Black-Death and Marilyn Mosby’s Major Influence

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Marilyn Mosby is a tough lady. At just 35 she is the youngest chief prosecutor in any district and she has just made some tough decisions, having the city of Baltimore charge six police officers with major crimes, including second degree murder and manslaughter.

It was a tough call for the young prosecutor, but necessary following the volatility and violence in the city after the death of Freddie Gray, the 25 year old black man who died in police custody and following a major spine injury.

The issues surrounding Freddie Gray’s death plunged the city into yet another Black-death inquiry and has also elevated the importance of lawyers like Marilyn Mosby.

“The findings of our comprehensive, thorough and independent investigation, coupled with the medical examiner’s determination that Mr. Gray’s death was a homicide, which we received today, has led us to believe that we have probable cause to file criminal charges,” she said in a statement.

Mosby is just four months into her job when she was tasked last month with investigating Gray’s death. She had never held elected office before November. And at 35, Mosby is the youngest chief prosecutor of any district.

Those details gave city residents reason to doubt her abilities, something even her biggest supporters have conceded. Before her current job, Mosby had been counsel for Liberty Mutual Insurance for three years and an assistant state’s attorney for five years.

On Friday, though, Mosby emerged as the voice that so many in Baltimore needed to hear. She gave a detailed description of what happened to Gray the day he was arrested and said officers ignored his requests for medical attention. She let the findings speak for themselves.

“No crime had been committed by Mr. Gray,” she said. “He was arrested illegally.”

Mosby was in her element at the press event. She repeatedly batted away questions about her personal feelings on the matter, saying it wasn’t relevant. She also dismissed the idea that there is a conflict of interest in her conducting the investigation since her husband, Nick Mosby, is a Baltimore city councilman who has spoken out about the riots spurred by Gray’s death.

“I uphold the law,” she said flatly. “He makes the law.”

Despite the damning conclusions of her probe, which led to warrants being issued Friday for six officers involved in Gray’s arrest, Mosby is not out to smear cops. To the contrary, she’s been close to them for her entire life.

“To the rank-and-file officers of the Baltimore Police Department, please know that these accusations of these six officers are not an indictment of the entire force,” Mosby said. “I come from five generations of law enforcement. My father was an officer. My mother was an officer … My recently departed and beloved grandfather was one of the founding members of the first black police organization in Massachusetts.”

Besides her family connections, Mosby’s draw to criminal justice may stem from a tragedy she experienced in Boston, where she grew up. Her 17-year-old cousin was mistaken for a drug dealer and killed outside her home by another teenager. She went on after that to become the first person in her family to graduate from college.

Source: LawFuel / Huffington Post
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