Sun coverage: Dixon on trial
Dixon arrives at the entrance. (Baltimore Sun photo by Jed Kirschbaum / November 9, 2009)
November 24, 2009
Jury reports it is making 'progress'
Jurors in Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's theft and embezzlement trial are heading into a fourth day of deliberations today but reported Monday that they were making "progress."
November 24, 2009
Jean Marbella: What's going on in Dixon jury room?
I'm sure there will be a verdict today.
6:30 PM EST, November 23, 2009
Dan Rodricks: Dixon trial just one of city's problems, but an important one
Of course, there are bigger issues, and bigger offenses against society, than the alleged theft of gift cards by the mayor of Baltimore. Monday morning, you could walk across North Calvert Street, from Courthouse East to the Mitchell Courthouse, and find an auctioneer in a suit on the broad sidewalk there and, promptly at the top of the hour, he started a sale of houses upon which a bank has foreclosed in the lingering aftermath of the subprime mess and the massive financial meltdown that pushed us into recession.
November 23, 2009
Waiting for the jury
Day 3 - and Hour 12 - of jury deliberations in Mayor Sheila Dixon's theft trial are scheduled to begin this morning, and the waiting will resume.
November 22, 2009
Judge acts to put jury at ease
As the trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon drew to a close last week, Judge Dennis M. Sweeney descended from his courtroom dais and spoke to jurors at their own level, rather than from on high.
November 22, 2009
Casting call: Picking stars for Dixon trial movie
The real-life drama of Mayor Sheila Dixon's criminal trial is still unfolding, but it's not too early to start thinking about the inevitable.
November 21, 2009
Dixon jurors feeling the heat
Baltimore jurors deciding whether to convict Mayor Sheila Dixon on theft-related charges signaled Friday for the second straight day that deliberations have been tense. They left the courthouse before reaching a verdict and will return Monday for a third day of debate.
November 21, 2009
Rumblings from the jury room may echo emotions in the city
I was ready to hand over my tickets to the Springsteen concert and tell them, "You need these more than I do, have a blast." If only I had 12 to Sunday's Ravens game.
November 20, 2009
Dixon's fate in jurors' hands
Twelve Baltimore residents are now deciding the fate of Mayor Sheila Dixon, who stands accused of five criminal charges involving theft or embezzlement of gift cards. The jurors deliberated for about four hours Thursday, sending the judge several questions before the end of the day.
November 20, 2009
City Hall awaits verdict on Dixon
Ask employees how life has been in City Hall for the past two weeks and most will say: "It's business as usual."
November 20, 2009
Closing arguments aren't meant to be applause lines for audience
Do I have to explain everything around here?
6:20 PM EST, November 19, 2009
Dan Rodricks: As Dixon trial nears end, a demand for 'equal justice'
I am sticking with my instinct: Lindbergh Carpenter Jr. could turn out to be the most effective witness for the prosecution in State v. Dixon. It wasn't so much the testimony he presented, because certainly that of the Baltimore developer Patrick Turner was the most damaging. But Lindbergh Carpenter gave the state an opportunity to remind the attentive jury in Circuit Court East of a principle engraved in the Supreme Court building in Washington and resonant in the memory of every American who paid attention in civics class: Equal Justice Under The Law.
November 19, 2009
Closings set today in Dixon case
Jurors are set to hear closing arguments today in the criminal theft trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon - without ever having heard from Dixon herself.
November 19, 2009
How do these jurors go about un-ringing all these tolling bells?
One day after jurors in Mayor Sheila Dixon's theft trial were told to disregard evidence and testimony related to Ronald H. Lipscomb and the gift cards prosecutors said he gave her, the first witness called Wednesday was a shop owner who testified about ... a gift Lipscomb bought and sent to Dixon.
November 19, 2009
Dan Rodricks: Mayor's defense hopes silence is golden
When he instructs the jurors in the Dixon theft case, Circuit Judge Dennis M. Sweeney will tell them not to infer anything from the defendant's silence during trial - and they certainly should not interpret it as a sign of guilt. The judge will do this, of course, because, by the time her underwhelming defense came to a rest Wednesday morning, Mayor Sheila Dixon had not uttered a single word.
3:20 AM EST, November 18, 2009
THE TALK
OK, so in Dixon case, who's pulling what on whom?
