State Prosecutors

Mayor Sheila Dixon lashed out at prosecutors and reporters yesterday in her first comments since acknowledging having a personal relationship with a developer at the same time that she voted on contracts that benefited his company. In a combative news conference outside City Hall, Dixon vowed "to survive this" and accused the state prosecutor's office of leaking information to the news media that she cannot respond to without harming her own case. Her comments came in conjunction with a push by allies to express public support for the embattled mayor.

Marilyn J. Mosby, a former Baltimore assistant state's attorney and the wife of City Councilman Nick Mosby, told The Sun that she plans to run for Baltimore state's attorney next year. Mosby's confirmation of her intention to run in 2014 came as she alleged that the city prosecutors' office is partly to blame for the alleged corruption scandal unfolding at the city jail involving the Black Guerilla Family gang. Federal prosecutors said last week that an inmate named Tavon White awaiting charges for attempted murder, who has been in the jail since 2009, turned the facility into his own fiefdom, impregnating corrections officers and running a lucrative drug organization.

Marilyn J. Mosby, a former Baltimore assistant state's attorney and the wife of City Councilman Nick Mosby, told The Sun that she plans to run for Baltimore state's attorney next year. Mosby's confirmation of her intention to run in 2014 came as she alleged that the city prosecutors' office is partly to blame for the alleged corruption scandal unfolding at the city jail involving the Black Guerilla Family gang. Federal prosecutors said last week that an inmate named Tavon White awaiting charges for attempted murder, who has been in the jail since 2009, turned the facility into his own fiefdom, impregnating corrections officers and running a lucrative drug organization.

A prominent Catonsville developer accused of channeling $7,500 in illegal contributions to a Baltimore County councilman and exceeding the total campaign contribution limit for individuals was charged Thursday with violating campaign contribution laws. The criminal charges against Stephen W. Whalen Jr., 62, of Whalen Properties stem from contributions made to Catonsville-area Councilman Tom Quirk, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and Towson-area Councilman David Marks. Whalen has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, according to his lawyer, who declined to offer details.

State prosecutors will officially drop wiretapping charges against Linda R. Tripp on Wednesday. Officials in the Howard County Circuit Court Clerk's office said yesterday that state prosecutors would appear before Judge Diane O. Leasure at 2 p.m. State prosecutors announced they were dropping the case this week after a judicial ruling that severely limited evidence they could present at trial. A state prosecutor will call the case, 38397, and then dismiss the charges. Tripp's attorney, Joseph Murtha, said he likely will not attend the hearing, which should last less than a minute.

A Howard County Circuit judge has scheduled another hearing in late March on whether state prosecutors used Linda R. Tripp's federally immunized testimony in their investigation against the Columbia resident. Judge Diane O. Leasure set a March 29 hearing date yesterday for attorneys on both sides to argue more motions about Tripp's immunity protection and its role in the state investigation. Leasure also told state prosecutors to submit written briefs by Feb. 25 and defense lawyers to submit filings by March 13. Leasure picked the date to give attorneys more time to work on the complex legal issues and accommodate her court schedule, Tripp's lawyers said.

In a decision that could force state prosecutors to drop the wire-tapping case against Linda R. Tripp for lack of evidence, a Howard County circuit judge denied yesterday their attempt to have Monica Lewinsky identify a conversation taped by the Columbia resident. Strongly reaffirming an earlier decision that state prosecutors had sought to clarify, Judge Diane O. Leasure again ruled that Lewinsky cannot testify about crucial issues at Tripp's trial. Though prosecutors declined to discuss whether they will drop the case, Assistant State Prosecutor Thomas M. McDonough said: "Something will be decided in short order.

State prosecutors have subpoenaed local friends of Linda R. Tripp, a Newsweek editor, two Radio Shack employees and their own law clerk to testify next week in hearings that will determine whether they can use critical evidence in their wiretapping case against the Columbia resident.Tripp was indicted in July on two counts of violating Maryland's wiretapping law when she tape-recorded a Dec. 22, 1997, conversation with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The tapes led to independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr's investigation of Lewinsky's affair with President Clinton.

State prosecutors have subpoenaed local friends of Linda R. Tripp, a Newsweek editor, two Radio Shack employees and their own law clerk to testify next week in hearings that will determine whether they can use critical evidence in their wiretapping case against the Columbia resident.Tripp was indicted in July on two counts of violating Maryland's wiretapping law when she tape-recorded a Dec. 22, 1997, conversation with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The tapes led to independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr's investigation of Lewinsky's affair with President Clinton.

After filing hundreds of pages of legal briefs and arguing at several hearings, lawyers on both sides of the state wiretapping case against Linda R. Tripp say they are eagerly awaiting a key ruling today that could decide the prosecution's fate. Yet, neither side is handicapping whether Howard County Circuit Judge Diane O. Leasure will grant a defense request to throw out the criminal charges. "We made our arguments and the judge is going to rule," said Assistant State Prosecutor Thomas M. McDonough.

