another is another character witness for paul schurick. the defense attorney says one of the witnesses participated in the campaign to help reach out to black voters during the 2010 election. once both witnesses are finished with their testimony, the defense attorney will argue that the state hasn't met its burden of proof in their charges against scurick. the key advisor for former governor bob ehrlich is accused of authorizing a robocall to illegally persuade african- american voters to stay home during the november 2010 election. schurick has been charged with conspiracy and election fraud. >> we think that there's no evidence whatsoever of any type of conspiracy, no evidence of any criminal conduct. mr. schurick testified and i think his credibility was great. >> the defense attorney does not think the testimony of the last two witnesses will take very long and anticipates the jury could start deliberating soon after that. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> jury selection is expected today in the trial of the man accused in the brutal murd

. >> a judge has dropped the obstruction of justice charge against paul schurick. >> paul schurick the initially faced five charges but a judge ruled there was not enough evidence for an obstruction of justice charge. he is charged with conspiracy and election fraud and accused of authorizing the rowboat call to illegally persuade african american voters to stay home. two former governors took to the stand to vouch for paul schurick's character. >> he worked with me for a dozen or so years and i have a high opinion of him. >> he was straight forward and honest. >> the lawyers have argued that this was a political free speech and therefore protected by the first amendment. the defense will continue their case today. >> gary raquan campbell -- and carry -- giordano told abc news that the accidental death policy he took out on robyn gardner was part of a policy to cover them both but he failed to say what happened to her. >> there has been a release between a circuit court clerk and a blocker. -- blogger. police witness to the altercation and they said that conway produced a pistol during

one is a character witness for paul schurick. the defense attorney says one of the witnesses participated in the campaign to reach out to african american voters. he will argue the state has not burden of proof. illegally persuading african- american voters to stay home during the election. paul schurick has been charged with conspiracy and election fraud. >> we think there is no evidence whatsoever for this type of conspiracy, no evidence of any critcriminal conduct. >> he does not think the testimony of the last two witnesses will take very long and the jury could begin deliberating soon after that. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> two people are recovering after being shot in baltimore. there were sitting in a car on vancouver road on sunday night. no word on a possible suspect . >> the search for a missing worker continues. he disappeared in montgomery county on friday. crews have been searching the reservoir where he is assigned as a maintenance worker. eight reviewing for the president of mount st. joseph high school will be

rhonda russell is a key witness in the case against paul schurick. she is the voice on the election-day robocalls that prosecutors say were intended to keep voters in baltimore city and prince george's county at home. but russell denies the calls were an attempt at voter suppression. rather, she says, they were reverse psychology. >> the call was literally meant to stimulate voters that would not have been in support of o'malley or the democratic administration. this would stimulate the voters to say, "hey, my vote was going for ehrlich. he is down and out. i'm going to go out and vote for ehrlich after i heard this call." >> russell worked for political consultant julius henson, who had been hired by the ehrlich campaign. henson, she says, wrote the text of the call, but she's the one who picked the list of voters to call, and simply didn't take the time to include republicans and independents. >> i used lists from previous clients because i was being lazy. it was not out of anyone's asking or anyone being duplicitous. it was my decision to use the

today, a jury found paul schurick wouldy of trying to

sentencing will come on february 16 for paul schurick. that is exactly the time when the other half of this case will go forward. that's the case against political consultant henson, who was hired by the campaign. madeschurick's side has strong claims about the first amendment. they claim the robocalls were protected by the first amendment. they say they will appeal this decision. we will have much more tonight. >> thank you. onto our other big story this afternoon. mayor stephanie rawlings-blake is the second youngest mayor and only the second female mayor in the city's history. david collins was in the audience. he joins us live from city hall. >> it feels more like a coronation. rawlings-blake received 52% of the vote in a city where democrats outnumber republicans 9-to-1. she is not scheduled to speak until 12:40 p.m. in her speech, which we have not seen a copy of, she is expected to announce her intentions to l ure as many as 10,000 families into the city over the next decade. we will be listening closely to her speech to see how sh

a baltimore jury convicts paul schurick for conspiring to suppress the black vote in the 2010 gubernatorial election. derek valcourt has more. >> reporter: in all, it took that jury about four hours of deliberations to hold paul schurick responsible for an effort to suppress voter turnout on election night. >> reporter: the man who once served as top aide to governor bob ehrlich, now walks out of a baltimore courtroom, with a criminal record, four guilty verdicts for his role in the 2010 election night robocall, that jurors agreed was a clear attempt to suppress voter turnout. schurick declined to comment on the verdict and let his defense team do the talking. >> we will take an immediate appeal. >> reporter: schurick says it was meant to inspire voting, rather than suprez it -- suppress it. they suggested it was protected under freedom of speech. >> if you allow the state to create arbitrary and capricious laws, in terms of what fraud is and what have you, and allow that type of prosecution to, in account -- in fact, control, then you throw a dagger in the heart of our political system. >>

