derek valcourt has the latest on the decision facing the jury, derek. >> the jury is now -- has that case in their hands and they are now tasked while trying to listen to both sides of the case. the prosecution and the judge have clearly indicated they feel this was a fraudulent robocall intended to sway voters. nay say it's up to the jurors now to decide what they feel when they listen to this robocal. >> i'm calling to let everyone know that governor o'malley and president obama have been successful. we're okay. relax. everything is fine the only thing that's left is to watch it on tv tonight. >> that call which was agreed by ehrlich's campaign manager. who says there's only one meaning there. it's deceptive, it's wrong. he knew it was wrong. but they say he was just following advice from julius henson. he called it a political misjudgment, a bad decision in hind sight he says it all seems stupid now but not he argued illegal -- hindsight. >> there was no conspiracy on the second of november. i think we established that. i think the testimony points to the defendant. >> the call di

derek valcourt has more on the accident and how the repairs will affect the drivers. derek? >> one of the support beams on that overpass is going to have to be replaced. that means crews are going to have to shut down several lanes of traffic to do it. but luckily, for the drivers who hit the beltway, that inconvenience will not happen until the spring. >> reporter: on 695 south, traffic dips along, beneath the 95 south overpass. you have to look closely for signs of damage done monday, when the massive arms of a back hoe riding on the arms of a tractor-trailer, slammed onto a bridge. on two of the busiest highways of the region. >> reporter: obviously we wouldn't have traffic on 95 or 695. if we had any concerns about safety. >> reporter: from sky eye chopper 13, you can see the shoulder of 95 on the overpass has been blocked off. that's because state highway officials found damage to two of the outer-most support beams, beams that sit under the shoulder of the road. >> reporter: from underneath the overpass, you can see where the first two beams are damaged. and they say i

. >>> waiting for a winner, i'm derek valcourt in elkton where some lucky soul struck it rich. wait till you hear how much, i'll tell you coming up on eyewitness news. >>> i'm meteorologist bernadette woods in for bob turk tonight. it's going to be a dry weekend but there is some rain on the way. we'll have the eyewitness forecast when eyewitness news returns. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> it's 31 degrees and cloudy in central maryland right now. crime doesn't play especially when you're up against a carolina clerk with a one-two punch. clerk derrick motherhead gave him a punch to go with it. his head started bleeding. derrick called police and while waiting he tossed paper towels and made him clean his own blood. >>> protesters have a hard time keeping the peace in tennessee. these women started fighting right in the middle of a christmas celebration at occupy nashville. the woman in the right is reportedly pregnant. it's still not clear why they started fighting in the first place. >>> police in texas are looking for a motive after a man dressed as santa claus goes on a shooting ram

wjz and derek valcourt are live outside the courthouse with how they plan to do that. good afternoon. >> reporter: good afternoon and the defense did get a minor victory first thing this morning as the judge threw out the charge of obstruction of justice against bob urlich's campaign manager, saying the state did not offer enough evidence to justify that charge. one down, four more criminal charges for him to go and it comes just one day after he got a boost in his defense from the woman whose voice you hear in those calls, the state's star witness. ronda russell says she was told by her boss, julia henson to record the election night robo call that suggested democrats had already won the election before the polls closed and there was no need to go vote. >> relax, everything is fine. the only thing left is to watch on tv tonight. >> reporter: she testified it was henson who told her not to record the required line saying who paid for it a call that was intended to be counter intuitive. >> it would sometime late the voters to say hey my vote was going to urlich, he is d

