Yes, people make mistakes. But this is a bad one. Hopefully the Marshal’s office will learn from this. The upside: the  outcome could have been worse.

By Tricia Bishop
Baltimore Sun
BALTIMORE – A fight broke out (last week) in Baltimore’s federal courthouse after U.S. marshals mistakenly placed a witness in the same holding cell as the three men he was testifying against, despite a separation order requesting that they be kept apart.

The error was particularly disturbing given the nature of the case: The defendants are accused of killing a federal witness.

The U.S. Marshal’s Service refused to comment on the specific occurrence, concerned it would jeopardize the trial. But spokesman David Lutz said the protocol, if something like that were to have happened, would be “to learn from our mistakes and realize there was a break in communication and ensure something like that doesn’t happen again.”

He added: “People are people. … It’s a difficult job.”

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