Jamal Walker was pulled over by then Detective Wayne Jenkins in 2010.
He is a commercial electrician, his wife a party planner, a cash business.
During the stop, Jenkins said he smelled weed and together with his partner put Walker in cuffs.
"Next thing you know Officer Gladstone pops up with a little tiny bag of weed and says, now we get to keep your money. So then Jenkins arrested me for the money I had in my car then they went to my house and basically tried to break into my house."
Walker said he never had any weed and Jenkins never had the warrant to get into his house.
In all Jenkins made off with 40 thousand dollars from Walker’s wife Jovanne's cash business, but come to find out, only half that much was submitted to evidence control in the Baltimore Police Department.
It is a familiar story, similar to those constantly coming out of the federal courthouse downtown, but the Walkers were just two of several faces flanking Baltimore State's Attorney Candidate Ivan Bates as he laid the blame of at least part of the most recent corruption of the GTTF squarely at the feet of current State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
"Something is clear,” Bates said, “In Baltimore City the criminal justice system is broken and we have to have a change."
Bates is arguing Mosby knew some of the cops were dirty as far back as 2015 and yet still prosecuted their cases.
Other defense attorneys saying how nearly half of these GTTF cases were being dismissed and that still didn't raise a flag for Baltimore's top prosecutor.
"When you have somebody that not only turns a blind eye but then actively encourages officers by knowingly turning a blind eye, then you have a complete breakdown in the criminal justice system and you can't move forward in a way to bring change to Baltimore,” said defense attorney Natalie Finegar.
For the Walkers, it's still painful eight years later.
They say Bates got their case dismissed years ago but as they watch the headlines from this trial and can only hope their story and others help create change in Baltimore.
"What is done in the dark comes to light,” Jovanne Walker said, “And I am just glad that the light is now shining, that hey, these officers are corrupt. They need to realize how damaging it is."
Ms. Mosby responded to Bates’ allegations late Friday afternoon by issuing the following statement:
"I realize this is campaign season for those seeking elected office and over the next few months, I fully understand that my administration will be attacked; and while people are entitled to their own opinion, they are certainly not entitled to their own facts. As State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, I will continue to focus on doing my job. There is no question as to my willingness to hold everyone accountable when they run afoul of the law. It is clear that under my administration, there is one standard of justice for everyone in Baltimore City and we will continue enforce it."