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. campaign consultant, julius henson goes on trial for similar charges in february. >>> the campaign to set a maryland man free moves in a new direction tonight. alan gross is jailed in cuba. his family said quiet diplomacy has failed, so they're turning up the heat. >> reporter: this marks the arrest and imprisonment. his family is increasing the pressure on the castro family to reunite them. >> and i know that allen must be suffering more than i am. >> allen gross's mother makes an emotional appeal directly to cuban president raul castro. evelyn gross has terminal lung cancer and is afraid she will die before he is released. >> i get up in the morning. first thing i see in the morning is allen. when i go to bed, it's allen. i can't be without him any longer. it's not fair for him or his family or me. >> reporter: gross is serving a 15-year sentence, accused of smuggling illegal equipment into the country. gross claims he was only trying to help havana's jewish community. this week, th

derek valcourt has more on this bizarre attack. >> reporter: it is a story many neighbors in brooklyn park just can't believe. >> that is kind of crazy. >> the attack happened at a bus stop near hammonds lane before midnight, where a 25-year-old man told police he was approached by three large men in ski masks. >> one of the suspects asked him if he had drugs, he replied he did not at this point, at that juncture that is when he was pepper sprayed, the two other suspects then began to take things. >> police say they pulled off his shirt, his shoes and his pants, which had his money and his cell phone in the packets, leaving him half naked. the suspects then took off running across richie highway. police say after the attack, the scantily clad victim, still suffering from the pepper spray in his eyes came in this neighborhood knocking on doors, asking for help, though none of the neighbors we talked to encountered him. >> did you hear any -- >> no. >> -- middle of the night? >> no, and i sleep open the couch too, right beside the window. >> police were unable to locate the suspects but

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. anyone with information about the quilt is urged to call baltimore county police or become eligible for reward money by calling metro crimestoppers. >>> and a fire in a north baltimore row home where the big boys bail bonds building is. the flames started in the basement but then they spread through the duct work and through the first and second and third floors. firefighters did save one person who was being treated for smokin' hillation. another person did escape the building safely. the fire was brought under control in just about an hour. >>> firefighters said the cause is still under investigation. >>> a glen burnie woman is robbed by a strange whore hid inside her car. police a -- a stranger who hid in the back of her car. the man took a bag containing cash and other items and ran away. police are asking anybody with information to come forward. >>> buying a lottery ticket could be as soon as clicking a mouse. the federal government said it's okay for states to sell them online.

. >> i am derek valcourt with a closer look at the damage from the bizarre accident here. i will tell you how and when it will be repaired coming up. >> i am here live at the newly cleared square. what is next? >> the white house marks an end to the war. i am susan mcginness, coming up the president honors trooping returning home. >> sharon gibala with wjz traffic control. already a long list of problems that could get in your way for your morning commute. we will go down that list. right now over to marty. >> i got to tell you in 34 years at wjz i am still blown away with all the stars and athletes i have met when curly neal comes in the house. >> thank you. >> one of america's true sports icons. >> okay, okay. >> the harlem glob trotters coming to town the day before new year's eve. we will have the details. check it out. find me somebody -- if you find me somebody that doesn't enjoy the globe trotters they need a saliva test. saliva test. we are coming back,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> this is wjz tv, wjz hd, and wjz.com, baltimore. >> good morning, maryland. now don scott, marty

i'm derek valcourt. coming up, i'll tell you what paul suric had to say on the stand. ,,,,,,,,,, [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $79.99 a month for two years with a 2 year agreement. it's an amazing holiday deal. but don't wait. it's only available for a limited time. so go to verizon.com/superoffer to sign up. act now and we'll add a special bonus -- $300 back. fios delivers the best picture quality, plus america's fastest, most consistent most reliable internet. spend the holidays saving money. switch to fios and get our best price online -- just $79.99 a month for two years with a 2 year agreement when you order online. save $840 in your first two years. and don't forget your special bonus -- $300 back. hurry, offer ends soon. go to verizon.com/superoffer. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.