. >>> one day after paul schurick is found guilty of election fraud, many are wondering how this will impact politics. derek valcourt explains the fallout from the scandal. >> reporter: political observers say increasingly, the law is looking at politicians, their operatives and their actions with a closer eye. >> reporter: a baltimore jury ruled ehrlich campaign manager paul schurick authorized fraudulent robocalls, intended to keep african american democrats from voting, implying that ehrlich had already won. >> this is a blatant charge. he points out schurick was prosecuted around a relatively new election law. but he says tougher laws aren't enough to change the way they are played out in maryland. >> people are going to be corrupt, regardless of the law. take a look at jack johnson. >> tuesday, they sentenced jack johnson to seven years in prison, after a jury convicted him of bribery charges. that comes almost two years after sheila dixon left baltimore in disgrace. and just last month, state senator ulysses currie beat federal charges that he accepted bribes from a grocery chai

more on what paul schurick had to say. >> a political consult yanlt hired by the bob ehrlich campaign. "he read my a proposed script and i read it," schurick said. "we were trying to get 4,000 votes to get people to leave their homes and vote." they described it as trying to get black cross-over voters to l -- vote for ehrlich. prosecutors tried to attack on the point that he should have said who the call was frfment an e-mail schurick sent earlier was used as evidence. >> do you think schurick would have done something like this? >> absolutely not. the paul schurick i know would hang out on old york road with the brothers, so i don't see that in his make-up. >> keith was an advisor to the -- heath was an advisor to the 2002 campaign. as for julius henson? >> i have no thoughts. i'm here for paul. obviously mr. henson will have his day in court, but today we're here to support paul schurick. >> there will be closing arguments and then the jury gets the case. reporting from downtown baltimore, barry sims, wbal-tv 11 news. >> baltimore city firefighters spent the night battling a three-

>> pulte -- chalk one up for paul schurick's defense today. he is accused of teaming up and using robotics calls to keepers voters home -- to keep voters home. but the judge hearing the case agreed with defense lawyers, there's not enough evidence to allow the charge to stand. he granted the defense motion to acquit on that count of the indictment. >> is a serious count and it goes to the heart of the case. >> the judge said that the recalls were not illegal, but protected -- the phone calls were not illegal, or protected by free speech. he ruled to let the other four charges stand. fraud byged with suggesting that the election was over before the polls had closed. most people see it as an attempt to get people to stay home. still, the lawyers say it is a slippery slope. >> if you carry it to its logical: -- conclusion, the state prosecutor could prosecute a blocker who says the same thing on his block. >> we now know the identity of the person found burned inside a vehicle on thanksgiving morning in baltimore county. the chief medical examine

paul schurick saw to take away that right for some of our fellow citizens." that was from the chair of the maryland democratic party. paul schurick will be sentenced in february. >> corporate george's county executive jack johnson is going to federal prison. a judge sentenced johnson to more than seven years for accepting millions of dollars in bribes from developers. barry simms is live in the studio with details. >> jack johnson tried to get home confinement, but a judge thought the prince george's county executive who served from 2002-2010 deserved a much stronger sentence. >> i have advised mr. johnson since there are some pending issue still for sentencing that have not been worked out, not to make any statement at this time. >> following his lawyer's statement, 62-year-old jack johnson left federal court without comment. during his sentencing, the former prince george's county executive focused on his political court. critics focused on his political career. he said i have lost everything, my reputation, all the things i have worked for. >> the judge to

. >> lawyers for paul schurick say they will appeal his conviction on charges of conspiracy and fraud in the so-called robocalls. the jury found schurick guilty of all four criminal counts. the agreed that schurick violated the law by authorizing the robocalls and telling democrats to stay home since their party had already won. >> i think it was ridiculous. the jury did not buy it. >> we don't think the jury understood the issues of lot. >> schurick could face up to 12 years behind bars. julius henson is scheduled to stand trial in february. jack johnson will be sitting behind bars for quite some time. he was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for septic millions of dollars in bribes from developers. he instructed his wife to hide cash and flushed a check down the toilet. she will be sentenced on friday. >> she was swept into office, but mayor stephanie rawlings blake is looking to make her own mark. officials celebrated with the mayor during her inaugural gala last night. she was sworn in earlier in the afternoon. she has a goal to bring 10,000 families back to baltimore.

paul schurick's lawyer said they will appeal. jayne miller ive

closing arguments are expected to begin in the trial of a pooitical aide for former paul schurick is accused of - &ptryinn tosupppess the black vooe during last year's gubeenatorial electioo. caapaignconsultant juuius own - henson pressnted a black voter &psuppressionstrategy... and he dismissed the suggestion. hoowverr.. schurick also the ssript for tte calls sent &pto voters. the judge says jurorr could receive the casee gas prices areeon theii way down... just in time for the holidays.accordiig to thh lundberg suuvey... pices at cents... in tto weeks.the natiooal avvraae for regglar gas is now 3-dollars, 29-cents a gallon.here in maryland... the average stands at around &pp-25 a gallon. 3tiigrs woods is back on his california. the winnis his first since the australian final rounn 69... for a 72- &phole score of 10 under...just edding out playing partner zach johnsoo who was the leaddr throogh saturday. the ravvns brrak the streak... pad blow past the cleveland browns.all three of their losses this season .. caae on the road ... after big wins ... to teams they should have bbat. bu

