"In Baltimore, the real problem is that every witness is automatically intimidated by the culture of the city," even in the absence of an overt threat, said defense attorney Adam Ruther, who prosecuted homicide and felony cases until leaving the state's attorney's office this spring. "The majority of witnesses that I dealt with said, 'If I [cooperate], somebody is going to come after me. I don't know who, but I'm not going to be safe in my neighborhood.'"