i'm derek valcourt. i'll have that story coming up on eyewitnes,,,,,,,,,,,, -dad, why are you getting that? -that's my cereal. is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur? [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that can help lower cholesterol. stickers? uh-uh. a superhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all. ♪ desire coming up next on wjz eyewitness news at 5:00. verdict is in for last night's election night robocalls. what led to the jury's decision. >>> his lawyers say it amounts to a death sentence. i'm mike hellgren at prince george's county. and i'll tell you how much they will serve. >>> a narcotics cop is hit in a friendly-fire accident here in odenton. i'm mike schuh, the homeowner now left with the cleanup costs after six shots are fired. hear from her next. >>> check in for these

derek valcourt is in the news room with new details of the charges in this case. kai, >> reporter: kai, police say they intended to get money for victims of those of the stage collapse. they allegedly submitted fake claims totaling $22,000. the real victims say they are furious. 62 people were hurt and 7 dies when scaffolding fell on the fans waiting for a sure ago land concert to begin back in august. the women could face up to 36 years in prison. >> investigators determined neither woman was at the concertba they claimed they were present for a few shong -- for a few songs but the band never performed that night. >>> and the president has used more drone strikes to kill terrorists than any other president. the obama administration has increased the drone program. the operation involves dozen of secret facilities, including two hubs on the east coast and bases in afghanistan, yemen and somalia. the president was sworn into office in 2009 and the nation's drone war was confined to pakistan. >>> north koreans paid last respects to their late leader kim jong-il with

i'm derek valcourt. new details coming up on eyewitness news. >> a controversial plan that includes closing some rec centers in baltimore. i'm adam may. city officials now try to clear the air. what is their long-term plan? that's coming up. >>> and get ready for some rain. how wet will it get? don't miss the updated first warning weather forecast. >>> check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. >>> moving the movement. occupy baltimore struggles to find a permanent home after police raid an eviction. >> where the demonstrators are tonight, and what's happening now at mceldon square. >>> hello, everybody. i'm denise koch. >> and i'm vic carter. here's what people are talking about tonight. >>> occupy baltimore is out but not down. vowing to rebuild after their eviction. some are happy to see

i am derek valcourt in elkton, where some lucky soul struck it rich. wait until you hear how much. i will tell you coming up on eyewitness news. >> good morning, everyone, baltimore's homicide rate marks a milestone. i will tell you more. >> i will let you know what you need to know before you head to the mall. >> sharon gibala here with traffic control, if you are about to head out only a few problems and delays aren't one of them. now over to marty. >> she joins us talking about her latest book. don did the interview. we continue to watch with amaze. the light show going on down at the harbor, just another brick , >>> this is wjz tv, wjz hd, and wjz.com, baltimore. >> good morning, maryland. now don scott, marty bass, and the latest breaking news from wjz's news team, your first warning weather and wjz traffic control with sharon gibala. it is wjz, maryland's news station. >> good morning, again, everyone, it is 6:30 on this tuesday morning. wjz has weather and traffic together sharon we will get to you in just a sec but let's go to marty. >> let's go right to first warning weath

live, from towson, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> thank you, derek. students report there were no fights at the school today and say there were extra officers and staff on hand at the school. >>> a baltimore landmark is reduced to rubble. demolition crews knocked down what remained of the tavern. the 80-year-old building. the owners are hoping to be back open in time for christmas weekend next may. >>> a setback in the reorganization of recreation centers in baltimore. under a controversial plan, some centers would be turned over to private operators. but a short time ago, the city canceled the vote. adam may explains what this means to the future of that program. >> reporter: city officials say they're still moving forward with the plans, but they say they need a little more time to try to pick up more support among the public. >> reporter: just weeks ago, protestors voiced opinions over a plan to close more. >> more recreation centers could be operated with the tax subiddies -- subsidies that go to this one building every year. >> reporter: parts of

