Elijah Cummings: “I was motivated to address the issue of witness intimidation after the death of Angela and Cornell Dawson and their five…”

“I was motivated to address the issue of witness intimidation after the death of Angela and Cornell Dawson and their five children, ages 9 to 14. The entire family was killed, or should I say incinerated, in October 2002 when their home was firebombed in retaliation for Mrs. Dawson's repeated complaints to the police about recurring drug trafficking in her east Baltimore neighborhood. Since this time, witness intimidation has become a plague on our justice system. According to the National Institute of Justice, 51 percent of prosecutors in large jurisdictions find witness intimidation to be a major problem. Additionally, prosecutors in large jurisdictions suspect that witness intimidation occurs in up to 75 to 100 percent of the violent crimes committed in gang-dominated neighborhoods. In my hometown of Baltimore, it is estimated that witness intimidation occurs in 90 percent of the cases that are prosecuted. To make matters worse, the murder rate in the city is also at a record-breaking high. Today's Baltimore Sun reported that since January 1, there have been 229 homicides in Baltimore. At this pace, it is conceivable that the city will regretfully reach 300 homicides by the end of the year. While this figure is significantly lower than the record high of 353 homicides in 1993, the current situation is simply unacceptable. We need for our citizens to come forward by reporting crimes to law enforcement and testifying in court when appropriate.”