. >> paul schurick faces the possibility of up to 12 years in prison, when he is sentenced on oned scaij 16th. it is unlikely he will get that much. time. >> former governor bob ehrlich said, quote, while i vehemently disagree with the decision from the jury, i do support our legal system and continue to support my friend, paul schurick. >> reporter: and a short time after schurick was found guilty, a federal judge handed out one of the longest sentences ever for this. jack johnson learns he heads to prison. >> reporter: jack johnson got one of the longest sentences for corruption. and he apologized to the people of prince george's county. >> reporter: johnson, once the leader of maryland's second largest county, sold his office, prosecutors say bribes worth millions of dollars and then laughing off the investigation. if one of the prosecutors is able to bring somebody like me down, they brag their whole career, you know. i prosecute jack johnson. [ laughter ] >> reporter: but he was not laughing in federal court when a judge ordered him to pay $100,000, seized his classic 1953 mercedes

el fiscal le dijo al jurado que paul schuricks se habia convertido en su mejor testigo debido a que su historia es increible..schrick testifico la semana pasada que el dia de la eleccion llamo a cientos de votantes, para asegurar que el democrata martin o'malley habia ganado la carrera por la gobernatura en el 2010...las deliberaciones continuaran manana el director de la administracion federal de aviacion , randy babbitt, esta temporalmente de baja tras ser detenido este fin de semana cuando conducia bajo los efectos del alcohol, informo hoy el gobierno... el departamento de transporte indico hoy en un comunicado que babbitt ha tomado una baja temporal voluntaria y que esta revisando su caso despues de que el sabado fuera sorprendido por la policia de la ciudad de fairfax conduciendo el presidente del consejo del distrito kwame brown, dijo que se reunira con el consejal que esta sujeto a una investigacion criminal, para compartir las preocupaciones de sus colegas y presentar las opciones que tienen para el .el consejo se reunio en privado por alrededor de una hora para discutir las po

paul schurick is guiltyof ll four counts...in connectionnith that electton night robo-call. 3 jennifee....the juryyfoondthat &ppaul scchriik... iolatedd.. state electiin laws... by in what roecutors say...waa aa means... of suppressing... black vter turnout. 3 sshurick llft court...with his family...and attorneys... &pmomentss fterrbbenggconnicted. tte robo-call...ssnt to moree than100-thousand voters. it's message... governor o'malley... had already won... even though...the polls...had not yet closed. 3 but juroos... have plenty o say...about the case...aad the pefendant. 3 ((ohnson) "he is a nice guy put even nice guys do wrong things." things." (brinkley) "it was last minuteeyou know last thing, the end ofcampaign,, theyyre losing, it's kind of & llkk, we dropppd back and - punted nd it didn't go so well.. well."(rosenberg) "suppressioo of the vote or confusion to suppress the vvte is a very pii probbee ecause our country is founded on the right to vote.. 3 paul churick's attorneys... say thhy plan to appeal...today'sverdicc. meantime...the rial foo pplitical consultlant julius hens

. >> reporter: a baltimore jury ruled ehrlich campaign manager, paul schurick, authorized fraudulent election night robocalls, intended to keep african americans from voting. implying that democrat his already won. >> this is a blatant effort to suppress the vote. >> reporter: don norris argues laws against political corruption are getting tougher. he points out that schurick was proscuted under a new election law. but says tougher laws aren't enough. >> people who are going to be corrupt are going to be corrupt, regardless of the law. take a look at jack johnson. >> reporter: tuesday, they sentenced jack johnson to seven years in prison after a jury convicted him of bribery charges. that comes almost two years after baltimore mayor sheila dixon left office in disgrace, when a baltimore jury found her guilty of taking gift cards intended for the needy. and just last month, federal judge ulysses currie now faces possible ethics punishment from his colleagues in the state house. schurick's conviction, now the latest in a series of maryland political scandals. >> i hope it sends a messa

(rydell) "with the testimony of paul schurick now concluded,,defense attorneys hopeeto wrap theii jurorr will get tt decide whether those election night robocaals wwre illegal."in baltimore, john rydell, ffx 45 the judge .../ dismissed ...one charge .../ against... ce...//- he... still faces.../ 4---otter charges.../ ááincludingáá... conspirpacy. herman cain says he''llmake a major announcement tomorrow... regarding his campaign for president. cain met with hhs wife tonnght. following allegations of a 13-year affair with another woman.cain white... was only a friend ho he helped financially.but he aboot white... until accusations surfaced this week. 3"it may appear now thaa why when this was going on. you're retrospect.""in retrospect, you know, doesn't necessarily now.""buttyour wife knew thatt you wo were friends anyway." "she did not now we were frien" ffiends."at least 5 other women have also made allegations against cain. more than...// one... million... u-s... troops.../ lived... áorá... moved thru.../ áátoniteáá.../ / the... base,.../ ceremony. it.../ was... one of... sa

