Mosby Trial Moved To September At Request Of Defense
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Federal judge Lydia Kay Griggsby has delayed the trial of Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby on charges that include perjury.
The trial will move from May 2nd to Sept. 19. WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren was the first to report the delay.
A court document obtained by WJZ shows that Griggsby found "good cause" to push the date ahead by more than four months after a phone conference Tuesday between prosecutors and the defense.
Mosby and her lead attorney A. Scott Bolden have repeatedly called for her trial to start as soon as possible. They said it was critical for the case to be over before the primary election and called the case a "political witch hunt."
But in a motion filed Friday in federal court, Bolden cited concerns that the court previously expressed over whether both sides would be ready to go on May 2 when Mosby's trial is scheduled to get underway.
Additionally, the motion states the defense would not be able to meet the court's deadlines, pointing to a lack of clarity on the identities of the government's expert witnesses and the high volume of discovery materials provided by prosecutors.
"Counsel must first sift through recently provided discovery in order to identify relevant motion(s) [to exclude certain testimony]," the defense motion states. "Again, this cannot be accomplished within the current timeframe set forth by the Court."
The government filed a response Friday, saying among other things that the defense's assertions about the government's experts and the volume of discovery are "false" and challenging the idea that the court wanted to delay the trial.
Prosecutors slammed the defense in their own court filings and fought against the delay. They called Mosby's legal team "unprepared" and said any delay is "entirely of their own making." Prosecutor Leo Wise wrote, "We're ready to go."
The timeline of the trial could have an impact on the Baltimore City State's Attorney election, which has already produced three potential challengers.
In February, Mosby called for the trial to begin as soon as possible, saying she did not want the court proceedings to influence her reelection bid. She has maintained that she is innocent of perjury and false statement charges.
"We all deserve for this to be over," Mosby said at the time. "What I'm asking for is to be tried right now because I am innocent, and the citizens of Baltimore deserve to know that as well before my election, which is four months out."
Prosecutors allege that Mosby lied about enduring financial hardships related to COVID-19 to withdraw money without penalty from her retirement account and that she falsified information on loan applications.
Mosby has pleaded not guilty to all four counts. She has vowed to clear her name of the allegations, which her defense has characterized as being "politically motivated."
"Don't be fooled," Mosby said following her Jan. 13 indictment. "We are five months from my next election, and this indictment is a merely a political ploy by my political adversaries to unseat me."
Mosby strongly maintains her innocence.
Unchanged is an important motions hearing scheduled for next Thursday.
When the trial does begin, it is expected to last less than a week.
Additionally, it remains to be seen how the case's timeline will affect the upcoming election. While Mosby has yet to file for reelection, three candidates have entered the race in hopes of replacing Mosby.
Former Maryland Deputy Attorney General Thiru Vignarajah has filed to run as a Democrat, joining fellow Democrat Ivan Bates and Roya Hanna, who has signaled she will run as an independent.
Vignarajah, who ran unsuccessfully for the same office in 2018, has been endorsed by Gov. Larry Hogan, a frequent critic of Mosby.
