The news of former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby facing up to 40 years in federal prison has shocked and outraged many within the Black community and beyond. Accused of perjury and mortgage fraud, Mosby’s legal battle has raised significant questions about the fairness and equity of our justice system.
Mosby’s case centers around allegations that she withdrew $90,000 from her city Deferred Compensation Plan under false pretenses to purchase two vacation homes in Florida and lied on mortgage applications. She claimed financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet court documents reveal she received her full salary and even a raise during that period.
The NAACP, alongside other prominent Black social justice organizations, has called for President Biden to pardon Mosby, highlighting the disproportionate nature of her prosecution.
“We’ve watched, decade after decade, as Black Americans have faced wrongful prosecution at the hands of those who seek to promote injustice. The only thing Marilyn Mosby is guilty of is the desire to provide her family with a better life. The sad reality is, as Black women take their rightful places in positions of power, dark forces seek to tear down both their progress, and that of our community.”
There are serious concerns about racial bias in the criminal justice system raised by the parallel made between Mosby’s case and the pardons granted to white-collar criminals, especially those with ties to former president Trump. While Trump used the pardon power to shield himself and his allies, Biden has the chance to apply this power for a more equitable and just cause.
Mosby said that throughout her trial although she didn’t deliberately lie on her mortgage applications, the allegations of mortgage fraud were a result of her omission to declare the debt on those forms.
Her alleged crime, involving accessing her own retirement funds, pales in comparison to the egregious financial crimes that often go unpunished, particularly among the white, wealthy and well-connected. Mosby has asked to be pardoned by President Biden.
It is incumbent upon him to heed the calls for justice and equity, even though I don’t have too much hope. Pardoning Mosby would not only rectify a grave miscarriage of justice but also send a powerful message of solidarity and support to Black Americans who continue to face discrimination and persecution within our legal system.
