I expected the court’s decision in an amateur artist’s federal lawsuit over the Baltimore Ravens’ original logo to contain legal underpinnings. And U.S. District Court Judge Marvin J. Garbis provided that, analyzing each element of the fair use doctrine to determine Frederick E. Bouchat’s claim of copyright infringement was unfounded

What I did not expect was an illustrated history of professional football in Baltimore. The opinion includes logos of the franchises that ultimately became the Colts, the interregnum franchises before the Ravens and finally the return of the NFL to Charm City — and in the process subtly demonstrating the fair use doctrine.

In an interview, Garbis, a lifelong Baltimorean and football fan, said he personally researched the Baltimore football family tree.

“When you start, you get caught up in it,” he said. “I could have gone on forever.”

To recap: The first incarnation of the Baltimore Colts (1947-1950) played in the All-America Football Conference. The team was the Miami Seahawks in the AAFC’s inaugural season, 1946, and arrived in Baltimore one year later with its green and gray uniforms. The AAFC folded in 1949, and the Colts played one year in the NFL before folding.

The second, more familiar Colts, arrived for the 1953 season. Though disputed by NFL historians (as footnoted in the opinion), Garbis traces the team to the founding of the National Football League, beginning with the Dayton Triangles (1920) who begat the Brooklyn Tigers (1930), who begat the Boston Yanks (1945), who begat the New York Bulldogs (1949), who begat the New York Yanks (1950) who begat the Dallas Texans (1952).

We all know what happened in 1984. The following year, Baltimore inherited a United States Football League franchise from Philadelphia. The Baltimore Stars folded with the league in 1986.

A proposed NFL expansion team called the Baltimore Bombers “never got off the ground,” Garbis wryly noted in his opinion. The city was awarded a Canadian Football League franchise in 1993. Originally named the Colts, the team went nameless for its inaugural 1994 season after being threatened with a lawsuit from the NFL. It became the Stallions for the 1995 season and went on to win the 83rd Grey Cup, the CFL’s version of the Super Bowl (Bonus points to anyone who can name the game’s MVP.)

The Stallions galloped to Montreal following the season, however, because the Cleveland Browns announced plans in November 1995 to relocate to Baltimore, and the Ravens were born.

Garbis, incidentally, became a Ravens season-ticket holder. Asked to forecast the rest of the season, the judge predicted the Ravens going 3-2 in their final five games to finish 10-6 — good enough for a playoff berth.

DANNY JACOBS, Legal Affairs Writer

The good news is that Baltimore is not, when compared to other U.S. cities in a new report, any more crime-ridden than it was last year. The bad news is it’s not any better, either.

The city ranks 12th nationwide in CQ Press’ City Crime Rankings 2008-2009. It had the same ranking in last year’s version of the annual report (as well as in 2006, interestingly enough). New Orleans unseated Detroit for the top spot this year. Ramapo, N.Y. — which I assure you is a real place — came in safest at 385.

Much as every other “Best Of” or “Worst Of” list that’s ever appeared in print, the new rankings are sure to draw criticism due to the report’s methodology — which crime stats to use, which population figures to crunch, etc.

And while a cursory glance leads me to believe that — whatever the numbers that were used — the results make sense, I am surprised at Orlando’s 18th-place showing. I grew up in and around the area and can’t say I ever noticed an especially high level of crime. Of course it’s Florida, so once every couple of months something absolutely insane will happen and the local TV stations will cover the crime like was the first moon landing.

If you have some time, take a look at the list and let us know what stands out to you. (Washington, D.C. was 21 and Philadelphia was 22, for the record).

JOE BACCHUS, Web Specialist

What is it with Montgomery County residents and their misadventures buying used luxury cars?

First it was the case of the mongrel Mercedes.

Now it’s the Bentley Continental GT for which a Burtonsville man paid $148,195.82, only to find out it had, allegedly, been “previously repainted, and possibly previously repaired” in violation of the terms of the sale.

Emmanuel Bailey, a former Fannie Mae executive and Obama campaign contributor, knew the sleek British coupe he bought in June 2007 from a Boynton Beach, Fla. dealer was used, according to the federal lawsuit he filed last week.

But according to the purchase agreement, Bailey alleges, Exotic Motorcars and Jewelry Inc. “would repurchase the Bentley at Mr. Bailey’s option” if the car, currently at Bailey’s home, was found to have been modified.

Since less than a month after he bought the Bentley, Bailey has unsuccessfully sought a refund. He now claims $222,300 in damages under fraud and breach of contract counts.

Oh, and like Dr. Pepi Schafler, Mr. Bailey knows his way around a courthouse.

Will U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus, who also presided over the “mongrel Mercedes” case, come to Bailey’s rescue like the federal government did for his erstwhile employer or will he dismiss the suit as a frivolous squabble in these hard economic times?

BRENDAN KEARNEY, Legal Affairs Writer