IN A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

McCormack Working To Erase Drug Activities In The County

Former Bronx, N.Y., prosecutor Christopher McCormack said he's not
sure why some drug dealers from the New York area are drawn to
Washington County, but now that he's here, he plans to help smoke them out.

McCormack, 39, a Washington County assistant state's attorney
assigned to the county's Narcotics Task Force since August, is still
trying to get a feel for the most serious drug crime issues here.

Related to drug cases, McCormack also is responsible for working as
the county's nuisance abatement attorney. He said nuisance
abatement, or getting rid of drug activity in private or public
properties, is a unique, effective Maryland statute.

"Whenever we become aware of drug activity that's occurring, we just
try to work with the landlords and the police departments to prevent
that behavior from happening again at that location," he said. "We
try to do that without getting the court actually involved."

Before moving to Frederick, Md., for this job, McCormack prosecuted
as an assistant district attorney in Bronx County, N.Y., for six
years. For three of those years, he was assigned to the narcotics bureau.

Since changing jobs, McCormack said he's still trying to figure out
why some drug dealers from New York find Hagerstown attractive.

"I like it down here, but if you're some city kid, I can't imagine
kids from the Bronx ... I can't imagine (Hagerstown) being on their
radar. But it is," he said.

While looking over rap sheets as a Bronx prosecutor, McCormack said
he noticed that in Westchester County, N.Y., where he was raised,
the "judges, the prosecutors and the juries weren't as tolerant of
drug activity as perhaps the Bronx." He said he noticed the stiffer
penalties coming down from Westchester County were perhaps luring
some drug dealers to a less-punitive Bronx.

"That's the message our community needs to send to people coming
in," he said. "We need to send a message, 'No. Stop coming into our
community before the barn doors open too much.'" He added, with a
laugh, that's he's working on speaking in rural colloquialisms.

McCormack said he's still trying to get a feel for how judges
sentence here, but believes the statutes in Maryland "are adequate"
for the crimes.

"The potential for (higher) sentences are higher in Maryland than
they are in New York," he said.

In New York, he said courts interpret case law from a more
"pro-defendant" perspective.

The Tulane University law school graduate said he clerked for judges
in Prince George's County, Md., and "fell in love with the
D.C.-Virginia area." When he heard that there was an opening here,
he sent in his rsum.

Adjusting to Hagerstown has been a learning experience for the
Scarsdale, N.Y., native, whose fiance, Jennifer Bacik, is still
working in New York.

McCormack said he still gets taken aback here when someone holds a
door open for him or makes eye contact with him passing in the
street. He said he was shocked and pleased that no one got mad at
him one day while he was stopped at a red light. He was distracted
and didn't notice it turned green.

"There were two cars behind me and no one honked," he said and smiled.