Crystal Gorham showed up with serious allegations.
On an application for statement of charges, Gorham wrote in black pen that a woman in Baltimore assaulted her on two occasions, threatened to blow her head off and injured her knees. A district court commissioner on May 10 issued a summons for the woman on two counts of second-degree assault.
More than one month later, Gorham returned and used that same process to file charges of first- and second-degree assault, use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence and related offenses against the woman’s husband.
“I was hit and beat up punched, stalked and harassed me on the dates I gave,” Gorham wrote. “I was threatened to be murdered by this individual.”
This time, a district court commissioner issued an arrest warrant.
Her two-page handwritten statement led U.S. Customs and Border Protection to arrest Clifford Harris Jr.— who’s better known as the rapper T.I. and does not live in Baltimore — on Sunday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and turn him over to the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office.
Prosecutors later moved to recall the arrest warrant and then dropped the charges in both cases.
“This case highlights a concern that the State’s Attorney has raised previously and uncovers legislative changes that should be considered to ensure fair and appropriate use of the court commissioner’s office, including allowing input from our prosecutors before an arrest warrant is issued,” said James Bentley, a spokesperson for the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office, in a statement.
“We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the issuance of charges and the warrant in this case,” he added.
TMZ first reported on the arrest and described it as a case of mistaken identity.
But Gorham listed his full name and date of birth. She reported that he lived at an address on Pratt Street.
Gorham could not be reached for comment. The phone number that she printed on court documents was disconnected.
T.I.’s attorney, Steve Sadow, declined to comment.
District court commissioners are judicial officers. But they’re not required to have law degrees.
If people believe that they’re a victim of a crime, they can fill out an application for statement of charges. A district court commissioner then reviews the document and decides whether probable cause exists to issue a summons or arrest warrant.
Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates testified earlier this year in support of legislation that would have eliminated the power of district court commissioners to issue arrest warrants for citizen complaints and increased the penalty for making a false statement.
The bill was considered in the House Judiciary Committee — and did not receive a vote.
