Former Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby set for sentencing in federal court following guilty verdicts on perjury and false mortgage application charges.
The U.S. authorities petitioned the judge to sentence Mosby, aged 44, to a prison term of 20 months, followed by a supervised release, as per a sentencing memo dated May 9. Their reasoning behind this sentence was to "make it crystal clear that those who violate the law, even if they hold a public office, will be subject to justice."
Mosby's defense attorneys, who maintain her innocence and believe the charges against her are politically motivated, pleaded in their May 16 response for a sentence of time served coupled with a year of supervised release.
The sentencing, which commenced this week, comes after her conviction across two separate trials for a total of three charges. This was quite a turn of events for a prosecutor who started her tenure just months before the death of Gray, who sustained spinal injuries and passed away due to his mistreatment in a police van. The charges against the three acquitted officers were subsequently dropped by Mosby herself.
Mosby initially faced two counts of perjury in November, where she was accused of lying about experiencing adverse financial consequences due to the Covid-19 pandemic in order to draw out $90,000 from her retirement funds. However, her income had never been affected, as her gross salary was $247,955.58.
In her second trial, Mosby was found guilty of providing false information in relation to a mortgage for a Florida condo, as per the Department of Justice. She claimed that her husband gifted her $5,000 to save her some money on the condo's purchase and secure a lower interest rate. However, the Justice Department argued that she sent $5,000 to her husband, which he subsequently transferred back to her.
Despite this, the jury acquitted Mosby of a second charge of making a false mortgage application relating to the purchase of another Florida property.
This story is being updated continuously.
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The U.S. authorities emphasized during the sentencing that mosby's actions were not exempt from justice, as they stated, "People like us, no matter our position, must be held accountable for violating the law." After the sentencing, Mosby's legal team indicated their intention to appeal, arguing that their client had been unfairly treated due to her public role.
Source: edition.cnn.com