The real crime in State of Maryland v. Sheila Ann Dixon: By resting their case without testimony from the mayor's former boyfriend, prosecutors robbed us of the spectacle of ex-lovers turning on each other.
11:14 AM EST, November 18, 2009
Sun editorial: Gift cards and sloppy accounting at City Hall
November 18, 2009
Analysis: Not calling Lipscomb alternately deemed brilliant, befuddling
A state prosecutor's decision Tuesday to leave a key witness out of the theft trial against Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon stunned those watching the case closely but generated no consensus about which side might benefit most from the unexpected move.
November 18, 2009
Lipscomb, Dixon must be smiling at new turn in mayor's trial
Like the Cheshire Cat, the case against Mayor Sheila Dixon might be fading to the point where there could be nothing left but a grin.
4:55 PM EST, November 17, 2009
Dan Rodricks: The Dixon case turns into an episode of CSI-Target
The last time I visited the Baltimore courtroom where Mayor Sheila Dixon is on trial, it was for a homicide case, and a medical examiner was among the many witnesses. This time, the alleged crime is theft and, instead of a medical examiner, the state calls to the witness chair the "asset protection manager" for a major retail chain.
November 17, 2009
Dixon's life exposed: for love and money
Remember when you were a kid, you and your friends spent hours wondering if it was worse to die in a fire or by drowning, or whether you'd rather be shot or stabbed?
November 17, 2009
Dan Rodricks: Is taking some gift cards a big deal? Ask Lindbergh Carpenter — he lost his job for it
In the buildup to the trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon on theft charges, we did not hear much about Lindbergh Carpenter Jr. He was not billed as the leading man or even a star witness. He is not, as far as anyone knows, a former boyfriend of the mayor. He's not a current boyfriend, either. He's not a real estate developer. He's neither mover nor shaker.
November 16, 2009
Laura Vozzella: Gift cards for lobster; cash for skirt suits
If America Runs on Dunkin, Sheila Dixon runs on gift cards. And not just the Target, Best Buy and Giant cards we've heard about for so long.
November 17, 2009
Turner says he thought cards were for charity
Baltimore developer Patrick Turner testified in Mayor Sheila Dixon's criminal theft trial Monday that he purchased $1,000 in gift cards just before Christmas in 2005, believing the cards would be distributed to "the children of Baltimore."
November 16, 2009
DIXON ON TRIAL
What to watch for in the theft trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon
How will Lipscomb hold up?
November 15, 2009
Groups across city voice support for Dixon
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon has said little about the theft charges leveled against her nearly a year ago. But with her trial under way, the silent void is being filled by backers offering personal and political support.
November 15, 2009
Marbella: Now, my gift cards are making me nervous
I'm afraid to use the gift cards in my wallet.
November 14, 2009
Boyfriend, aides take the stand
A parade of city employees, including Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's current boyfriend, took the stand in Dixon's criminal theft trial Friday, testifying about holiday gift cards that appeared on their own desks and others that were doled out to needy families through a poorly managed city housing program.
November 14, 2009
Mayor's boyfriend testifies on gift cards, hugs, saying 'hello'
Aday after Mayor Sheila Dixon's defense team signaled it would be trashing developer Ronald Lipscomb, the one-time paramour who will testify that he gave her gift cards for the needy that she spent herself, Not-Ronald-Lipscomb appeared on the witness stand.
11:50 AM EST, November 13, 2009
THE MAYOR ON TRIAL
Jean Marbella: It's all about Ron. Waiting for Ron. But what about Ron?
Randell Finney was the guy who drove Ronald Lipscomb around, ran errands, picked up messages, delivered contracts and, as he testified Friday morning, did whatever it took to help the busy developer and apparently equally busy lover-man get through the day.
November 13, 2009
Defense: Dixon thought cards were meant for her
Mayor Sheila Dixon's lead attorney told jurors in her criminal theft case Thursday that Dixon spent gift cards donated by city developers for one simple reason: She thought they were meant as gifts for her.
November 13, 2009
From Dixon's lawyer comes an early shot across Lipscomb's bow
It's just one of the giant white binders that Mayor Sheila Dixon's lawyers keep at hand on the defense table, their way of organizing documents for her trial, but it's apparently the most important one.
