Marilyn Mosby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marilyn Mosby
25th State's Attorney of Baltimore
In office January 8, 2015 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Gregg Bernstein
Succeeded by	Ivan Bates
Personal details
Born	Marilyn James (1980-01-22) January 22, 1980 (age 45) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Nick Mosby ​ ​ (m. 2005; separated 2023)​
Children	2
Education	Tuskegee University (BA) Boston College (JD)
Signature

Marilyn Mosby (born January 22, 1980) is an American lawyer and politician. She served as the top prosecutor for the city of Baltimore, Maryland, from 2015 to 2023. When she was first elected, she was the youngest person to hold this important job in any major city in the United States.

Mosby was re-elected in 2018. However, she lost her re-election campaign in 2022 to Ivan Bates. This happened after she faced legal challenges related to financial rules. She was later found responsible for issues concerning a COVID-19 relief program and property purchases.

Early Life and Education

Marilyn James was born in Massachusetts and grew up in Dorchester, Boston. Her grandparents raised her. Both her mother and father were police officers. Her family has a history of working in law enforcement, as her grandfather was one of the first African-American police officers in their state.

She went to Dover-Sherborn High School, which was an hour away from her home. This was part of a program called METCO, which helps students attend schools outside their local area. While in high school, she was active in student government and helped edit the school newspaper.

When she was 20 and a student at Tuskegee University, Marilyn appeared on the Judge Judy TV show. She won her case, which was about a roommate damaging her property. She graduated with honors from Tuskegee University. Later, she earned her law degree from Boston College Law School in 2005.

Career as a Lawyer

After finishing law school, Mosby worked in different legal roles. From 2005 to 2014, she was a law clerk, an Assistant State's Attorney for Baltimore, and an investigator for an insurance company. Before that, she had several legal internships while studying law in Boston.

Baltimore's Top Prosecutor

2014 Baltimore State's Attorney Democratic primary results by precinct

     Mosby

     50–60%
     60–70%
     70–80%
     80–90%
     >90%

     Bernstein

     50–60%
     60–70%
     70–80%
     80–90%

     Tie

In June 2013, Mosby announced she would run for State's Attorney for Baltimore. She ran against the person who held the job at the time, Gregg L. Bernstein. She won the primary election with 55 percent of the votes. She then won the general election without much opposition, becoming Baltimore's top prosecutor.

She officially started her job on January 8, 2015. Soon after, Mosby made changes to her office. She wanted to make it more like prosecutor offices in other big cities. She brought back community liaison positions to help keep residents informed about cases in their neighborhoods. She also created a special unit to help pass laws that would make prosecuting cases more efficient.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Mosby announced that her office would not pursue charges for minor traffic violations or small offenses. This was done to help stop the spread of the virus in Baltimore prisons. In March 2021, she made this policy permanent. She said that this temporary change had not led to an increase in more serious crimes.

2022 Baltimore State's Attorney Democratic primary results by precinct

     Bates

     30–40%
     40–50%
     50–60%
     60–70%
     70–80%

     Vignarajah

     30–40%
     40–50%
     50–60%
     60–70%

     Mosby

     30–40%
     40–50%
     50–60%
     60–70%

     Tie

     30–40%
     40–50%

On April 12, 2022, Mosby announced she would run for a third term. However, she was defeated by defense attorney Ivan Bates in the Democratic primary election on July 19, 2022.

Community Programs

Mosby started several programs to connect with the Baltimore community:

• Junior State's Attorney: This program began in 2015. Each summer, it teaches middle school students about careers in the justice system.
• Community Day in Court: To help people trust the justice system more, Mosby started holding regular "Community Days in Court." These events brought the public and law enforcement together to talk about important city issues.

Financial Questions

In October 2020, questions arose about unpaid federal taxes for Marilyn Mosby and her husband, Nick Mosby. Nick Mosby stated the issue was later settled.

Mosby also faced questions about her frequent speaking trips and private businesses. She asked the city's Inspector General to investigate. The investigation found that she had traveled for many workdays in 2018 and 2019. It also noted that she did not report some of these trips. There were also questions about how she used certain business entities for tax purposes.

Later, it was found that the lawyers who defended Mosby in response to the Inspector General's report were paid using her re-election campaign funds. This was against state law. Around the same time, public records showed that Mosby had bought two homes in Florida.

Concerns About Media Complaints

In May 2021, Mosby's office filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) against a Baltimore TV station, WBFF. Her office said the station's coverage was "blatantly slanted, dishonest, misleading, racist, and extremely dangerous." WBFF responded that its journalism was for the public good.

An FCC commissioner, Brendan Carr, said Mosby's complaint was "a chilling and direct attack on free speech and journalistic freedom."

Legal Challenges and Outcome

In January 2022, Mosby faced legal challenges related to financial rules. These included questions about how she requested funds from a COVID-19 relief program and how she completed mortgage applications for her Florida properties. She stated she was not guilty of the charges.

Her trial faced delays, partly because her defense team had to withdraw from the case. In January 2023, Mosby was declared unable to pay for her own defense, and a public defender was assigned to represent her.

In May 2024, Mosby was found responsible for the financial issues. She was sentenced to 12 months of home confinement, 100 hours of community service, and three years of supervised release.

Law License Review

The Maryland Bar Counsel, which oversees lawyers, is reviewing Mosby's law license. They are also looking into the Florida properties that were part of her legal case.

Personal Life

In 2005, Marilyn James married Nick Mosby, who is currently the president of the Baltimore City Council. They have two daughters. In July 2023, the Mosbys filed for divorce.

Images for kids

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  Marilyn Mosby's signature