Bates accepts Democratic nomination for Baltimore's top prosecutor, calls for unity among leaders
BALTIMORE -- Surrounded by family and backers, Ivan Bates accepted the Democratic nomination for Baltimore City State's Attorney at his campaign headquarters Monday morning.
A prominent defense attorney and former city prosecutor, Bates was declared the nominee by the Associated Press last Friday. With 40% of the vote, Bates led runner-up Thiru Vignarajah by 10 points and two-term incumbent Marilyn Mosby by 11 points.
The trio previously squared off during the 2018 primary, which resulted in Mosby winning the nomination and securing a second term in office after scoring nearly half of the votes. Bates finished second in that race.
Baltimore City leaders past and present joined Bates to celebrate his nomination Monday, including First District Councilman Zeke Cohen, former Mayor Sheila Dixon, and former Baltimore City State's Attorney Gregg Bernstein.
Referring to the leaders behind him, Bates called for a new approach to stop crime in the city through unity and teamwork.
"I believe in collaborative working relationships," he said. "This isn't about me, this is about me and about us. The first thing you have to do is adjust attitude. When you adjust attitude you can work from there. Because right now Baltimore, we're in our silos. We're fighting, but we're not fighting together. If we fight together, we can win together."
On a personal note, Bates thanked his father for his continuous support and acknowledged a "very difficult time period" after his mother died last year.
In his campaign, Bates touted his record "holding the worst criminals to account" as a prosecutor and "taking on the corrupt Baltimore police" when he represented victims of Gun Trace Task Force as a defense attorney.
His platform includes implementing a homicide review program similar to the ones in Milwaukee and Oakland, and creating a specialized unit for violent gun crimes and illegal gun possession.
Bates has said he will end Mosby's policy to stop prosecuting some non-violent offenses such as low-level drug possession, trespassing and prostitution. But defendants who are convicted in those cases would be connected with diversionary programs.
"I will also put on notice the vile repeat offenders. While I'm State's Attorney - and i just have to get through the general - you will be held accountable and you will go to jail," he said. "We'll look around the country and understand other programs that work. We're not going to go back to mass incarceration, but there will be accountability at all levels."
Addressing one of Mosby's high-profile cases, Bates has supported dismissing charges against Keith Davis Jr., who is awaiting a fifth trial in the 2015 murder of a Pimlico security guard. Two trials ended with a hung jury. One ended in a conviction that was later thrown out.
The most recent case ended in a conviction and 50-year sentence, but a judge granted Davis a new trial.
On the morning of the murder, police chased Davis into an auto repair shop in Northwest Baltimore as part of an unrelated attempted robbery investigation and fired dozens of rounds, striking him three times, including in the face. He was found not guilty in the armed robbery, but later police charged him with the murder of the security guard, Kevin Jones.
In his own assessment of the race, Bates told WJZ Friday that Mosby's federal case was not as much of a factor.
Mosby faces charges of perjury and falsifying information on mortgage applications. Her trial date was pushed back to September 19. She has pleaded not guilty on all charges.
"Voters weren't as focused on Ms. Mosby's personal issues," he said. "They were focused on crime -- crime, crime, crime, crime, crime. That's all they want to talk about was the crime."
The Republican Party is not fielding a candidate in the race.
Roya Hanna, a former prosecutor who entered the primary as a Democrat before withdrawing in April, is running as an independent in November.