2015–2021 Term Report

LETTER FROM THE
STATE’S ATTORNEY
DEAR FRIENDS,
Iam grateful and full of pride to serve as your State’s
Attorney and proudly present our seven year Term Report.
As your State’s Attorney, I firmly believe that every single
community and every single family in our city deserves
fairness and an opportunity to grow and succeed.
As many of you know, I was a young teenager when I first experienced
our criminal justice system. My cousin—who was my best friend—was
shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity, mere feet away from my
home. It was a heartbreaking event and, unfortunately, many of us
know what it is like to lose a loved one so suddenly and without reason.
I decided then that I must do something that was greater than me and
pursuing a career in criminal justice was my way to be a part of the
solution to the incessant problem of violent crime.
This past year, our city and my office continued to face challenges
unlike any that we have ever experienced both as prosecutors and as
citizens of Baltimore. Since taking office in 2015, my team and I have
been steadfast in our commitment to ensuring one standard of justice
for all rregardless of a person’s race, sex, religion or occupation. Our
collective efforts are driving some of the most progressive criminal
justice reforms enacted anywhere in the country. I am proud of the
work underway and my prosecutors especially—we fought to remove
violent offenders from our streets with a 90% felony conviction rate;
we ended the war on drug users and people of color by decriminalizing
drug possession and sex work; we pushed for second chances for people
serving life sentences; we have exonerated 12 innocent black men; and
we continue in our commitment to restore trust between communities
we serve and law enforcement. That obligation to the people of
Baltimore remained unwavering in 2021 in the face of a global
pandemic and an unprecedented case backlog.
It is my hope that this Term Report reflects our tremendous
growth and progress over the past seven years to bring
meaningful change to Baltimore. Please conduct an in-depth
analysis of the wealth of information and data contained in
this report. This body of work is evidence of the hard work
of my dedicated staff who reflect the best of dedicated
public service. I encourage you to share this Term Report
with family, friends, and neighbors because the effort
to interrupt the cycle of violence in Baltimore cannot
be done alone. Success is best achieved through our
continued work together to create a safer, healthier city
for our children, our families and our communities.
Looking forward together, there is still so much
work to be done, but I am more confident than ever
that our best days are ahead of us.
Marilyn J. Mosby, Esq.
Baltimore City State’s Attorney