Judges suggest settlement talks in redistricting case

A federal court on Thursday suggested settlement discussions be pursued in a case in which Republican voters in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District want to toss out a map they say was unfairly crafted to benefit Democrats. The threejudge panel made the recommendation during a hearing on the case in Baltimore, according to the state attorney general’s office, which is defending the current district boundaries. An attorney general’s spokesperson said afterward that the office does not comment on ongoing litigation. Michael Kimberly, an attorney for the voters, did not immediately respond to an email inquiry. The voters contend that Democrats in Annapolis violated their First Amendment rights in the 2011 redistricting process by punishing them for their GOP voting history. In a June decision, the U.S. Supreme Court declined the voters’ request to reject the district map, returning the case to U.S. District Court in Baltimore. The options for U.S. District Court Chief Judge James Bredar and two other federal judges could include having a nonpartisan redistricting commission redraw the boundaries, asking lawmakers redo the map, or preserving the current district lines.

Police spokesman: Drunk officer an embarrassment

A Baltimore police spokesman acknowledged Thursday that the discovery of an officer drunk