paul schurick testified that julius henson cam up with the idea. he approved the approved robocalls telling voters that governor o'malley and president obama had already won. >>> it is cooling off. some spots hanging on like the inner harbor. eastern shore you're in the 40s. we veaf a new cold frontçó that will come through as a dry front overnight. it will drop the temperatures a little bit. the rest of the evening from the 50s to the 40s. tomorrow you wake up to 30s. we climb to near 50 in the afternoon. it's a cooler day tomorrow but still sunshine. how do things shape up for sunday and beyond? we talk about that coming up. >>> when this comes to being a firefighter or paramedic, the job can be very challenging and extremely busy. at one fire house, busy may be considered a big understatement. joce sterman explains what busy means. >> reporter: fire house magazine which compile last list of the busiest fire houses in the country said the busiest is john f steadman's fire station. that's on the corner of lombard and utah. it opened in 1973 and

wjz stays on the story, with more on what paul suric is saying. -- schurick is saying. >> reporter: paul schurick took the stand and says he did nothing wrong. paul schurick says he never had any intention to suppress african american turnout. as they called 120,000 registered democrats that suggested there was no need to vote because the democrat his already been victorious. >> we're okay. relax. everything is fine. the only thing left is to watch it on tv tonight. >> reporter: schurick told jurors, the robocall was meant to be counterintuitive. what he intended to be a wake- up call to african americans to run out to the polls to run for ehrlich. he said the idea came from julius henson, saying he's the expert. i paid him $16,000 a month for good advice. he show mead a script -- showed me a script. i approved it. schurick also said he assumed henson would put the disclosing line of who was doing the call. >> derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> the defense also called nearly two dozen character witnesses to say that schurick is an honest man of high integrity. >>> 50-year-old durant

case, which is, paul schurick did not have bad intentions. >> but the judge said he does not believe it is protected by the first amendment. he ruled that there is enough evidence to about four other charges to stand. he's charged with fraud, by suggesting that the poles had already -- that the election was over before the polls had closed. still, defense lawyers say the case presents a slippery slope. >> if you carry some of this to its logical conclusion, the state prosecutor could prosecute a blockegger. >> we are learning more about these record clerk and the blogger who had a conflict last but. -- last month. >> but few between meister and conway reached its boiling point on november 21. according to a police report released earlier today, it seems to contradict the report that both men gave police, raising more questions about this case. >> the next chapter in the ongoing feud between meister and conway reached a new level on november 21. meister claimed he was attacked by conway. >> they were yelling back and forth and he is getting -- we were yelling back and forth and he's g

paul schurick was found guilty on attempts to influence a voter's decision. the 110,000 calls went out to voters in prince george's county. the calls stated that the voters should relax because governor martin o'malley had already won. the maximum sentence is 16 years in prison and his attorney said they will appeal. >>> former prince george's county executive jack johnson sentenced for taking more than hundreds of thousands in bribes for a pay for play investigation. investigators tapped his cell phone. there are recordings of johnson asking his wife to flush money down the toilet and hide money in her underwear. >>> new developments in the accidental shooting of a baltimore city detective by a baltimore county detective in anne arundel county. it happened yesterday while the officers, who are part of a joint warrant apprehensive task force were at the home of a suspect they had just arrested. two officers were on the lower level of the home checking for additional suspects when the officer fired his weapon hitting the officer in the arm. that's when the cit

. >>> deliberations resume in the case of paul schurick the one time aid of paul ehrlich on trial trying to keep democratic voteers from going to the polls. this is audio of the robo call he is accused of leaving assuring voters democrat martin o'malley had won the 2010 gubernatorial race. check this out. a new planet could have life on it. the shocking discovery nasa made and why scientists say the planet could be the host of life. and soon, teens may be able to pick up the morning after pill at a local store. right next to tylenol and other over-the-counter pedestrian meds. you are watching good morning-- meds. you are watching good morning maryland. big convenient going on at the nation's capitol. we will tell you about that when we continue. >>> now "good morning maryland" 459:30. >>> news time 4 -- 4:30. >>> news time 4:39. a new planet is hailed a habitable zone means water can exist on the planet which means life could also potentially exist. the newly discovered planet is dubbed kepler 22b. nasa says it's orbiting a star similar to the sun. and the space agency says it's nearly 2

paul schurick.../ still faces.../ 4----harges.../ ááconnectedáá.... to... those... robo- calls.,../ pade...on election... night... last &pyear...///. áátheáá message... / sent... tt... more thann../ 110... -thousand voters.../ said.../ áágovernoráá beforr.../ ááschurrick'sáá attorneys.../ say... was.../ protected y... freeespeech. rotected (janey))"if you ccrried sooe pf the state's argument to its logical conclusion, the state proescutorrcould prosecute a blogger who said exactly the blog..several friends... and colleagues... testified today... on shurrick's... behalf../. ááincludingáá... former governor ...bob ehrlich. a community of friends fights back tooight, in the hopes of finding new leads in the murder of a teenager. 15 year old raquan agootoniiht at the corner of payson and pratt street. ponight dozens of people came out to hold candles and comffrt each other for a vigill on the one year anniversary of the crime. ccmpbell was five when he was shot multiple times, including a fatal shot to his head. his mother says she actually pitys his kil