derek valcourt has more on this crime. derek? >> reporter: well as police try to stitch together the clues from this crime, they are asking for the public to keep an eye out for this missing quilt. at the benjamin banneker museum, a smashed monitor is the only visible signs of the burglary here on december 19th. what you can't see is the valuable piece of art the burglars stole. a quilt on loan hanging with an exhibit from the u.s. capitol historical society. >> it documents the early maryland law of maryland as a free state. >> reporter: on one side an eagle carrying a chain with arms outstretched. on the other side the state's 1860 code of law fully stitched. >> it is a great loss, not just for the museum, not just for maryland, but a loss for the national collection of art and history. >> reporter: investigators say the burglars were able to get in by breaking through a glass pane in the back door of the museum. although there were surveillance cameras inside the museum. police are asking for your help to find the quilt. >> ou

derek valcourt explains, the defense already scored a minor victory. >> reporter: these morning, the judge threw out one of the criminal charges, saying the state prosecutor, failed to offer enough evidence to prove it. >> reporter: when the election into election night robocalls began, they said that paul surric intentionally withheld information. but in court today, the judge dismissed the charge, saying prosecutors never offered enough proof. suric still faces charges that he and campaign consultant julius henson, conspired to suppress african american voter turnout, with the robocall that suggested that democrats had already been victorious. >> we're okay. relax. everything is fine. the only thing left is to watch it on tv tonight. >> reporter: in court, the judge blasted those calls, calling them clearly fraudulent. they claimed that it was counter psychology. but the judge insisted it would be a jury who decides. michael steele took the stand briefly to call suric an honest man, a straight shooter. >> reporter: the defense is expected to call another witness, including former g

i'm derek valcourt. new details coming up on eyewitness news. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> coming up next on wjz eyewitness news at 5:00. pepper spray. cool new details about the fight that left 16 students hospitalized. why many parents are still upset tonight. >>> open to the public. i'm mike hellgren at mceldon square. occupy baltimore's tents are gone. but the square is now open once again. i'll tell you what's next for this group. >>> a controversial plan that includes closing some rec centers in baltimore. i'm adam may. city officials now try to clear the air. what is their long-term plan? that's coming up. >>> check in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> eyewitness news at 5:00 starts now. >>> questionable response. parents upset after students are pepper-sprayed to break up an apartment. >> the new concerns over how to break up a fight. >> i'm kai jackson. and i'm mary bubala. here's what people are talking about. >> anger over the pepper spray incident that sends 16 people to th

in february, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> paul schurick faces the possibility of up to 12 years in prison at his sentencing february 16th. >>> the ravens will go for their fourth straight victory when they take on the indianapolis colts sunday. mark viviano joins us now with more. >> the colts had been a perennial super bowl contender for a decade, kicking the ravens around for a decade with regularity. but the colts come to town with no victories. and no peyton manning. and the ravens are the team that are the super bowl favorite, which sets up this game as a major mismatch. >> so how can we add some spice to what should be a bland beet down by the dominant ravens? how about the history of the colts? who were once beloved in baltimore before they bolted? fans might care. but these ravens? >> colts have been gone for how long? >> '84. >> were you born yet? >> with manning missing, the ravens miss a shot at beating a guy who has beaten baltimore eight straight times, including twice in the play-offs. you always want to beat the best. >> you never want to see a guy hurt. esp

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> we know they will. state police say the driver of the tractor-trailer now faces federal and state transport charges. they carry fines of up to $280. >>> a nice midweek warmup for our region. live look outside now. get ready for even more changes later this week. bob is in the first warning weather center. >> very mild afternoon, believe it or not. got up to 51 degrees today. right now, with the clear skies and light winds. we've dropped down as the sunset will quite sometime go. 41 now. 36, the coldest spot in oakland. 41 in ocean city. that was cold this morning. 23 here. at the airport. 21 in elkton. 19 in cumberland. but we've got warmer air, warmer than it was today. as high pressure moves off to our east, the winds go more to the southwest and south. mild air for the next couple of days. looks like we'll see should rain. very mild temperatures, however, on thursday. then it cools down once again. vic? >> okay. thank you. >>> in just hours, the house is set to vote on a bill that would extend a payr

