Posted on 01/08/2017 12:39:38 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The long, drawn out battles surround the Freddie Gray trials in Baltimore may seem like a distant memory at this point. Much of daily life in the city has returned to normal, even though the murder rate stayed stubbornly high at 318 for last year. (Shockingly, that’s still down from the 344 they rang up the year before, but far higher than 2014’s level of 211, which was far more typical of the past decade.) With all the trials against the police officers involved in Gray’s arrest and subsequent death having failed or been dismissed, the dust has largely settled. The mayor is on her way to a civilian gig with the DNC.
But there’s one last piece of business to be attended to. There is a pending defamation lawsuit against State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, brought by five of the officers she attempted to prosecute. Mosby’s latest attempt to get the case tossed out ran into a brick wall in court this week when a judge ruled that it can still move forward. (ABC local news)
A federal judge has ruled that a defamation and malicious prosecution lawsuit filed against Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby can go forward.
The lawsuit was filed by five of the six Baltimore Police officers charged in 2015 with the death of Freddie Gray.
The judge ruled that the suit against Mosby and Baltimore City Assistant Sheriff Samuel Cogen can proceed, said Michael Glass, an attorney for Sgt Alicia White and Officer William Porter.
Van driver Officer Caesar Goodson was the only officer who didn’t file a lawsuit.
When the various lawsuits brought against Mosby first began I’ll confess that I expressed doubts over the prospects of success. One of the first was an attempt to have Mosby disbarred, but that one was tossed out before the end of the summer. This defamation and malicious prosecution case didn’t seem like it would fare much better. Typically you don’t ever see a prosecutor losing such a case since the system is loathe to cast a chill over the efforts of prosecutors to bring cases to trial even if they are challenging ones. You’re not going to win every case, and the act of bringing charges is part of their job by definition.
The fact that this one still hasn’t been thrown out may prove the exception to the rule. When Mosby first challenged the suit back in September a judge came back and refused to toss it. One legal analyst in Baltimore who was familiar with the case explained at the time that this was a fairly unique situation. Normally it’s the police and other law enforcement agencies who conduct the initial investigation and they then hand the case off to the prosecutor to take it to trial. But in the Freddie Gray aftermath, Mosby’s office took over and conducted their own investigation and she moved forward based on her own findings. That, at least in the opinion of some observers, may wind up eliminating the normal, de facto immunity that she would enjoy.
At this point Mosby is running out of legal maneuvers to head this off at the pass. Without some significant new development, we may actually be going to trial this year. And if that happens, the media circus will be moving back to Baltimore once again.
Regardless of the outcome, the Baltimore Taxpayers will be the ones punished. Mosby won’t pay a dime.
Nor will she learn anything from it.
Wasn’t she suppose to be disbarred as well, or someone was taking steps to do so? When she gave that speech and told the rioters “We stand with you”, right there she should have been immediately removed from office and arrested and OF COURSE disbarred. If that isn’t inciting a riot, I don’t know what is. All these punks burning down houses, buildings, looting, trashing cars, and she says “We stand with you!” In other words, please continue your rioting and looting!
To paraphrase Marion Barry’s line from 1990 “the bitch set them up.”
She may not pay out of pocket for this. She will pay in reputation.
Disbar her
Remember, judges are only triers of the Law.
Juries are triers of the Facts.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
She should have contacted her like-minded fellow travelers in the DOJ, assuming she didn't trust the MD State Police.
Boy. What a defiant bitchy pose.
The Baltimore Police Department said that they have a real shortage of officers. Marilyn Mosby and the city treated officers so poorly and that is the reason why they are not getting new applicants. Baltimore would do well to get rid of her.
If they want to get new applicants, they better get rid of her and show that they will treat the officers better. Baltimore should have pressured her to knock off the racial tirade she was on, or they should have deposed her as Attorney General.
The chickens are coming home to roost!!
well, it's a defiant b!tch
Oh goody good goody, jail the arrogant BB
I will never forget her addressing the thugs, vandals, and rioters, saying "Dis is a moment! Dis is OUR moment!"
It was disgusting.
She needs to be sued into disbarment!!
Yes, she likely will pay out of pocket, ultimately, and she should be made to do so. This goes well beyond the confines of her job description. It should get her disbarred as well.
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