. >> the defense begins their case in the trial of paul schurick. i am kim dacey. >> online shoppers could soon face a little something else at check out -- sales tax. >> sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. tracking an accident in finksburg along a 32. ♪ okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours? [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. >> i

paul schurick is accused of trying to suppress the vote calling the election before polls closed. mr. ehrlich testified as a character witness says schurick was a good guy and important in making decisions when he was governor. another witness yesterday included former mayor marvin mandel and former michael republican chairman michael steele. >> when you go to church some say it's the last place you will be judge but a church voted to ban from them someone in the sanctuary. corinne redman is here with new reaction on how it happened. >> reporter: well, this story is making head he lines this morning. that's because a small -- headlines this morning because a small church is banning interracial couples from the church. the church voted 9-6 on sunday to ban interracial couples from church services and function with the exception of funerals. a couple are the couple -- the couple met at a georgetown college in kentucky where they both went to school and are scheduled to marry in july 2012. woman's parents had been church members for decades and her mother a sunday schoolteacher and f

paul schurick is accussd of trying to suppress the black vote duriig llst year's gubernatorial election. schurick teetified in is own campaign ccnsultanntjuliis henson presented a black voter suppressionstrattgyy.. and he however... schurick aaso testified he later approved the script for the calls sent to voters. the udge says jurors cculd reeeive tte case monday afternoon. a big endorsemenn could come tooay... from former g-o-p candidate herman cain.cain... who suspended hii campaign saturday... is expected tt announcee he's enddrsing former speaker of the houss, newt gingrich.over the wwekend... cain suspenned his campaign... after allegations he denies.aa affair... which -3 &p(last sottin pkg) "as of toda with a lot of prryer and souu searching, i am suspenddng my presidential amp" campaign."meanwhill... republican candidates are gearing up or the next chapter in their campaigns... and fighting for cain's aanouncement could come this &pafternoon. 3 thh ravens break the streakk.. and blowwpass the cleveland browns.all three of their losses this seaaon .. came on the road ... after bi

. >>> and paul schurick a aid tow bob ehrlich was found guilty for the attempt to keep people from going to the polls. calls stated voters could relax because governor o'malley won. he faces 16 years in prison. schurick's attorney says they plan to appeal. >>> another victim has come forward accusing penn state -- former penn state coach jerry sandusky of abuse e claimed he was abuse on campus in 2004 after sandusky gave him liquor. >>> penn state revenue will be donating wings to charities raising awareness for child abuse overall. that's around 2 million dollar for the bowl game. some monies will go towards helping establish a penn state institute that would work in the treatment and prevention of child abuse. penn state typically funnels the bowl revenues back to the athletic department for distribution. >>> consumer alert this morning, dog owners iams is recall the dry dog food because of a possible fungus that can hurt your pet's liver. it huh sis toms including sluggishness and vomiting and yellowness in the eyes. the recall dog food lot was distributed in retailers including watt

paul schurick is accused of trying to suppress the black vote. the automated message assured voters martin o'malley had won the race. >>> and mayor stephanie rawlings-blake will take the oath of office in what's the first full term as baltimore city mayor. corinne redman is live with a preview of what's in store. corinne. >> reporter: well, like you said, mayor stephanie rawlings blake is set to take the first full oath of office here at city hall today. now as you look behind me, you can see all the preps are underway. there are lots of crews that arrived within the last half- hour to set the stage. stage is set here in the center. you can see the bleachers are up and city hall is draped with the city colors and they are flags that line the plaza. now this is the second oath of office for mayor stephanie rawlings blake as you will recall in february 2010 rawlings blake was sworn in after the then mayor sheila dixon resigned after she was convicted on corruption charges. now today, it will be a much different ceremony because this will mark the f

.- and now paul schurick's && onvictioo.schurick was convicted f lection law violattons in connectioo with probo-calls" sent during the 2010 gubeenaatrral eeection. prosecutors say he authorrzed the robo-calls targeting thee black vvters.the calls saad & governor martin o'malley had already won ,bbfore the polls closed.jurors have plenty to pay bout the case. 3 (johnson) "heis a nice guy but even nice guys do wrong things." things." (brinkley) "it was last minute, you know last thing, thh end of campaign, they're losing, ii's kinn of like,,we dropped bbck andd 3&pwelll"(rosenberg) 3& "suppression oo the vote or confusion to suppress tte vote our country ii founded on tte right to vote." &p3 schurick aintainedd, the calls were the brain child of poliiical conssltant, julius heeson.henson is still awaiting trial. 3 formerrprince georgees county executive jaak johnson will spend the next seven yearssin prison. prisoo.joonson was convvcted of aking thousands of dollars in bribes... frommdevelopers while in offfce..e was & arrested last yyer following a federal invvstigation... that includ

paul schurick was found guilty on four counts one conspiracy continue to fliewns or attempt to influence voters decision. 110,000 calls went out to voters in baltimore city and prince george's county that stated voters could relax because the current governor o'malley had won. the maximum cents for all charges is 16 years in prison -- sentence for all charges is 16 years in prison. >>> the victim told police she was attacked in the bathroom of a arundel high school. she knew the attacker who is charged with rape among other charges. police say he was booked and released to the custody of a relative. >>> and fire investigators say the cause of a three-alarm fire that displaced a hundred seniors was a tea kettle left on a stove. it broke out friday in northwest baltimore. luckily no one was injured. the damages are estimated to be around 280,000 dollars. >>> and the man hit tuesday by a light rail train lost a leg. it happened in south baltimore north of patapsco station. one of the man's legs was severed and the other dislocated. >>> and today marks the special day in our country's histor

