Appeals court dismisses challenge to man's sentence

ANNAPOLIS - A state appeals court dismissed yesterday an appeal by Carroll County prosecutors, ruling that they have no right to challenge a change in a criminal's sentence even though the defense in the case had requested the change after a 90-day time limit had expired.

The reason, the court said, is that the time limit was created under state court rules, not state law. Rulings by the state's highest court on when prosecutors can appeal do not address this type of violation of court rules, the Court of Special Appeals said in a 2-1 decision.

The opinion comes in the case of Calvin Lamont Warfield, sentenced in 1997 to 10 years in prison on a drug conviction. In March last year, well past the 90-day limit, he asked a Carroll County judge to change his sentence so he could enter a drug treatment program, and the judge later agreed.

Owens almost broke local fund-raising record

Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens came close to breaking the local record for campaign fund raising in her successful re-election bid.

According to a 2002 campaign finance report filed recently with the state board of elections, Owens raised $630,780 between 1998 and Nov. 19.

Former Executive John G. Gary shattered the county record in the 1998 election when he raised $648,000. Owens, who raised about $140,000 that year, went on to beat Gary in an upset.

Owens' Republican opponent in this year's election, former state Del. Phillip D. Bissett of Mayo, raised $106,703, according to the board of elections. Owens won the election by about 6,000 votes.

Parole's growth board meets over redevelopment

The Parole Growth Area Management committee met Tuesday to review comments by Anne Arundel County and state officials regarding a draft plan for the Parole area, which is set for redevelopment.

Most of the comments by government officials referred to traffic flow and developer bonus programs. Some committee members worried that the draft failed to convey appropriately the purpose of the project, which they said is to "create a sense of place" in what is a barren shopping mall and uninspiring commercial district.

Some committee members had hoped that County Executive Janet S. Owens would attend the meeting. She did not. A representative of MIE Properties Inc. of Catonsville attended the meeting to discuss a much-debated commercial and residential project on Riva Road. Committee members were upset when they learned that Owens had approved permits for the project.