Baltimore County panel reviews recent police trial board outcomes, enters closed session

Baltimore County Administrative Charging Committee Chair Joan Harris said the committee reviewed the results of multiple police trial boards and then voted to go into a closed session during the committee’s noon meeting on March 7, 2025.

Staff member Henry summarized several recent trial board outcomes, starting with a trial board that concluded on Feb. 11. Henry said that hearing involved charges of unnecessary use of force, conduct unbecoming an officer, and discourteous conduct. He said the officer was found guilty on counts two and three (conduct unbecoming and discourteous conduct) and was found not guilty on count one (unnecessary use of force) by a vote of 2 to 1.

Henry told the committee a Feb. 14 trial board — which he said did not involve an Administrative Charging Committee case — found an officer guilty of cheating on an exam and that the officer was terminated. He also described a two-day trial board earlier in March that he said involved nine counts, principally allegations about altering a court document relating to a criminal case, failing to restrain a prisoner properly, a prisoner-guarding violation, and an improper-dress violation. Henry said the officer pled guilty to the prisoner-restraint-related counts (counts five through seven) and was found not guilty by a 3–0 vote on allegations related to altering a court document, false entry in a document, and misrepresenting facts to a supervisor and to internal affairs.

Henry said a trial board that had been scheduled for the week after the committee’s meeting — for alleged violations of National Crime Information Center rules and a misdemeanor charge — was canceled because the officer resigned. He also said there were two trial boards scheduled before the committee’s next meeting: March 20, for alleged failure to take appropriate police action; and March 25, for alleged excessive use of force, rude and discourteous conduct, and failure to notify a supervisor of use of force. Henry said trial boards are held at the Public Safety Building and can be viewed on a large TV screen in the building’s main entrance area.

Before the closed session, the committee approved the minutes from its Feb. 7 meeting after a motion and second; Chair Joan Harris announced the approval on the record. Chair Harris then asked for a motion to go into closed session; the committee voted in favor and entered closed session at 12:07 p.m. The committee returned to open session at 2:11 p.m. and then moved to adjourn. Chair Harris reminded members the committee’s next meeting is scheduled for April 4, 2025, at 12 p.m. in Room 1118 of the County Historic Courthouse and via Webex.

"Right, madam chair. So, we last met on February 7," Henry said during his report summarizing the trial board outcomes.

No statutes, ordinances, or formal disciplinary guidelines were cited on the record during the committee’s summary; the committee did not take additional public actions on the cases summarized at the March 7 meeting.