November 13, 2009
The Talk
Laura Vozzella: Nothing says 'I love you' like an anonymous envelope of gift cards
Now here's a courting ritual perfect for a big-city mayor: Leave $1,000 in Target and Best Buy gift cards in a plain envelope -- no note, no name -- at her office in City Hall.
November 13, 2009
Dan Rodricks: Defense message: Dixon cares
The lawyers defending Mayor Sheila Dixon in her trial on theft charges will attempt to convince the jury -- the one in the courtroom and the much bigger one out here in the rain -- that that the only pattern of behavior in the case was a pattern of caring for the poor, of generosity and charity. You wait and see. It's coming up.
1:00 PM EST, November 12, 2009
Potenial witnesses in Dixon trial
An alphabetical list of the 72 potential witnesses in Mayor Dixon's theft trial
November 12, 2009
Spotlight turns on new evidence in Dixon case
Revelations that a third city developer might have donated gift cards to Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon are more likely to cause political damage than legal harm, observers said.
3:20 AM EST, November 11, 2009
THE TALK
In Dixon case, Developer C might lead to Pastor A
Yet another man in Sheila Dixon's life could wind up getting hauled into court.
November 11, 2009
Gift cards to Dixon from 3rd developer alleged
The jury of nine women and three men selected for Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's criminal theft trial will begin work Thursday morning, but first a judge will weigh new allegations involving another batch of gift cards said to have been donated by a developer not previously named in the case.
November 11, 2009
Picking Baltimore mayor's jury: Yes, get around race issue, but how?
I met someone at a party once, and when he told me where he worked, I asked if he knew this friend of a friend who also worked there. Mike Somebody, I said, an Asian guy.
November 11, 2009
In unusual move, state employs jury consultant
The Maryland State Prosecutor enlisted a private consultant to help select the jury that will weigh the theft charges against Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, a potentially costly move that is unusual for prosecutors in criminal cases.
November 10, 2009
Dixon theft trial opens with plea of not guilty
Mayor Sheila Dixon stood before a judge for the first time Monday, the beginning of a long day of jury selection in her criminal theft trial that will resume this morning.
November 10, 2009
Impressions of court: Dixon's 4-inch heels, sense of inevitability
After watching Mayor Sheila Dixon stand for four hours straight at the judge's bench, next to the mostly male lawyers prosecuting her and those defending her, I thought of that famous line about Ginger Rogers.
November 10, 2009
Dan Rodricks: Mayor Schaefer kept it clean during dirty times
The irony is 7-foot-2 and made of bronze: A statue of William Donald Schaefer goes up along the Inner Harbor promenade just a week or so before the current mayor of Baltimore goes on trial, accused of stealing gift cards intended for the needy. What a town!
November 9, 2009
1st act of Dixon trial: jury selection
Today begins the process of choosing 12 Baltimore residents who will decide whether or not their mayor is a criminal.
November 8, 2009
Reading between the lines of the Dixon indictment
Dec. 21, 2006, was a long and busy day for then-City Council President Sheila Dixon.
November 8, 2009
After nearly 4-year probe, Baltimore mayor to get day in court
It was a day packed with official events for Mayor Sheila Dixon: approving millions of dollars in contracts at a Board of Estimates meeting, holding a news conference to urge parents to vaccinate their children against swine flu, pushing health care reform at a town hall meeting, surprising a Baltimore school with a visit, even playing bingo at a senior center that she had fought to keep open.
November 8, 2009
The charges, possible penalties Dixon faces
What the mayor faces
These are the charges, and possible penalties, that Mayor Sheila Dixon faces at her trial beginning Monday:November 8, 2009
Timeline of mayor's legal issues
Here's how the legal issues for Mayor Sheila Dixon have unfolded over the years:
November 6, 2009
Waiting to learn who pays Dixon's legal bills
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's legal bills, racked up during a years-long corruption probe that has led her to enlist seven criminal defense attorneys for a theft trial next week, could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, legal observers say.
October 30, 2009
Lipscomb apologizes for role in City Hall scandal
Baltimore developer Ronald H. Lipscomb apologized in court Thursday for violating campaign finance rules and accepted a sentence of three years of unsupervised probation, 100 hours of community service and a $25,000 fine imposed by Circuit Judge Dennis M. Sweeney.
