"If he personally bought her flowers or gifts or shoes or whatever and he doesn't have, himself, a contractual relationship with the city that matches up in time to that gift, some may think that the ethics law is imperfect, but I don't think the ethics law requires that disclosure," he said.
In presenting Nilson's affidavit in court, Dixon attorney Arnold Weiner stated that the solicitor is a public servant who is paid to represent the city of Baltimore, not to please a criminal defendant.
But in this case, retired Howard County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Sweeney noted, it's the criminal defendant "who appoints him, under whose pleasure he serves."
Blood's no bother
Richard Sher, who left WJZ last year after 33 years of reporting and anchoring, has found a way to stay close to the action.
He volunteers one day a week at Maryland Shock Trauma.
Dressed in pink scrubs, Sher stocks trauma bays with linens, gloves and other equipment, takes blood samples to the lab and escorts patients here and there. He even puts clean sheets on the beds.
He's been at it for about three months and has tried to keep a low profile, but one of my spies ratted him out.
"A lot of people know me from TV," he said. "They can't imagine what I'm doing here."
He said the blood doesn't get to him, since he saw plenty of it as a reporter.
"It's just a great place, it really is," Sher said. "I'm telling you, you are so well cared for and so quickly cared for."
In addition to volunteering, Sher has started a video production and communications firm. He's created some infomercials for Citizens Lending Group in Towson, whose president just happens to be his son, Greg.
What is a contestant?
Scott Menke is about to graduate from the Johns Hopkins University with a degree in applied mathematics, and it's not yet clear how he'll apply that degree.
"Originally, I wanted to do something finance-y," he said. "It's not such a great area now."
But Menke, 21, has already put his trivia skills to work. He beat out thousands to win a spot on the Jeopardy! College Championship.
Only 15 students from around the country were selected. He thinks some interesting personal facts - he once played violin at Carnegie Hall as part of a New Jersey youth orchestra, and his hometown of Flemington, N.J., played host to the Lindbergh kidnapping trial - helped him make the cut.
He flew to Los Angeles earlier this month to tape the show. He's not allowed to say how he did. He'll be on the air May 5 when the championship begins and will show up again the next week if he advanced.