. >> traffic nightmare, wjz is live along the beltway, derek valcourt has more on the accident and the inspection to make sure the bridge is safe, derek. >> reporter: inspeg >> reporter: in -- inspectors are looking at that bridge now after a tractor traveling with 16 feet high of material tried to make it under a bridge. it slammed into the i95 south overpass. >> i heard a loud noise toward the backhoe lift up off of the trailer. >> reporter: charles and his wife patricia were driving in a car next to the truck when it happened. the backhoe damaged the highway sign attached to the overpass. the impact sent pieces of metal flying into the roadway and snapped off one of the chains holding the backhoe plate. that chain swung around with rufus and patricia in the car. >> you don't know where to go. your reflections are do i duck, what can you do you're in a seat belt? >> reporter: but the only damage was to the vehicle. >> not only the driver who was driving the tractor trailer, he was not hurt either because that really could have been a bad bad accident. >> reporter: the charles' may co

i'm derek valcourt. coming up, i'll tell you what paul schurick had to say on the stand. >>> the ravens make an announcement. >>> will the weather cooperate for your weekend plans? stick around for your updated first warning forecast. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. >>> political pawn. allen gross, sentenced to prison in cuba after being branded a spy. >> tonight, his wife speaks out and new efforts to free the maryland man. >> hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. >> and i'm denise de -- mary bubala in for denise tonight. >> just hours ago, they made a plea. but this internal power struggle on the island means >>s future is far from certain.

derek valcourt, wjz news. >>> anyone with information is urged to call the police. >>> dixie taxi will run a free taxi service to keep people from drinking and driving. hundreds of people are expected to take advantage of a free ride. call 187-7963 taxi if you want a free ride. >>> if you are staying in watch the wjz new year's eve spectacular with complete coverage of the fireworks and you can see the festivities right here only on wjz and it starts at 11:00 saturday night. >>> coming up, some tense moments on the ice. look at these rescuers as they try to save this puppy in north dakota. >>> blues why moms across the country are going after target, the discrimination they say they are facing. >>> teenagers fighting off a cold or a flu are in for serious changes at the pharmacy. we'll explain coming up. >>> colder temps and calmer wind for thursday but how does the weekend look? we have the forecast coming up in a few ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> it is 32 degrees and partly cloudy in central maryland. the weather forecast is coming up. >>> a federal judge orders the u.s. government to pay up

. >> and that was derek valcourt reporting. new tensions between police and occupy wall street protesters in washington, d.c. [yelling] >> this weekend 31 protesters were arrested. they refused to take down a wooden structure they built for the winter. they said it was a safety hazard and moved in when it wasn't demolished. other protesters are allowed to stay in the park. >>> a top secret u.s. spy drone may be in the hands of iran. that country says it shot down the u.s. drone. the military will not confirm, only saying that a drone the missing. it's the same type used to keep tabs on osama bin laden. >>> now that herman cain is out, the republican presidential candidates are trying to move in and win over supporters. as danielle nottingham reports, newt gingrich can benefit the most. >> reporter: after a morning meeting with donald trump, newt gingrich said he's confident he can win the state and vowed to reach out to every voter. >> we're going to compete in all 50 states. i don't believe in a red versus blue model. we're 10

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. campaign consultant julius henson goes on trial for similar charges in february. >>> gunshots fired at the pentagon and other military targets. and now, a judge orders an exmarine with ties to baltimore to remain behind bars. weijia jiang is live in the newsroom with the latest on this high-profile case. >> reporter: prosecutors say jonathan milacku is a high flight risk and a danger. he is accused of a string of military targets in and around washington, d.c., including the pentagon and the marine corps museum. he was arrested in june, when he was spotted in the arlington national cemetery. police say his backpack had 20 pounds of potentially explosive material and notes about jihad and osama bin laden. denise? >> all right. thank you, weijia. he was once assigned to a marine unit based here in baltimore. >>> only man suspected in the disappearance of a maryland man and a woman in aruba, finally talks about the day she vanished. mike hellgren has more on what gary giordano has. >> th

