Marilyn Mosby's office highlights 7 homicide convictions since beginning of year
Originally published in FOX45 News
BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Newly-released data from the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office shows there's been fewer than 10 homicide convictions handed down in court since the beginning of 2021.
According to the State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, her office has secured 7 homicide convictions through August 3, 2021. The office says 96 indictments have also been handed down for homicides cases since the first of the year.
The new data on prosecutions comes as Baltimore City sees yet another violent year. According to police, more than 210 people have been murdered so far this year.
Overall this year, Marylyn Mosby says her office has secured 373 guilty verdicts in felony cases.
“I applaud the skillful work of my prosecutors amid a historic backlog in the Court system to hold those who inflict violence across our city accountable,” Marilyn Mosby said in a statement about the conviction rate. “This data sends a clear message that we will not tolerate criminal activity and my prosecutors will continue to fight tirelessly to deliver justice for victims, witnesses, and their families in our daily pursuit to create a safer, healthier Baltimore."
While Mosby is touting prosecutorial success from her office, some experts believe the data doesn't show the whole picture.
"The data that the State's Attorney is putting out boggles the mind," said Sean Kennedy, a visiting fellow at the Maryland Public Policy Institute.
Kennedy believes what's missing from the statistics Mosby's office provided is how many cases ended in not guilty verdicts, how many were plead down to lesser chargers and how many were dropped all together.
"When you look at the drop data or the 'nolle pros' cases, or cases where they were plead down, you'll see a pattern," Kennedy said. "The State's Attorney is not getting the convictions for the most severe charge that people have committed but rather getting any convection she can and then claims victory."
Since the City State's Attorney's Office didn't make the data publicly available on dropped cases and not guilty verdicts, FOX45 News requested it on our own. So far Marilyn Mosby's office has ignored our request.
In 2020, Mosby boasted a 95% felony conviction rate and an 85% conviction rate for homicides. However those numbers do not include cases that were dropped by the State's Attorney's Office.