Opinion ID: 2062895
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Extrajudicial Events

Text: There then ensued a sequence of investigatory steps by police and the Grand Jury for Baltimore City which, for clarity's sake, we set out episodically in some detail. Detectives Marvin Sydnor and Bertina Silver testified to the events at which police were present. The record also includes the pertinent grand jury proceedings. Beginning at 11:35 p.m. on April 3, Rodney McCormick gave a statement to police detectives in which he said he heard shots on the street, and then joined Harris in aiding Carroll. McCormick added that he believed the shooting to be related to a turf dispute between drug dealers. He stated that earlier on April 3 he had overheard a conversation at a neighborhood store, Bell's Carry Out, in which Petitioner Nance told Petitioner Hardy and a third man, After we fuck him up, if he come back down here, we gonna kill him. McCormick further reported that later on April 3 he observed Nance, Hardy, and the third man beating Carroll, during which fight Nance took away Carroll's pistol. Both the questions and answers of this interview were written out on paper. The entire statement was read aloud to McCormick, who acknowledged it as true, noted the date and time, 1:05 a.m. of April 4, and signed it. Immediately thereafter, at 1:13 a.m. of April 4, McCormick was shown an array of six photographs. Detective Silver testified that McCormick was first read a standard instruction, which explained in pertinent part: This group of photographs may or may not contain a picture of the person who committed the crime now being investigated.... When you have looked at all the photos tell me whether or not you see the person who committed the crime. McCormick selected the picture of Petitioner Nance as the man involved in the earlier fight with Aaron Carroll; Detective Silver recorded his remark, That's him right there. To signal his choice, McCormick signed the photograph and also noted the time and date. Beginning at 2:30 a.m. on April 4, Antonio Harris gave a statement to police detectives in which he said that he saw Nance, Hardy, and a man named Matthew come up the street, pull guns, and shoot Carroll, who was unarmed. He reported, Matthew fired first, then everybody else started shooting. He heard a good eight shots. Carroll then ran to Harris and fell on him; then, with McCormick's help, Harris carried the victim away. Harris described Nance's weapon as a small revolver. He described Hardy's physical appearance and clothing. Harris identified Nance as his own brother, presumably his half-brother. He added that he had known Hardy for more than 10 years. Harris further told police that Carroll was shot for trying to deal drugs in a building where Carroll's killers sold them, and which they considered their own territory. As before, the questions and answers of this interview were reduced to writing. The entire statement was read aloud to Harris; he acknowledged it as accurate and true, initialed each of its 12 pages, and signed its last page at 3:30 a.m. Immediately thereafter, at 3:45 a.m. of April 4, Harris was read the standard instructions for a photographic array procedure as quoted above. He viewed several groups of six photographs each, from which he selected the picture of his half-brother, Nance. He signaled his choice by signing the photograph and noting the time and date. At 1:36 p.m. that afternoon, Harris again viewed an array of photographs, from which he selected and signed the picture of Hardy. Detective Silver recorded Harris' comment, That's Hardy. The Grand Jury for Baltimore City convened on April 4. Testifying under oath and penalty of perjury, McCormick and Harris repeated the substance of their statements given earlier to police. [1] In addition, McCormick and Harris acknowledged having selected photographs of Petitioners as the men they saw either beating Carroll or shooting Carroll. Their grand jury testimony was recorded and transcribed verbatim. Beginning at noon on November 26, 1990, Harris gave another statement to police and to an Assistant State's Attorney. [2] Harris told them that he had been approached by one Ernest Barnes, a friend of the third suspect, Matthew. Harris reported that he accompanied Barnes to the office of Matthew's lawyer, to whom he said that he would not testify at trial against any of the gunmen. He explained that he feared Barnes would retaliate if he testified, and wished to deceive him. Harris said he was afraid, Cause every time he [Barnes] has a problem, about two days or a day after somebody's always getting beat up or hurt. Nevertheless, Harris confirmed his original statement to police and indicated his willingness to testify in court. Detective Silver wrote out the questions and answers of this interview on paper. The entire statement was read aloud to Harris, who acknowledged it as true, noted the time and date, and signed it. Beginning at 10:43 a.m. on January 22, 1991, a third witness, Thomas Brown, gave a statement to police and an Assistant State's Attorney. He told them that he saw Nance, Hardy, Matthew, and others beating Aaron Carroll during the daytime of April 3, 1990, because Carroll sold drugs in their territory. Carroll then ran off, saying It's gonna be war, as Nance pointed a gun at him. Brown added that later Matthew warned him, You don't know nothing. Brown said he was afraid of the men he saw. The questions and answers of the interview were reduced to writing. Brown read the entire statement, initialed each of its pages, acknowledged it as true, noted the date and time, and signed it. The next day, January 23, 1991, Brown gave a second statement to police concerning a letter he had received from Petitioner Hardy. Brown stated that Hardy wrote, in part, You were my only hope in dealing with those things left unfinished. He explained that Hardy meant Brown was the only person left on the street available to kill Antonio Harris for cooperating with the police investigation of Aaron Carroll's murder. The questions and answers were again reduced to writing. Brown read the entire statement, initialed each page, acknowledged it as correct, and signed it.