October 13, 2009
NAACP raises questions about mayoral succession
Leaders of the Maryland NAACP, worried that a Baltimore mayor's criminal conviction could result in the appointment of a white or Republican leader who may not fully represent the majority black and Democratic city, are asking state lawmakers to strip the governor of authority to permanently fill the office.
October 9, 2009
Holton's charges stand
Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen L. Holton's on-again, off-again criminal trial is back on, after a judge's ruling that portends a steady flow of court action in the City Hall corruption case through the remainder of the year.
October 8, 2009
Charges should be dropped, Holton argues
Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen L. Holton appeared in Circuit Court on Wednesday to listen as her defense attorneys argued that the campaign finance charges against her should be dropped.
October 6, 2009
Dixon may get 2 trials
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon should stand trial on charges that she perjured herself by not disclosing gifts from a developer boyfriend, a judge ruled Monday as he rebuffed objections from the mayor's defense team that the accusations rest on faulty evidence.
October 1, 2009
Charges against Dixon are divided for two trials
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon could have two separate criminal trials, defense attorneys announced yesterday, saying that the theft and perjury indictments will not be combined.
September 22, 2009
Dixon inquiry notes 'unexplained cash'
Investigators with the State Prosecutor's Office found that Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon made $13,800 in "unexplained cash" deposits in a six-week period during the spring of 2004, one of many details to emerge in a mammoth court filing that raises questions about Dixon's financial dealings as City Council president.
September 17, 2009
Prosecutors ordered to hand over 2 subpoenas in Dixon case
Defense lawyers for Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon won a legal victory Wednesday morning when a judge ordered state prosecutors to hand over two subpoenas that a grand jury had issued in the City Hall corruption probe.
September 17, 2009
Dixon adds seventh lawyer to her defense team
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon added a third defense firm to her legal team, bringing to seven the number of attorneys who are officially entered in her case. The new lawyer is Melissa Phinn, a former Baltimore public defender who clerked for Court of Appeals Judge Ellen Hollander when she was a Baltimore Circuit Court judge and also worked with Stanley H. Needleman before opening her own practice. It is not clear what her role will be, but Phinn said it could include offering the opening or closing statements or cross-examining witnesses. Arnold M. Weiner is Dixon's lead attorney. She is also represented by Dale P. Kelberman of Miles & Stockbridge. Three other attorneys from Weiner's firm and an attorney from Kelberman's firm are also entered as lawyers in Dixon's case.
September 15, 2009
Lipscomb paid for foe's poll
Developer Ronald H. Lipscomb paid $8,750 for a political survey for a state delegate running against Sheila Dixon for mayor in 2007, according to an account of the transaction in court papers filed Monday.
September 9, 2009
Dixon lawyers ask dismissal of new charges
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's lawyers say that the new criminal charges brought against her by the state prosecutors rely on faulty evidence and a vaguely worded city ethics statute and should be dismissed, according to court papers filed Tuesday.
September 5, 2009
Paterakis pleads guilty; will pay $26,000 in fines
John Paterakis Sr., the baker and well-connected developer who bankrolled Harbor East, pleaded guilty Friday afternoon to two misdemeanor campaign finance violations and will pay $26,000 in fines and be barred from donating to Baltimore politicians until his probation ends in January 2012.
September 3, 2009
City Councilwoman Holton will go on trial Dec. 7
Baltimore Councilwoman Helen L. Holton will go on trial Dec. 7 on charges that she violated campaign finance laws. "Ms. Holton would like to have this case finished," her lawyer Joshua R. Treem said Wednesday after a brief hearing at which the trial date was set. Holton was indicted in late July in connection with a political poll for which Baltimore developers Ronald H. Lipscomb and John Paterakis paid $12,500. State law limits campaign donations to $4,000 from individual contributors per four-year election cycle.
September 2, 2009
Dixon lawyers seek review of all grand jury subpoenas in case
Lawyers for Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon continued a legal quarrel with state prosecutors and filed new papers Tuesday aimed at forcing the state to turn over all grand jury subpoenas issued since January when the mayor was first charged with perjury and theft.
September 1, 2009
Prosecutors defend use of grand jury in Dixon case
State prosecutors in the City Hall corruption cases defended their investigation of Baltimore's mayor, arguing they did not abuse the grand jury process when they issued three subpoenas this summer before dismissing their initial indictment of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon.
