Timing of legal-fee policy troubles council members

Maryland News

Others thought that after an indictment an official should pay for his or her own legal fees. Baltimore police union chief Robert Cherry said: "I don't see why the taxpayers should be beholden to pay for anyone's defense."

Such a policy, he said, is not appropriate at any level of government. "I don't think the taxpayers of the city, the state or the nation should pick that up."

Dixon's legal team includes two high-profile defense attorneys, Arnold M. Weiner and Dale P. Kelberman. Neither will comment on his fees, though other defense attorneys estimated that Dixon's bill would be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A reimbursement policy could also apply to Councilwoman Helen L. Holton, who was indicted on bribery charges as part of the state prosecutor's investigation. And the city could pay for private attorneys retained by other city employees who hired their own lawyers during the investigation.

The city's Board of Estimates - a powerful city spending panel controlled by the mayor - would have to approve the policy and any payments for legal bills over $5,000.