Turner.

The House Judiciary Committee approved legislation Wednesday that would cut the penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana in a way that curtails the right to an initial jury trial on the charges. By a 16-4 vote, members said, the panel gave its OK to Del. Luke Clippingers's bill setting the maximum penalty for possesssion of 7 grams or less of marijuana at 90 days and a $500 fine. Previously those convicted of the charge could have been given up to a year in jail. With a potential penalty of more than 90 days, defendants were entitled to a jury trial in Circuit Court  -- an option may have taken.  Under the legislation, defendants would initially be  tried before a District Court judge but would retain the right to appeal to the Circuit Court.

Here's the final Grand Prix of Baltimore lineup for today's race: Primary 25 78 de Silvestro, Simona D/L/F Primary 20 67 Junqueira, Bruno D/H/F Primary 21 38 Rahal, Graham D/H/F Primary 22 5 Viso, EJ D/C/F Primary 4 10 Franchitti, Dario D/H/F Alternate 5 27 Hinchcliffe, James D/C/F Alternate 6 11 Kanaan, Tony D/C/F Alternate 1 12 Power, Will D/C/F Alternate 2 9 Dixon, Scott D/H/F Alternate 3 7 Bourdais, Sebastien D/C/F...

I n the final quarter of the Chicago Bears game a week ago, Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth intercepted a pass. After he was tackled, he ran 40 yards in celebration, drawing a delay-of-game penalty. A few minutes later, Ravens cornerback Frank Walker intercepted a pass. After he was tackled, he threw the ball 40 yards, drawing a delay-of-game penalty. Those penalties seemed harmless coming against the Bears, but there is no such thing as a meaningless penalty. They were just another small window into a major problem with the Ravens.

The Federal Reserve proposed new rules Wednesday on credit card penalties, including a ban on inactivity fees that some banks have been adopting as card reforms cut into their revenue. The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act, which ushered in a wide range of consumer protections last month, also required the Fed to develop rules so cardholder penalties are "reasonable and proportional." Among the proposals: •A ban on inactivity fees. •No more than one penalty on a single violation, such as a late payment.

Gov. Martin O'Malley will sign legislation Thursday morning abolishing capital punishment in Maryland -- a goal of his since he took office in 2007. The governor's approval will make Maryland the 18th state to repeal the death penalty. A throng of capital punshment opponents -- representing such groups as the NAACP and the Catholic church -- is expected to turn out for the bill-signing ceremony at the State House in Annapolis. Also on a signing list of more than 200 bills are measures establishing a legal medical marijuana program and making it easier for immigrants who are here illegally to obtain limited-use driver's licenses.

Pimlico Race Course Press box renamed to honor former Sun reporter Kelly Before Sunday's first race, the Pimlico Race Course press box was renamed to include Joe Kelly , who covered horse racing for nearly 70 years before his death in November at age 94. Kelly began his career at The Baltimore Sun in the 1940s, then moved in 1955 to The Washington Star, where he spent the next 26 years. After retiring, he became the publicity director for the Maryland Million and was Pimlico's historical consultant until his death.

How some of our columnists and editors feel about the two-stroke penalty given to Tiger Woods at the Masters Saturday: Peter Schmuck, columnist: By most accounts, the ruling was correct and penalty appropriate, which is a sign that professional golf has evolved from the time when a player could have days of honorable competition wiped out by some subtle violation he wasn't even aware he committed. I'm still disgusted over the silly ruling that knocked Dustin Johnson out of the PGA Championship in 2010.

We have heard that the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. How about keeping guns out of the hands of the bad guys in the first place? Right now, there is no federal law that punishes people who buy guns for criminals who are banned from purchasing guns themselves. In a recent TV interview, Elijah Cummings, one of Maryland's representatives to the U.S. Congress, spoke about a guy in Georgia whose girlfriend bought him 64 guns in less than three months.

Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski on Monday again urged the Internal Revenue Service to "get to the bottom of allegations" that AccuPay, a payroll servicer based in Harford County, failed to pass clients' tax payments on to state and federal collection agencies. "Business owners in Maryland who may have been harmed by Accu-Pay need a government on their side," Mikulski said in a letter to IRS Acting Commissioner Steven Miller. "They need timely resolutions to their cases, including the waiver of fees and penalties where appropriate.

This time last year, the Maryland General Assembly was mired in anger and confusion. The House and Senate were feuding over taxes and casino gambling. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch were butting heads. Lawmakers were heading into the final day without even having passed the budget - the one task with which they are charged in the state constitution. It took two special sessions to clean up the mess. This year, legislators will begin the session's final day Monday having already passed an array of landmark legislation - repealing Maryland's death penalty, adopting one of the nation's toughest gun laws, raising the gas tax for the first time in two decades and signing off on a $1 billion plan to rebuild Baltimore's crumbling schools.

Penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana in Maryland — less than 10 grams — will drop in October, when a new law goes into effect reducing the maximum prison term to 90 days from one year and cutting the potential fine in half, to $500 from $1000. Baltimore State's Attorney Gregg Bernstein backed the bill, which was signed into law Wednesday, as a way to reduce the number of cases clogging the city's circuit courts. "To continue making Baltimore safer, we must focus our limited resources on the strategic investigation and aggressive prosecution of violent offenders," Bernstein said in a statement.

The Ravens' penchant for collecting yellow flags this season is a source of worry for coach John Harbaugh, who himself has been penalized twice for unsportsmanlike conduct. One of those penalties was declined, but there is no denying the Ravens have produced some alarming numbers when it comes to penalties. In eight games, the Ravens have accumulated the second-most penalties (66) in the NFL and have lost the third-most yards (577) due to penalties. Only the Washington Redskins are worse with 75 penalties.