Re: Marilyn Mosby

This one’s for the Baltimore Readers.

Recently the city Solicitor determined that Marilyn Mosby, our States Attorney, did not violate any rules with her official travel. The reasoning appears to be because there aren’t any rules, there is no way to break them and therefore she has done nothing wrong. And furthermore, this was not tax money and we were not on the hook for any of it.

“[Inspector General Isabel Mercedes] Cumming found Mosby reported taking 24 trips in 2018 and 2019, traveling as a conference guest and speaker to Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Houston, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia, and elsewhere.” From Tim Prudente, Baltimore Sun, Febrauary 18^th, 2021

She has reportedly spent a total of 144 days out of town on these trips spanning 2018 and 2019.

Now…I’m not here to pile on or condemn about her traveling. I do not take particular exception to her spending about 19 percent of the year away from her duties in the city. For the purposes of this post, I will take on faith that these are legitimate business-related ventures…

No, my issue is with her job performance.

Mosby succeeded Gregg Bernstein, who presided over a comparatively calmer period in Baltimore when the murder rate was down and we had a decent Police Commissioner (Bealefeld). She took issue with the murder rate and his approach at reducing it. She also took issue with his conviction rate (95 percent).

Now…I know it might be apples and oranges, but after Freddie Gray, the murder rate has been way up in this city. From a low point of 196 in 2011…under Bernstein…we hit our high in 2019 with 348…under Mosby.

I know, I know…It’s astounding and terrible, and none of these are good numbers. Murder and drugs and crime and poverty and racism and corruption and redlining and neglect on a shocking level are all baked into the Baltimore experience, and I don’t presume to have the answers.

But come on.

That conviction rate “plunged” a whole 3 points to 92 percent…under Mosby. Which in and of itself probably isn’t bad, but what do I know? I’m not a lawyer, I’m not in law enforcement. I am just some beautiful stranger on the internet.

Also…

Her attempt to prosecute the Freddie Gray cops was admirable. But I said from the beginning, it was overreach. It had no shot in hell of working. And it didn’t. They all walked.

The corrupt Gun Trace Task Force flourished under her. And they were subsequently brought down without her help.

I know I’m only scratching the surface. But that’s what I got.

No. I don’t care about her travels. But I live in Baltimore, I read the news, and this is what I see. I want us to do better.

I don’t know much.

But…I am the Parochialist.