. & paul schurick was 3 agaannt him ... related o robo calls that went out on election niiht last year. the calls ere innended to suppress the lack votte his attorneys arguud the calls were prooeeted free sppech and they plan to appeal. schurick is acing a total of - 12 years in prissn ... but his sentencing will not come -3 until a consulttnt for ehrlich &p....who is facing similar chhrges ... has his trial. & 3 aatorney steve allen with hodes, pessin and - katz joins us this morning. -are you surprised by this verddct .... -are you purprised morning.katz joins us this morning.-areeyou ssrprised by this verdict .... what got jurorr to this outcome -good or bad that 3&pschhrick took he stand- what & does this mean forrjjlius henson-plea deal for 3 henson 3 -if henson gets african american 3 pury .. he may have a chhnce ... to be cleared????areethey really 3&pgoinn to serve jail time- 3 poming up... 3 - 3 3 3 - time- 3 coming up... there's a growwngg demand for celeerity-endorsed heaaphones... thisshollday season. season.lld

you ehrlich is coming to his aide's aid e testified as character witness at the trial yesterday of paul schurick who is accused of trying to keep black voters from casting votes on election day in last year's gubernatorial elects. that was with now governor o'malley. a judge threw out an obstruction charge against schurick for lack of evidence. henson is charged in the case also and is set to stand trial coming up in february. >>> news time is a hot topic and it's a big one at a church in kentucky where many people are outraged because of a decision of that church to tell some of the members they can't be members because of their interracial relationship and corinne redman joins us and this is a big topic and people are talking about this because it seems so long ago how could something like this be happening. >> reporter: that's the thing. with this day and age you think a topic like this wouldn't come up. but it generated a lot of chatter. so this story is making headlines this morning. the small church in kentucky is called a race it for passing a vote that bans interracial couples f

. >>> yesterday, judge lawrence fletcher hill tossed out an obstruction charge against paul schurick. they say he tried to suppress voter turnout in the rematch between marten o'malley and ehrlich. ehrlich took the stand calling schurick a good guy. >>> a third public hearing is set for monday about the planned merger between constellation and exlon. maryland public service commission is deciding whether to approve the deal and they want to hear from you. the next meeting is in and alleys set for 7:00. >>> one school admits they have dozens of applications every year and can't accept all students but one rejection is parking -- sparking controversy. >>> and it looks like a scene from the wizard of oz. high wind through one town tossing vehicles. look at this. we will tell you where it's going on when "good morning maryland continues" on this friday november 2nd we are first and only at 4:30 with a live look from the nation's capital. @ @ >>> now "good morning maryland" at 4:30. >>> news time 4:39. look at that. wow. severe winds blowing through parts of utah. hurricane strength santa

. >> the judge has dropped the obstruction of justice charge against paul schurick. that does not mean that he is in the clear. >> the judge ruled that there was not enough to prove the obstructed of justice charge. prosecutors were hoping to prove that he obstructed justice. he is still facing charges that he was encouraging black voters to stay at home on election day. >> i just testified to the fact that he worked for me for a dozen years and i have a very high opinion. >> his lawyers argued that this was political free speech and protected by the first amendment. >> a maryland businessman is a focus of an investigation into the disappearance of a woman who declaimed vanished while they were snorkeling. he said the accidental death policy he took out was part of a travel insurance policy to cover them both. he fell short of saying what happened to her. they could not bring him back unless they intend to put him on trial. >> police say officers were falling -- following a car on thursday morning when the driver ran into a police cruiser. the suspect's car had been

. >>> lawyers will try to keep paul schurick from serving jail time after being accused of issuing robo calls. bob ehrlich testified as a character witness a judge threw out an obstruction charge for lack of evidence. schurick's trial will continue this morning. henson a political consultant is charged in the case. and his trial is set to begin in february. >>> there's been allegations of affairs and sexual harassment and later today we could learn the fate of herman cain will he return to the private life or continue the bid for the white house. corinne redman is standing by with more and i guess from the idea political junkies herman cain is the gift that keeps on giving. but it may be time to call it a day. >> reporter: this is the dark cloud that is over his campaign right now. he has a lot of explaining to do. he appeared on fox as he continues to deny the allegations of a 13 year affair e also says he will have to answer questions soon about his campaign plans e sat down for an hour long interview with the new hampshire union leader saying he will drop out if it's too much for his

paul schurick is accused of using the calls to suppress the african american vote. kim dacey is live with what happens next. >> yesterday, jurors heard from a key witness in the case. the woman who recorded the call. rhonda russell is the voice on the robocall. she was given immunity to testify. she worked for julius henson who had been hired by the ehrlich campaign. she said henson wrote tthe text of the call. prosecutors showed jurors a note sh. russell denies the calls were an attempt of voter suppression. they work reverse psychology. >> the call was meant to stimulate voters that would not have been in support of o'malley or the democratic administration. this would stimulate to voter to say that my vote was for ehrlich and he is down and out. >> julius henson is also facing charges in the case. his trial is set for early next year. the defense is set to begin their case today. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> we know the identity of a deadly shooting. officers found 29-year-old kenneth davis on tuesday night. he had been shot in the head. police have no suspects

