Pubdate: Wed, 28 Dec 2005
Source: Herald-Mail, The (Hagerstown, MD)
Copyright: 2005 The Herald-Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.herald-mail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1537
Author: Pepper Ballard

IN A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

McCormack Working To Erase Drug Activities In The County

Former Bronx, N.Y., prosecutor Christopher McCormack  said he's not 
sure why some drug dealers from the New  York area are drawn to 
Washington County, but now that  he's here, he plans to help smoke them out.

McCormack, 39, a Washington County assistant state's  attorney 
assigned to the county's Narcotics Task Force  since August, is still 
trying to get a feel for the  most serious drug crime issues here.

Related to drug cases, McCormack also is responsible  for working as 
the county's nuisance abatement  attorney. He said nuisance 
abatement, or getting rid of  drug activity in private or public 
properties, is a unique, effective Maryland statute.

"Whenever we become aware of drug activity that's  occurring, we just 
try to work with the landlords and  the police departments to prevent 
that behavior from  happening again at that location," he said. "We 
try to  do that without getting the court actually involved."

Before moving to Frederick, Md., for this job,  McCormack prosecuted 
as an assistant district attorney  in Bronx County, N.Y., for six 
years. For three of  those years, he was assigned to the narcotics bureau.

Since changing jobs, McCormack said he's still trying  to figure out 
why some drug dealers from New York find  Hagerstown attractive.

"I like it down here, but if you're some city kid, I  can't imagine 
kids from the Bronx ... I can't imagine  (Hagerstown) being on their 
radar. But it is," he said.

While looking over rap sheets as a Bronx prosecutor,  McCormack said 
he noticed that in Westchester County,  N.Y., where he was raised, 
the "judges, the prosecutors  and the juries weren't as tolerant of 
drug activity as  perhaps the Bronx." He said he noticed the stiffer 
penalties coming down from Westchester County were  perhaps luring 
some drug dealers to a less-punitive  Bronx.

"That's the message our community needs to send to  people coming 
in," he said. "We need to send a message,  'No. Stop coming into our 
community before the barn  doors open too much.'" He added, with a 
laugh, that's  he's working on speaking in rural colloquialisms.

McCormack said he's still trying to get a feel for how  judges 
sentence here, but believes the statutes in  Maryland "are adequate" 
for the crimes.

"The potential for (higher) sentences are higher in  Maryland than 
they are in New York," he said.

In New York, he said courts interpret case law from a  more 
"pro-defendant" perspective.

The Tulane University law school graduate said he  clerked for judges 
in Prince George's County, Md., and  "fell in love with the 
D.C.-Virginia area." When he  heard that there was an opening here, 
he sent in his  rsum.

Adjusting to Hagerstown has been a learning experience  for the 
Scarsdale, N.Y., native, whose fiance, Jennifer  Bacik, is still 
working in New York.

McCormack said he still gets taken aback here when  someone holds a 
door open for him or makes eye contact  with him passing in the 
street. He said he was shocked  and pleased that no one got mad at 
him one day while he  was stopped at a red light. He was distracted 
and didn't notice it turned green.

"There were two cars behind me and no one honked," he  said and smiled.
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