Court: Judge Charles Bernstein Acted as “Co-Prosecutor” and Denied Defendants Fair Trial

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Charles G. Bernstein has been found to have acted so improperly in two criminal cases that he became a “co-prosecutor” and denied the defendants a fair trial. Steven Diggs (found guilty of drug possession) and Damon Lamar Ramsey (convicted of possession and intent to distribute) will receive new trials.

Bernstein was found by the appellate court to have openly scoffed at the defense theories and used his questions to directly contradict the defense.

His response to the ruling: “Whatever I did is a matter of record. If I was in error, then the Court of Appeals is doing its job and correcting that error.”

Judge Joseph F. Murphy Jr. dissented and supported Bernstein.

Notably, Bernstein served as a federal public defender from 1974-80 as well as working as a prosecutor.

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