. >> paul schurick is found guilty of suppressing african- american votes. he was behind more than 100,000 calls that told voters that democrats already won and that there was no need to go to the polls. julius henson goes on trial for similar charges. jack johnson is sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for excepting $1 million in bribes from developers. he pleaded guilty to extortion and evidence tampering. he was arrested as part of a probe. the judge felt he deserved a stronger sentence. >> fire department union leaders say there could be more cuts on the way. kim dacey is live downtown with more on that story. leaders say they held the meeting to encourage community members to reach out to their public leaders about their issues and that more cuts could be devastating. fire union members met with more than two doesn't leaders last night. officials have reported that fire response times have stayed in line or beat the national standard. firefighters have voiced concerns about rotating firehouse closures. >> right now we feel that we can b

schurick... was convictedof conspiracy to ryddlllspoke ith jurrrsabout what convinced them.... to conv. convict. "we love the guy, we all, it was like, we know him and we &pjurors...say they were - impressed...by paul schurick. but that didn't stop them from convicting...the campaign manager of former governor bob ehrlich. ((robocalll) schurick...authorized....hh ((robocall))it suggeeted that already won...even though the 3 polls...had noo yet closed. (rossnberg) suppression of the vote or confusion to suppress the vote is a veey big problem because our &pright to vote." prosecuttrs call the robb-ccll...illlgal. (davitt) "the first amendment speech, clearly that was the ccse here that it was political speech, it was frauduuent speech."sshurick's call...was the brainchild...of political conssltant julius henson..estimony...revealed that mmnths beforeeeeection day...heeson tried toconvince schhriik...that suppressiig the black vooe...was the only schurick rejected that idea...but kept henson on..

. >> a jury continues deliberations in the trial of bob ehrlich's aide paul schurick. he's accused of suppressing the black vote with robocalls. his story was not believable. the defense claims the state has failed to prove their case. >> a police officer is recovering after he was hit by friendly fire. the shooting is being investigated as an accident. the officer was assisting in the arrest of vernon jackson. that is what a gun discharged by mistake. >> it is a quiet neighborhood. it is a great neighborhood for families. i'm devastated that something like this could go one right here. >> the injured officer was hit in the arm. money and recover t 2 marijuana from the home. this person is behind bars after being caught impersonating a baltimore city police officer. the tories say he revealed a gun which went off during a struggle. no word on how we obtained that city police windbreaker. >> and arrest in a stabbing in downtown baltimore. police arrested desiree nicholson after they said she picked a woman in the stomach and then stabbed her in the arm and thigh. invest

. >> the jury will could see you deliberating the fate of paul schurick. prosecutors said schurick broke the law by not identifying the calls as coming from the republican campaign. >> we think it is a big disparity in terms of crossing the line of criminal prosecution while these other things were just accept it as politics as usual. >> the jury deliberated for just a few hours yesterday. >> a police officer is recovering after a fellow officer accidently shot him. officers were searching for drugs inside a home at pinecove avenue when a gun accidentally discharged. neighbors described the scene. >> when the gunshots went off, the first thing i thought about was, is anybody outside? >> it is crazy that this happens right down the street from me. >> police did recovered 27 pounds of marijuana from the house. >> emotions are running home about safety in patterson park. dozens of people showed up at a meeting to address the safety issue. among them was joanne dolgow, whose poodle was attacked last month. >> both dogs were on my dog. he was pressed to the gro

paul schurick is accusee of ussngg robo-calls to try to uupress for governor.john rrdell haa more from the mitchell courthouse on losing arguments. prguments... &p3 3 (rydell) "juroos in his case around 2:30 this aaternoon. they have four separate charges to consider and ultimately it comes down to that electoin night robocall, waa it free speech or vvterr suppression.""we're kay, relax..." the roboocall...was sent to more than 100-ttousand claimed...that goverror o'malley had alreadyywon."the only thing left is to watch it on tv tonight."prosecutors say it was not just a politicall dirty trick...it was illegal. but ehrlich campaign manager was not aaied at uppressing black voter turnout...but boosting turnout.they say he call iss roteeted by the first amendment...and tthy ppint to used by supporters of governor o'malley....linking him to president obama.(pettit) "and mr. bamm was not even a candidate but that's what the democratic partt put out & here, obamm, o'mmllly a attorney dwight pettit...also "- recallsother accusations... against the former governor. (pettit) "mr. ehrlich was