Anne Arundel County police have taken the badge of a former district commander who is now a target in the state prosecutor's investigation, Chief Larry W. Tolliver said Thursday. Capt. Eric Hodge received a "target letter" this week from the same prosecutors who are pursuing the criminal misconduct case against County Executive John R. Leopold. Tolliver confirmed the letter and said he suspended Hodge's police powers that day after meeting with State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt and promising the department's cooperation.

When he evaluated his retirement options five years ago, Assistant State's Attorney Fred Paone settled on a deal to collect his pension while working as a part-time prosecutor. Now, Anne Arundel County has sent Paone a $115,672.50 bill demanding that he repay retirement benefits and a notice that his future pension checks will be cut as long as he works for the county. An internal audit had revealed that Paone, 61, and three other workers at the Anne Arundel state's attorney's office were illegally collecting full pension payments while working part time.

A Baltimore County administrative law judge turned down Monday a request from a community association to postpone a hearing on a proposed medical office building in Catonsville that has drawn scrutiny from state investigators. Last week, the Office of the State Prosecutor subpoenaed eight county agencies for information about the Southwest Physicians Pavilion, a proposed project by Whalen Properties on a 2.5-acre site next to the Baltimore Beltway. The prosecutor's office has not commented on the reason for the subpoenas.

The Office of the State Prosecutor subpoenaed eight Baltimore County agencies this week for records on a planned Catonsville medical office development, county officials confirmed Thursday. The subpoenas sought "information and correspondence" regarding the Southwest Physicians Pavilion planned by Whalen Properties, a Catonsville-based developer, county spokeswoman Ellen Kobler said. The county declined to release the subpoenas, and Kobler said officials "would not begin to speculate" on why the state was seeking the information.

Prosecutors want the jury deciding the fate of political consultant Julius Henson to focus on one piece of evidence: the robocall he orchestrated on Election Day 2010 that told Democrats in Baltimore and Prince George's County to "relax" and stay home. That call — which prosecutors say Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s campaign used in an attempt to suppress black votes — is the "primary evidence in the case," said Maryland State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt during opening statements Tuesday.

The trial of a veteran political operative, charged with violating election laws by sending out robocalls on Election Day last year that suggested voting was over, was postponed Tuesday after the only judge available to hear the case recused himself. Julius Henson, 62, who at the time was working for former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. on his 2010 campaign, is charged with three counts of conspiracy to violate election laws, among other charges. A new trial was set for February. The case was assigned to Baltimore Circuit Judge Charles J. Peters, but, according to Henson's attorney, Edward Smith Jr., Peters recused himself because he had recently been appointed by Gov. Martin O'Malley, Ehrlich's opponent in last year's gubernatorial election.

A Howard County Circuit Court judge said yesterday that she will rule by May 5 on what evidence, if any, state prosecutors can use in their illegal-wiretapping case against Linda R. Tripp. That announcement was made after a two-hour hearing in which Tripp's lawyers attacked key witness Monica Lewinsky's credibility, calling her a "liar," and asked Judge Diane O. Leasure to throw out the case against their client. State prosecutors defended their investigation, saying a small portion of the evidence was tainted by Tripp's immunized testimony to federal authorities investigating President Clinton in 1998.

Lawyers for Linda R. Tripp attacked the credibility of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky yesterday as they asked a Howard County Circuit Court judge to throw out the illicit-wiretapping case against their client. Tripp's lawyers argued in a 36-page memo yesterday that state prosecutors improperly gathered evidence that was protected by Tripp's immunity agreement with federal authorities investigating President Clinton. They also said the state's key witness, Lewinsky, was "bathed in impermissible taint" and was out to get their client.

Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold, who is the subject of an investigation by the state prosecutor's office into whether he misused his security detail during last year's election, has removed the officers from the detail and created a new unit to supply executive protection. Leopold also changed the jobs of two other employees: Leopold's secretary, Patty Medlin, has been transferred to a secretarial job in governmental affairs. Sue Wilson, who was the secretary for Leopold's chief of staff, has taken Medlin's position.

Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold's secretary Patty Medlin was questioned Friday, a county official confirmed, as the state prosecutor's office investigates whether Leopold improperly used his county-funded security detail to work on his recent campaign. Leopold's spokesman Dave Abrams said Medlin appeared at the circuit courthouse Friday. The (Annapolis) Capital newspaper first reported Saturday on her appearance. She could not be reached for comment. Three of the five officers assigned to Leopold's detail were subpoenaed and testified before an Anne Arundel grand jury last month, the officers' lawyers have confirmed.