Could Marilyn Mosby Face Criminal Charges For Quick Call Against Cops? New Report Details Possibilities

Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has definitely ruffled feathers over the past week. The newly-appointed prosecutor has been widely criticized for her quick decision to file charges against the six Baltimore police officers associated with the death of Freddie Gray. Mosby’s statement during her press conference on Friday, May 1, has also been scrutinized because many have suspected that her idea of “justice” has nothing to do with evident facts.

First, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz accused Mosby of filing charges for “crowd control” purposes. Now, former Baltimore prosecutor, Page Croyder, has developed a critical analysis of the controversial charges, insisting the quick decision is a blatant display of “incompetence” or “unethical recklessness.” On Monday, May 4, she penned a post, titled “Baltimore’s Hasty Prosecutor,” voicing her concerns.

https://twitter.com/RosariaMinzel/status/596041519385055233

According to Gateway Pundit, Croyder’s latest blog post provides a detailed argument about the charges from a cynical perspective. Croyder insists filing charges after only two weeks is a clear sign of inexperience and she provided examples and details to back her claims, explaining why the decision could pose problems in the long-run. She has also blasted Mosby for her presumable lack of interest in seeking the truth.

“Any prosecutor interested in the truth and in justice would have used all the tools at her disposal to find them. She has perhaps the most experienced homicide prosecutor in the state of Maryland as chief of her homicide unit, but did not ask him to investigate. She had access to the completed police report only one day before filing charges. And she failed to make use of the Grand Jury to gather, probe and test the evidence before a group of average citizens.

The Fraternal Office of Police called Mosby’s charges an ‘egregious rush to judgment.’ It smacks more of a calculated push to the spotlight, filing charges after a mere two weeks. She conducted her own ‘parallel’ investigation using her police integrity unit (the only unit for which she fails to list a supervisor on her website.) She received the autopsy report the same day as her press conference announcing the charges. In her haste to step into the national limelight, she circumvented normal charging procedures by grabbing a member of the sheriff’s office to file them for her. Her actions appeared calculated for maximum surprise and effect, and she got it.”

Croyder went on to challenge Mosby’s theory of “false imprisonment.” She insists Mosby is the one who made an illegal arrest — not the cops. She also questioned Mosby’s alleged hypocrisy when it comes to being “above the law.”

Although the police officers involved have been accused of using their badges for unlawful purposes, Croyder argues Mosby has done so as well by using her legal edge for the wrong reasons. Instead of sticking to the “facts,” many wonder if the charges were filed just to promote peace.

“But, she was so hasty she drew up warrants for the wrong people. And her arrest of two of the officers for making an illegal arrest was itself ‘illegal.’ Had she taken the time to discuss it with the police department, she’d have avoided an embarrassing and unjust result.

Published ethical standards prohibit the use of a prosecutor’s powers for political or personal purposes. They demand that prosecutors be fair and objective and protect the innocence. Instead Mosby, without all of the evidence yet available to her, pandered to the protestors by saying she had ‘heard [their] call for “no justice, no peace” ‘ and promised to work for ‘justice’ for Freddie Gray, an ethical violation for which a former prosecutor immediately blasted her.”

Although the charges have widely been deemed a form of “damage control,” now many are worried the decision could backfire. If the charges are potentially dropped due to lack of substantial evidence, the possible outcome could catastrophic. The daunting possibility could lead to more violent riots by those who feel the decision would be “unjust.”

Here’s an excerpt from the Baltimore Sun report, which details possible problems the city could face in the near future because of Mosby’s recent decision.

“In the long run, Ms. Mosby may be undermining the cause of justice rather than promoting it. She has created an expectation of guilt and conviction. If that does not happen, many will blame the system as unfair or unjust, when it may have been Ms. Mosby’s own lack of competence and/or arrogance in bringing charges so quickly. And she has created a new expectation in the city: that police officers who arrest without what she considers to be probable cause (a subjective standard) are subject not just to civil action (the current norm) but criminal action. Mere mistakes, or judgments exercised under duress, can land them in the pokey.”

Do you think Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby made the right decision by filing charges? Share your thoughts.

[Photo(s) by Andrew Burton/Getty Images]