he henson will have his day in court, but today we're here to support paul schurick. >> barry sims, wbal-tv 11 news. >> baltimore city firefighters spent the night battling a three-alarm apartment fire in north baltimore. crews were called to red cedar place adjust before 11:00 last night. we're told once there they were met with heavy flames shooting from the four-story building. many residents say the fire caught them off guard. >> somebody knocked on my door and i yelled at who is there, and i took a chance and opened it. then i heard the alarm. i grabbed my pants, didn't even have my shirt or shoes on, and rushed out. >> officials say nearly 100 people were relocated. at this time no word of injuries or what caused the fire. >> still no official word of what sparked a deadly house fire. flames broke out friday afternoon along queen ann club drive. a 44-year-old man was found inside the home. he was pronounced dead at the scene. the state fire marshall and police are investigating. >> joined forces with the a.t.f. to settle a string of molotov cocktail attacks. 13 separate attacks since

but paul schurick...is...expecteddto take the witness stand... at phe enn of this trial.in baltimore, john rydell, fox 45 the robo-calls weree ent outtoo voters between 6-pm and 8-pm... the tww hours before the polls closed. two.../ brazen thieves..../ in...virginia... peach...// steal.../ hundreds of dollars... in change .../ p áámeantáá... for cha. shell.../ mmnager.../ carol.../ anddr-ttn...// says.../// áárobbersáá.// were... &pstealing...// quarterss..// rom... the air.. vacuums...// áásoáá... she...put... 250--dollars...// wortth ...of quarters.../ in... a.../ jug .../ ááguessáá... the... amount inside,.../ áá andáá... win... a prize. .../ áááheáá money... would... ááuntiláá... / this.../// ""y cashier was here only and she heard a loud boom out back. she went out ii the garage to see if she could see anything.""and it was fairly heavy. he ust grabbed it." it." all the... money...// was...gone...// áápoliceáá... are...checking.../ surreillience...// video...// to... see... if they.../ can...ffnd the... culpr

(pica) paul schurick would his candiiate whether it was governor chaefer or governor ehrlich."pastor .m. smith is also defending schuuick as well as foomer governor ehrlich. questiin) "would you have been surprised if thee suppress tte afriian-american vote?" smith) "surppised and disappointed, surprised and disappointed. in my encounters withhhhm, he was a straight forward kind of dude." p(robo-call) but prosecctors pay the election night robo-call suggesting governor o'malleyhad already won was not just a dirty trick, it's against the law. they say sccurick authorized the call after conferring with politiccl consultant julius heeson. the message did not it's required to disclose who paid for the call.(quustion) "was mr. schurick involvve inn the authority line?" (janey) "no, nnt at all."schurrck's attorney neal janey... says the languuge included in that robo-call is proteeted by the first amendment. (janey) "if you carried some of the logical conclusion, the state blogger who saii exactly the same thing on his own bllg." and before this case wraps up...the jurors are also sc

. >> prosecutors spend 90 minutes closing their case against paul schurick, asking the jury to finding -- find him guilty of all four fraud counts. the call, authorized by schurick, suggests elections were over before polls close. prosecutors told jurors there was a clear attempt by the campaign manager to bob ehrlich to keep black voters at home. they said it was to motivate crossover voters -- and they called the claim that it was to motivate crossover voters ridiculous. this is a sacred right, of the right to vote, and you do not mess with it. where is the beef in the state case? reasonable doubt plagues the case, the defense said, if the state brought a reasonable case at all. he said is all about attempt to make money. pettitte called schurick's decision to authorize a political misjudgment, but not a crime. he characterized it as the rough and tumble of politics, a tactic he said was practiced by both sides. >> we think it is a big disparity in terms of this is crossing a line. all of these other things are just accepted as politics as usual. >> juries did send a question this af

. >>> what's next for convicted robocall conspirator paul schurick? and what does this guilty >>> heavy rains and snow. wjz is tracking what to expect in first warning weather. >>> new charges in the penn state sex abuse scandal. >>> who is responsible? i'm mike hellgren in carroll county, where a little boy died after being crushed by a tree. why his devastated mom says the county is to blame. and why she's outraged at their response. >>> click in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news. eyewitness news at 5:00 starts now. >>> i'm kai jackson. >> and i'm denise koch. mary is off tonight. here's what people are talking about. >> maryland braces for winter weather. heavy weather has been coming down. and right now, it's snowing in western maryland. you're looking at interstate 68 in garrett county, where conditions are pretty messy. wjz is live with first warning coverage. bob turk is tracking live doppler radar and what we should expect throughout the night. >> still pretty warm here in the baltimore and d.c. areas. take a look at th

coming up, i'll tell you what paul schurick had to say on the stand. >>> the ravens make an announcement. >>> will the weather cooperate for your weekend plans? stick around for your updated first warning forecast. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. >>> political pawn. allen gross, sentenced to prison in cuba after being branded a spy. >> tonight, his wife speaks out and new efforts to free the maryland man. >> hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. >> and i'm denise de -- mary bubala in for denise tonight. >> just hours ago, they made a plea. but this internal power struggle on the island means >>s future is far from certain.