Charm City extra

A sampling of some news that caught my attention this week in Charm City:

- Flamboyant Baltimore defense lawyer Warren A. Brown is currently defending himself. The charge? An advertisement for his law practice, displaying his scantily-clad (fifth) wife--a former Miss Black Maryland--in a revealing mid-drift halter, hiked-up skirt, and strappy sandals, seated in a Sharon Stone-esque pose. She's also holding a cigar. And her hand is positioned in such a way around the cigar that it looks like she's giving the world the finger. Brown has entered a not-guilty plea, saying he didn't intend for her to flip the bird, although admitting that it is pretty bad-ass when you think about it. As to the charge of the ad's tastefulness or lack thereof, he offers: "I would challenge anybody to say it is not classy. She's got a Bulgari necklace on. She's got a Cohiba cigar." No link to the ad, but keep your eyes peeled--Brown is looking for a billboard.

- The trial of two Baltimore police officers began last Tuesday in what seems like a scenario straight out of HBO's The Wire. Detectives William A. King and Antonio I. Murray are on trial in U.S. District Court after being accused of conspiring to rob and extort cocaine, heroin, and marijuana--as well as the proceeds from the sale of the drugs--from the suspects they tracked on the mean streets of West Baltimore. Yesterday, a federal jury was treated to the fruits of a seven-month FBI wiretap probe on the detectives' department-issued cell phones, which prosecutors say implicates the officers in the illegal drug ring. The trial resumes on Monday and is expected to last for three more weeks.

- Speaking of The Wire . . . this caught my eye late this afternoon. We know that Season 4 is currently in production with shooting being wrapped up sometime in April, so the sight of that sign seemed to signal their presence somewhere in the immediate westside vicinity. However, a short jaunt through areas you'd expect them to be filming turned up nothing. Because I didn't see any cast or crew around, I thought that maybe the sign wasn't for the series after all--I could have mistaken the font. However, a comparison with official materials online, reveals that my initial hunch was correct.