Fire Arms Investigation Enforcement Unit

Christina Bostick writes from Baltimore,

There was never a quiet day in the Fire Arms Investigation Enforcement Unit (FIVE) at the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office. There are fifteen attorneys, four secretaries, six law clerks, and an infinite amount of witnesses and attorneys constantly moving in and out of the office. The work is glum, but spirits are high and there is always an interesting assignment to be conquered. At any given time three to five attorneys could be in trial at one time and I had the opportunity to watch all of them.


One of the most memorable cases assigned to FIVE never went to trial. A young man was shot; saw the shooter; and was willing to testify against the shooter in court. His willingness to testify was a big deal because there is a "no snitching" movement in Baltimore and witnesses typically say they did not see anything, recant later, or disappear. However, in this case, his cooperation would not matter. He was a convicted perjurer and, according to Maryland law, he could not testify in a court of law. Or could he? It was my job to put my legal research skills to the test by investigating the constraints of this rule. As justice would seem to require, the rule could be bent when the convicted perjurer is the victim and the only witness. A judge can use his or her discretion in determining whether the testimony is essential to the preservation of justice. Even if the testimony would be allowed, the jury could be informed of his past perjury conviction. Consequently, the lawyers did not see this as a case they could win and decided not to pursue it.

The question of whether or not something can be proved in court or if the case could be won is a question I heard over and over again throughout the summer. FIVE must approve all arrest and search warrants that involve a shooting or handgun violation and a warrant is not approved unless there is clear evidence against the suspect. A typical warrant approval involves an officer coming into the office, giving a synopsis of why a warrant should be issued, listening to recorded statements, and a lengthy discussion about whether or not a warrant should be issued. Participating in these discussions was probably my favorite part of this internship because they provided me with an opportunity to look at the facts and construct my own opinion. Moreover, seasoned attorneys whom I was there to learn from valued that opinion.

Before this experience I was not sure whether or not criminal law would hold my interests. Thanks to EJF, I now know it is a career option I would love to explore further.

US District Attorney's Office - Baltimore

Thanks to the Equal Justice Foundation for the funding that allowed me to work at the US Attorney's Office in Baltimore.

My first day on the job I was assigned to a capital murder prosecution involving two big-time drug dealers from Baltimore City. As it turns out, the capital defendant decided to plead guilty a few days before the start of trial, which allowed him to avoid a death penalty trial. The second defendant went to trial and I had to draft multiple evidentiary memos to either allow or exclude evidence in the trial. When we weren't in trial, we were interviewing and preparing witnesses because the judge decided to do the trial at whirlwind speed (condensed a 3 week trial into 5 days). To make a long story short, the second defendant barely made it through the prosecution's main witness before he decided to plead guilty - good move (we talked to the jury afterwards, and they were all ready to convict).



I've also been working on a 4th Circuit appellate brief in a RICO case, responding to various habeas petitions, and drafting memos on a variety of other topics. There are tons of different things going on around the office, and the attorneys really let us (the law clerks) pick and choose what we want to work on. We go to court most days, and get to see some top notch litigators in action. I came here having no desire whatsoever to do litigation - and after watching what goes on in the courtroom (and behind the scenes), I can't wait to start arguing a case. Amazing how pumped up some of these attorneys get before they go to court - like an athlete before a big game.

We also get to do some pretty interesting stuff outside of the office - like watch an ATF explosives demonstration, go on DEA ride-alongs to bust drug dealers and execute search warrants, visit the "Supermax" prison in Baltimore. We also went to the firing range with ATF agents and, in addition to firing every kind of gun imaginable, also donned full body armor and stormed a house (with paintballs not bullets).

All-in-all, I would definitely recommend working at the Baltimore US Attorney's office. There are tons of substantive legal projects here for the taking. Thanks to the Equal Justice Foundation for making this possible!