Husband Of Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner Goes On Trial In Detroit
DETROIT (KDKA) -- Khari Mosley, husband of Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner, went on trial Thursday in Detroit.
He is charged with two misdemeanor counts, arising out of an altercation he and his wife had with police at the Westin Hotel in early March.
In a rocky start, the first prosecution witness, a security guard, misidentified Mosley, but over defense objections, the judge allowed him to testify.
In an earlier exclusive interview with KDKA political editor Jon Delano, Mosley said he welcomed the chance to explain what really happened at the Westin Hotel.
"There still is a perception amongst the public that there was some sort of incident that we were responsible for some way, some 40-something couple gone wild," said Mosley.
No way says Mosley.
He just wanted a room key card to take the elevator to his 10th-floor room.
On Thursday afternoon, jurors saw hotel video that Jon Delano was shown of Mosley at the front desk.
Delano: "Are you swearing at, are you using language that is inappropriate at the front desk?"
Mosley: "I'm asserting my rights as someone who has paid for a room there. They're telling me there is nothing they can do to help me get to the room and get to my wife."
Mosley denies he was intoxicated.
Mosley: "One glass of wine."
Delano: "One glass of wine, so you are never intoxicated?"
Mosley: "Nope."
Matters escalated when police arrived, and Wagner intervened, say police, to obstruct them.
That's when Wagner tells police she's an attorney and elected official, not to curry favor, she says, but to correct misimpressions.
"Whatever they may have thought I was, in some ways, Jon, they thought that I might have been a prostitute," said Wagner. "You know, it was that crazy as a twilight zone. So what I was doing was asserting myself who understands the law, understand my rights."
Delano: "Did you really think they thought you were a prostitute?"
Wagner: "Uhm, like I said, this has been the twilight zone."
A twilight zone, indeed.
While Wagner's trial won't begin until November, Mosley's case is being heard now by a six-person jury.
The security guard, who thought Mosley's lawyer was Mosley, told police in March that Mosley could have had a gun.
Today he testified he never saw a gun.
Wagner is not allowed in the courtroom, so she's waiting outside along with the officer whom she claims assaulted her near the elevator.
The trial will resume on Friday at 10 a.m.