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Fmr Baltimore prosecutor facing yet another trial delay after entire defense team quits

March 1, 2023 | | Print Article

Former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who is being charged with perjury and making false mortgage applications, had her entire defense team quit last month, forcing a judge to delay her trial until November according to a court order issued on Monday.

(Video Credit: WJZ)

Mosby pleaded not guilty to the charges last year. Those charges contend that she falsely claimed a financial hardship during the pandemic in order to withdraw $90,000 from her retirement accounts. She then turned around and allegedly used the funds to place down payments on two vacation properties in Florida, a $913,000 home in Kissimmee and a $732,000 condo in Longboat Key.

Prosecutors pointed out that Mosby received her full salary of $247,955.58 in 2020 despite claiming financial hardship. That’s the same year she drained her retirement accounts. They also claim that Mosby lied on mortgage applications when she didn’t disclose unpaid federal taxes, according to Fox News.

Mosby’s lead defense attorney, A. Scott Bolden quit in January after US District Court Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby threatened to hold him in contempt of court, resulting in another delay of the trial. He was reprimanded by the judge for accusing prosecutors of racism and then using profanity in an interview outside the Baltimore courthouse. He also reportedly disclosed confidential responses from jurors in court filings.

A federal judge remarked that Bolden’s rule violations, “in addition to his theatrics and profanity,” went against the court’s “traditions of civility and collegiality.” But his inappropriate conduct didn’t warrant criminal contempt sanctions, according to a Feb. 21 order issued by US District Judge Richard D. Bennett. The case against him was dismissed.

(Video Credit: WJZ)

After being charged in court, Mosby lost her reelection bid in 2022 during the Democratic primary. She had served two terms as state’s attorney.

The former prosecutor grabbed the spotlight when she attempted to charge multiple police officers in the 2015 death of Freddie Gray, who died in custody.

Mosby also infamously directed her office to stop prosecuting quality-of-life crimes such as drug possession and prostitution. She did that at the beginning of the pandemic, arguing that it was necessary to reduce the chance of outbreaks in jails and prisons.

After Mosby’s entire team of six private defense lawyers asked to withdraw from her case, Griggsby allowed the team to do so. She then declared Mosby indigent and appointed a public defender to represent her moving forward.

Public Defender James Wyda stated in February, when the parties first signaled a fall trial date, that Mosby was “anxious to put this matter behind her as quickly as possible,” according to The Baltimore Banner.

“We’re trying to move promptly for her sake as well as the court,” Wyda asserted on Feb. 10.

Jury selection for Mosby’s trial is slated to begin on Oct. 31. The trial itself should begin on Nov. 2. She had requested a venue change for her case but the judge denied it.

Mosby’s trial date was pushed back again to give her new attorney time to get up to speed. It had been scheduled to start in April 2023 after being pushed back from its original date in May 2022 to September 2022. It’s the fourth trial date to be set in the case.

If Mosby is convicted she could serve up to five years in prison for the perjury charge and up to 30 years for making false mortgage applications.

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