Meet Our New Reporter: Police Chief Moose // Today's Blotter: MoCo Fights Police Referendum, Ehrlich Aide's Trial & More

Several readers asked if Maryland Juice would ever feature guest writers. We've decided that the customer is always right, so we've brought on a very special reporter to periodically present law enforcement news. Since we live in the Internet era, our new crime and justice correspondent will be reporting to us from the beaches of Hawaii. We decided to introduce him E True Hollywood Stories-style, and find out what he's been up to.

Those of you who were living in the metro region during the terrifying sniper attacks may remember Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose. TIME Magazine named him person of the week on October 10, 2002 and wrote:

Charles A. Moose is in a bit of a bind. As Montgomery County Police Chief, Moose wants desperately to identify the sniper who has terrorized the Washington D.C. suburbs for the past eight days, most recently killing a man at a Virginia service station. But this strong-willed, inveterate leader wants to do it his way.... For his role as the unofficial spokesman for the sniper investigation, Charles Moose is our person of the week....

You may recall that during the sniper investigation Chief Moose found himself at the center of sudden international fame and global news coverage. The U.K.'s BBC News had this article about him as the sniper investigation concluded:

In October, the character of Chief Charles Moose, the Montgomery police chief who led the investigation into the Washington DC area sniper killings, will appear in a film dramatising the attacks which terrorised the area in 2002. The killings transformed Mr Moose from an obscure local police chief into an international name. He is reported to have been paid $170,000 to write his new book - Three Weeks in October - but his fame has not come without controversy....

The enduring impression however, it was widely agreed, was of an officer who appeared committed and persistent in the face of the ongoing attacks. Nonetheless, his decision to write a book about his experiences has sparked a heated debate.

Earlier in 2003, the Montgomery County ethics commission ruled Mr Moose could not write a book about the case and remain its police chief. A public employee should not use the prestige of office for private gain, the board ruled As a result, he decided to leave his job, although not before filing lawsuits to try to overturn the decision....

We turned to Wikipedia to discover Chief Moose's whereabouts. His last known location was Honolulu, Hawaii in 2010:

Moose later graduated from the Honolulu Police Academy and reported for duty as one of the members of the Honolulu Police Department. On Aug. 4, 2010 The Gazette reported that Moose is no longer employed at the department.

It turns out Chief Moose is still in Hawaii and has some idle time, so he's agreed to highlight some interesting Maryland-related law enforcement news for Maryland Juice readers. Here's his first installment:

Baltimore Brewing: Police Say Failed Mayoral Candidate, Circuit Court Clerk Brandished Gun at Local Blogger During Fight

UPDATE: The Sun follows up on the Conaway-Meister fight with news of potential criminal charges:

State police said Baltimore Clerk of Circuit Court Frank M. Conaway Sr.'s permit to carry a concealed handgun expired in March, raising the possibility that he could face criminal charges after Monday's altercation with a blogger.... Conaway said he had a permit to carry the weapon, but state police spokeswoman Elena Russo said records show it expired in March.

Carrying a handgun without a permit is a misdemeanor that carries a minimum penalty of 30 days in jail and a maximum of three years. But there's a major sticking point: Even if Conaway's permit lapsed, he would be allowed to possess the gun on his own property, and there were differing accounts of whether Conaway stepped off the property.

Conaway, 78, said Tuesday that he remained inside the fenced-in portion of his yard....

Conaway says he did not attempt to punch Meister and countered with a claim that Meister tried to "karate kick" him.

City police officers who were in the area on other business witnessed the incident, but the Police Department withheld its report Tuesday as prosecutors deliberated over whether to bring charges against the two men....

But Conaway would not be in danger of losing the elected office he has held since 1998 — the Maryland Constitution says an elected official must step down only if convicted of a felony, or a misdemeanor related to his work in office....

Conaway said he believed he should have been alerted that his permit had lapsed: "I was never notified. I think there's an obligation on the part of the state police to notify" permit owners, he said....

Meister has vowed to continue writing about the Conaway family and said his actions were protected as free speech.

Some of the city's black leaders were rallying around Conaway on Tuesday, saying Meister had crossed the line and was harassing Conaway.

WBAL Interviews B'more Blogger Adam Meister

Maryland Juice this morning received an unusual email from feisty Baltimore political blogger Adam Meister. The subject of his message was "Clerk of Circuit Court of Baltimore City may have pulled gun during argument." Mr. Meister writes Charm City Current's "Politics Meister" blog, and he has often tangled with the Conaway family of elected officials. His past blog posts about the property tax issues of recently defeated City Councilmember Belinda Conaway led to lawsuits and apparently lingering bad blood. Mr. Meister's email today noted:

The political family that sued me is at it again! Apparently the father who is Clerk of the Circuit court of Baltimore at the very least had a gun when he argued with me on the sidewalk yesterday!