MARYLAND
The Baltimore Sun
By John-John Williams IV
The Baltimore Sun
The executive council of the Episcopal Church met in Linthicum Heights this weekend to discuss topics that included its presence in Cuba, initiatives to address racism and an upcoming national conference in Salt Lake City.
However, the council didn’t discuss a high-ranking Maryland bishop who was recently charged with manslaughter in the death of a bicyclist last month.
The three-day meeting of 70 of the church’s bishops, priests, deacons, laypersons and staff coincides with the latest developments involving the death of bicyclist Thomas Palermo, 41, a married father of two, who was killed Dec. 27 in a crash on Roland Avenue in Baltimore. Bishop Suffragan Heather Elizabeth Cook was identified as the driver. Cook, 58, left the scene of the crash in the 5700 block of Roland Ave. but returned shortly after, police said.
Cook surrendered to police on Friday and was being held at central booking. A District Court commissioner set her bail at $2.5 million. She also faces other charges, including leaving the scene of the fatal accident and driving under the influence. Both the manslaughter and leaving-the-scene charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years. Cook’s blood alcohol level was 0.22 percent, nearly triple the legal limit in Maryland, according to Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby, who said that Cook was text-messaging at the time of the collision.
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