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. our complete coverage continues now with wjz traffic control. kristy breslin as a closer look at those backups. we saw all of those lights stretching for a long way, kristy. >> unfortunately, yes, mary. and that's already a difficult spot on the outer loop of the beltway, at the 95 southbound overpass. the two right-hand lanes are blocked. the delay, as you can see, stretches back to almost 795. if you're going in that direction, you can expect at least 30 minutes to get through the delay. now, as far as the other side, it's also impacting traffic on the inner loop. things are slow from 70 up to liberty road in that direction. but they do break free after that. so the best-case scenario is to avoid the southwest side of the outer loop at all costs. we'll continue to bring you up to date. back to you. >> right now, an investigation is under way, after a person is hit and killed by a light rail train in baltimore county. denise is in the newsroom with more on what happened. >> reporter:

derek valcourt explains the fallout from the scandal. >> political observers say increasingly the law is looking at politicians, their operatives and their actions with a much closer eye. >> reporter: a baltimore jury ruled ehrlich campaign manager, paul schurick, authorized fraudulent election night robocalls, intended to keep african americans from voting. implying that democrat his already won. >> this is a blatant effort to suppress the vote. >> reporter: don norris argues laws against political corruption are getting tougher. he points out that schurick was proscuted under a new election law. but says tougher laws aren't enough. >> people who are going to be corrupt are going to be corrupt, regardless of the law. take a look at jack johnson. >> reporter: tuesday, they sentenced jack johnson to seven years in prison after a jury convicted him of bribery charges. that comes almost two years after baltimore mayor sheila dixon left office in disgrace, when a baltimore jury found her guilty of taking gift cards intended for the needy. and just last month, federal judge ulysses currie

derek valcourt shows us what happened and the impact on the roads. good evening, derek. >> good evening. this is a rush hour mess on two of our region's busiest highways. right now, i'm standing along 695 south, with a right two lanes closed down. and then the overpass back here that you're looking at. that is the overpass for

valcourt reports ronda russell may have done more to help the defense. >> i would call it a political tactic of counter intiewtivity. >> reporter: this is ronda russell, the woman whose voice was heard on robo calls to 112,000 democrats. the call told voters the governor o'malley had won re- election before the polls even closed. >> we are okay. relax, everything is fine. the only thing left is to watch on tv tonight. >> reporter: prosecutors argue it was illegal because it was plenty to keep democrats from voting. they blame urlich's campaign manager paul shirk and ronda russell's boss, julia henson but on the stand russell told jurors the robo calls were meant to be reverse psychology. >> this would stimulate the voters to say hey my vote is going for urlich, he is down- and-out, i am going to vote for him after i heard this call. >> reporter: she said it was her fault it went to democrats and not republicans, saying she used lists she already had available rather than generating new lists. >> i used lists from previous clients because i was being lazy. it wasn't w out of anyone ask

. >> derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> the defense also called nearly two dozen character witnesses to say that schurick is an honest man of high integrity. >>> 50-year-old durante urban is charged with breaking into homes and robbing them in pikesville last month. in both cases, the elderly victims who were also assaulted told police they recognized urban from the neighborhood. >>> a student threat is under investigation at glen burnie high school. officials increased the school's police presence, after they received a tip that a student planned to bring weapons into class today. no weapons were brought to school. the student admitted to making a threat. but police are not releasing any other information. parents are receiving letters tonight, explaining what happened. >> a big blow to westminster. and a big disappointment for fans. the baltimore ravens have decided to move their training camp from mcdaniel college to owings mills facility. andrea fujii has more on the decision and reaction to it. andrea? >> reporter: well, vic, training camp has been at mcdaniel college, open to t