Prosecutors barred from mentioning past investigations into Marilyn Mosby at her perjury trial
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby lost several motions at a hearing Wednesday ahead of her federal trial while her legal team scored one crucial victory.
Mosby's lawyer A. Scott Bolden told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren, "No plea deals. We're going to trial" outside of the courthouse.
Mosby is facing criminal charges including perjury and making false statements involving her personal finances.
The government accused Mosby of lying on mortgage applications to buy vacation properties in Florida and falsely claiming a COVID-19 hardship withdrawal from her retirement account to buy those homes.
Prosecutors noted she was making several hundred thousand dollars a year and suffered no adverse financial consequences from the pandemic.
Mosby's lawyers argued federal prosecutors should not be able to mention Mosby's vacation homes at all because they are "confusing to the jury" and "paint her in a bad light." Judge Lydia K. Griggsby denied their request.
The judge will also allow some expert witnesses the defense tried to block.
But Mosby did score a win: Judge Griggsby stopped mention of any past investigations into her, including a probe of her travel by the city's inspector general and statements that her side travel businesses were not operational and earning money.
Her lawyers have argued those travel businesses were harmed by the pandemic and that was an appropriate reason to allow her to withdraw retirement money. They also claimed in court Wednesday they have evidence that her net worth went down during the pandemic.
Judge Griggsby ruled in favor of prosecutors in a motion they brought and will not allow Mosby's lawyers to tell the jury the case was brought out of "political or racial animus."
Mosby lost her re-election bid but she will remain the city's top prosecutor until January.
Jury selection in her trial is expected to start late next week. The trial is set to begin on September 19.
