Baltimore State's Attorney Candidate Threatens To Sue Other Candidates For 'Lies' About His Name

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Just hours before voters head to the polls for the primary election, the race for Baltimore City's next state's attorney is getting ugly.

This is a three-way race, and one of the candidates threatened to sue his opponents, saying they lied about him.

But none of the other candidates are backing down.

Ivan Bates is one of the three candidates running to be for Baltimore City State's Attorney.

"As a homicide prosecutor, Ivan never lost a murder case," one ad for Bates stated.

And in a city riddled with crime, his ad has touted a perfect record as a homicide prosecutor, but after opponents challenged him on that claim, saying he's tried very few cases, Bates announced he'll sue them if they don't stop.

"Every single homicide victim and their family, the murderer was placed in jail and I was part of that team, but when you make lies and you lie on a person's name and integrity, there are consequences," Bates said.

His opponents are current State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, and former city, state, and federal prosecutor Thiru Vignarajah.

Vignarajah isn't backing down despite the threat of a lawsuit.

"The reason his standing in the polls has plummeted, is because he put out this claim that he never lost a murder trial, and now it is becoming increasingly clear that that claim is exaggerated, if not entirely false," Vignarajah said.

Incumbent Marilyn Mosby has had to defend her own record after record setting homicide rates and controversy.

On Monday afternoon, she received some high profile endorsements from former Baltimore City State's Attorneys Kurt Schmoke, Stuart O. Simms, and Patricia Jessamy.

There are no Republican challengers in this race, so whoever wins Tuesday's primary election will be the next Baltimore City State's Attorney.

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