Mayor Sheila Dixon announces her resignation at a press conference Wednesday afternoon {thanks, AP}

There’s a saying derived from scripture that says, “The first will be last, and the last will be first.”

When Sheila Dixon assumed the office of mayor, succeeding now Gov. Martin O’Malley, many took note that Dixon was the first African-American female mayor of Baltimore. For Dixon, a lifelong Baltimorean, it was the fulfillment of her political ambitions. For some, it was a sign of someone, who presumably had two strikes against her (race and gender), that had been able to write her own success story.

Now, a day after Dixon announced her intention to resign as mayor on Feb. 4, journalists, bloggers and those in between are again discussing a historic fete achieved by Dixon — she will become the first mayor of the city to resign from office, not to assume another office, but in disgrace. Read the rest of this entry »

Mayor Sheila Dixon enters Court House East this morning {thanks, THE BALTIMORE SUN}

Mayor Sheila Dixon’s resignation from office takes effect Feb. 4, reports The Baltimore Sun.

Dixon reached an Alford plea agreement on a conviction of misappropriating gift cards, and in an upcoming perjury trail, WBAL-TV reported just before 3 p.m. Wednesday. As part of the deal, she will receive probation before judgment, allowing her to keep her $83,000/year pension. She will also donate $45,000 to charities, and remain on unsupervised probation for four years.

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{thanks, The Baltimore Sun}

Towson Catholic shut down. City trash pickup was cut to once a week. Water main breaks were a weekly occurrence. And a Hopkins student killed an intruder with a samurai sword.
Signs of the apocalypse? No, just a typical year in Baltimore and environs.
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Could an important window on the justice system be closing? {Thanks, AP}

After weeks of what seemed like play-by-play announcing during the trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, it now seems it’ll be harder for the public to learn what’s going on behind the scenes.

A new rule recently went into effect that says what’s said at bench conferences will no longer be made public. Bench conferences or sidebars are generally conversations between judges and lawyers which take place outside of the earshot of witnesses and jurors. Could the new rule mean the window on the justice system is closing?

In the past, the media and the public have been able to read transcripts, listen to recordings or view video of the proceedings, but in Baltimore city that will no longer be the case. While judges can see it as protecting the public from being easily confused by unimportant matters, what happens when there’s a major development that now can be deemed “off the record”? What happens to the public’s right to know? Also, can the justice system be just if there’s not a full opportunity by the public to check it?

{Brian Krista, b}

We’ve written before about the individuals behind “Baltimore Slumlord Watch” who are hell bent on taking to task the owners of vacant and abandoned properties throughout the city.

The group reports that the Baltimore City Council is considering a new bill which calls for a “Split Level Property Tax.” The bill’s tax would hit property owners who fail to take care of their property. In order for the law to exist, state lawmakers must take action, and that’s what the city bill encourages.

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{Baltimore Sun photo}

“A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.” -H.L. Mencken

I’ve intoned the Bard of Baltimore from time to time in this space.  Considering what this town’s going through — and will continue to go through — indulge me.  It’s a pithy quote.  Prescient even.  And, according to a city jury’s verdict Tuesday afternoon, it fits Sheila Dixon like a handcrafted Jimmy Choo pump.

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thanks, THE BALTIMORE SUN

Mayor Sheila Dixon has been convicted on one of five counts, taking gift cards meant for the city’s poor purchased by developer Patrick Turner.

Here’s the Baltimore Sun story with all the details.

In a live press conference, the mayor said very few words, but seemed shaken at the verdict.

What do you guys think? Are you surprised at all? Think she should’ve been cleared on all counts or convicted of all of them?

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon is in court awaiting a verdict in her criminal case {Thanks, Baltimore Sun}

The case of Mayor Sheila Dixon is now in the hands of a jury who has been deliberating since midday Thursday. Dixon faces charges of theft and misappropriation in connection with the use of gift cards prosecutors say were donated by several local developers and intended for use by the needy. They allege Dixon used the gift cards for her own purposes, and gave others to friends, family and city staffers.

Dixon’s lawyers say the gift cards were given to the mayor, who was then Baltimore City Council President, and intended to be used at her discretion.

Now a jury of Dixon’s peers, citizens of Baltimore, will decide her case.

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Mayor Sheila Dixon enters Court House East this morning {thanks, THE BALTIMORE SUN}

We’re in the home stretch of the Mayor Sheila Dixon trial, with the jury deliberating whether the mayor is innocent or guilty of five theft-related counts (including one felony) right now. Today saw closing arguments from both sides. Senior assistant state prosecutor Shelly S. Glenn said Dixon “did not get this far in life if she could be so easily confused,” a reference to the intentions of the gift cards, according to the Baltimore Sun. The mayor’s defense attorney Arnold M. Weiner said the prosecution had “searched every nook and cranny in a reckless attempt, by which they brought a worthless case.”

The 9-women, 3-men jury will decide whether the mayor had a right to possess the Best Buy and Target gift cards and misused them, had no right to possess the cards and therefore stole them or if she’s innocent, according to the Sun. Mayor Dixon chose not to the testify in the trial.

We’re keeping a close eye on the trial, and will post the jury’s verdict when it is announced.

{Thanks, The Baltimore Sun}

Mayor Sheila Dixon, her attorneys and prosecutors all survived day one of jury selection for Dixon’s long awaited criminal trial. Months have passed since Dixon was originally indicted, and some had questioned whether we’d ever get to the trial phase. Now it’s up to the attorneys and the judge to pick 12 jurors who can judge the mayor impartially. Judge Dennis Sweeney called day one of jury selection successful.

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