By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Political Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Just ahead of former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s sentencing on May 23, her story has gained national attention.
“We are enthused about the grassroots efforts that have taken place and now the support from many of the national organizations, supporters and the media,” said Haki Ammi, a supporter of Mosby and member of the Baltimore Chapter of Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN). “We started making small noises, and it manifested.”
In November 2023, Mosby was convicted on two counts of perjury for falsely claiming her finances were negatively impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to withdraw funds from Baltimore City’s Deferred Compensation Plan.
In February, a jury in Greenbelt, Md., delivered a split verdict, finding Mosby guilty of making a false mortgage application to purchase a property in Longboat Key, Fla., but acquitting her of allegedly doing the same to purchase a home in Kissimmee, Fla.
Mosby could face up to 40 years for her convictions.
Earlier this month, Mosby’s legal team filed for no incarceration and one year of supervised release. The prosecution responded by insisting on 20 months in prison.
“The government requests the court sentence the defendant to 20 months incarceration followed by a period of supervised release,” said the prosecution in the memorandum. “This sentence appropriately reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct and is not greater than necessary to satisfy the purposes of sentencing.”
Throughout her trial, supporters came out in busloads to stand with her.
“Wherever there is injustice, I will show up,” said Josephine Mourning, president of the Prince George’s County, Md. chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, on Feb. 16.
The NAN and 14 other organizations wrote and signed a letter to President Biden on May 7, asking him to pardon Mosby.
In part, the letter reads:
“On behalf of the nation’s civil rights, justice and advocacy organizations, we write to request a presidential pardon of former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. Ms. Mosby was wrongfully convicted and will face sentencing of up to 40 years in federal prison on May 23, 2024 after enduring the political persecution and malicious prosecution of the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice.
We are deeply concerned that the last administration abused their power to advance a meritless indictment against Ms. Mosby and worse, the current administration’s U.S. Department of Justice ignored a clear political motive of the malicious prosecution against Ms. Mosby.
We ask that you grant a full pardon to Ms. Marilyn Mosby before May 23, 2024, and restore her full rights. Given that this prosecution illustrates selective prosecution within the last administration, we ask that you direct a thorough review of the prosecution of Black elected officials and other persons of color.”
As well, National Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump and more than 50 other lawyers signed Mosby’s application for a presidential pardon.
On May 16, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had not spoken to the president about Mosby’s pardon and could not comment further.
“Obviously, those letters have come through. I just haven’t spoken to the president directly about this,” said Jean-Pierre at a press briefing. “We do not want to speak about individual cases. We believe it’s inappropriate. We want to be really, really mindful here.”
Even so, Ammi said he and the other supporters won’t stop.
“We’re not taking our foot off the pedal,” said Ammi. “We understand President Biden has Gaza, the Congo and Haiti, but we respectfully say that this is an election season, and he will need the support of Black people. He should use his good judgment.”
Maryland-based organizers gathered over 100 supporters on May 19 for a cookout in Mosby’s name. The cookout was aimed at strengthening support for her.
Mosby was present, greeting and speaking with supporters.
“I knew that coming in, trying to equalize, balance the scales of justice, was going to come with a tax,” said Mosby in a passionate speech to a crowd of her supporters in Clarksville, Md. “I decided I wanted to reform the criminal justice system because this is a system that disproportionately impacts people of color.”
As the Baltimore City State’s Attorney, Mosby enacted progressive practices and tried police officers in court for their alleged part in harmful or deadly interactions with suspects, such as in the Freddie Gray incident in 2015. Mosby served in the position from 2015 to 2023, losing the elected office after being indicted in 2022.
The prosecution insists that Mosby’s convictions have nothing to do with her progressive policies.
“Ms. Mosby was charged and convicted because she chose to repeatedly break the law, not because of her politics or policies,” said the prosecution in a recent memorandum.
Mosby maintained her innocence and encouraged her supporters to attend Thursday’s sentencing and sign her online petition for a pardon, which has more than 61,000 signatures as of May 20.
Tashi McQueen is a Report For America corps member.