August 21, 2009
Dixon defense outlines strategy
Attorneys for Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon gave the first hints about how they will defend against charges that Dixon stole gift cards intended for needy families, arguing in documents filed this week that prosecutors will have to prove she knew the cards she was spending were purchased by developers and not someone else."One of the principal issues at the trial of this case will be ... whether the defendant knew which gift cards came from which party," Dixon attorney Dale P. Kelberman wrote in a Baltimore Circuit Court motion.
August 6, 2009
Dixon to go on trial Nov. 9, plead not guilty
Mayor Sheila Dixon will go to trial Nov. 9 on charges of theft and perjury, and plans to enter a not-guilty plea, according to her lawyers.
August 4, 2009
Baltimore political leaders eager for Dixon's problems to be resolved
The new indictments issued last week in the City Hall corruption probe have some Baltimore political leaders impatient for resolution to a case that has spanned three years and left the city's reputation in limbo.
August 2, 2009
The state prosecutor comes for Baltimore's 'bread man'
Back when I first joined The Baltimore Sun, a photographer and I were coming back from an assignment in Fells Point, and he was doing what all good old-timers do - pointing out significant sites along the way for a newbie. That's where Grace Hartigan paints, that's where the body turned up the other day.
July 31, 2009
New charges against Dixon mean more time
The new criminal indictments handed up Wednesday against Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon guarantee one thing: The legal questions that have been hanging over the mayor for the past three years will not be settled by September, when a jury trial on the original charges was scheduled.
July 30, 2009
Dixon faces new charges
A Baltimore grand jury handed up two new indictments Wednesday charging Mayor Sheila Dixon with nine criminal counts and painting a picture of a top city official who repeatedly sought gifts - and even cash - from local developers who stood to benefit from her favor.
11:04 AM EDT, July 29, 2009
Paterakis, Holton are indicted
John Paterakis Sr., the self-made baking magnate and developer of the Harbor East complex, was indicted Tuesday on two counts of campaign finance violations accusing him of contributing $6,000 to help pay for a city councilwoman's political poll.
July 10, 2009
3 subpoenas are withdrawn in Dixon case
Three subpoenas for witnesses in the criminal case against Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon were withdrawn Thursday after her attorneys objected to the legal move by the state prosecutor.
July 9, 2009
Dixon seeks to block subpoenas
Attorneys for Mayor Sheila Dixon have moved to block the state prosecutor's attempt to get additional information from one current and one former city employee he has called to testify before a grand jury.
June 23, 2009
Lipscomb accepts plea deal
A developer scheduled to go to trial Monday on charges of bribing a city councilwoman instead pleaded guilty to a lesser violation and agreed to cooperate with the state prosecutor's case against Mayor Sheila Dixon.
June 22, 2009
Lipscomb trial to open today
Jury selection and opening statements are set to start today in the public corruption case against developer Ronald H. Lipscomb, a trial that could reveal much about how development deals are fashioned in Baltimore.
June 18, 2009
Prosecutor signals intent to pursue Holton
The state prosecutor's office filed papers Wednesday signaling its intention to appeal the dismissal of bribery and misconduct charges brought against Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen L. Holton.
May 29, 2009
Dixon scores significant legal victory
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon won a significant legal victory Thursday when a Circuit Court judge dismissed four perjury charges and one misconduct charge against her, saying they were based on improper evidence. Dixon still faces seven other criminal charges, including theft.
May 29, 2009
Old law helps Dixon, Holton avoid charges
Even if it was bought and paid for, a vote cannot be used as evidence of wrongdoing against an elected official, Circuit Court Judge Dennis M. Sweeney ruled Thursday, ending the entire case against Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen L. Holton and dismissing some of the charges against Mayor Sheila Dixon, the former City Council president.
May 29, 2009
Dixon ruling seen as setback for Rohrbaugh
State Prosecutor Robert A. Rohrbaugh suffered a setback Thursday when a judge threw out perjury charges against Mayor Sheila Dixon and tossed the bribery case against City Councilwoman Helen L. Holton.
Charges against Dixon
• DISMISSED: COUNT 1: Perjury for failing to report gifts from developer Ronald H. Lipscomb on 2003 ethics forms
April 21, 2009
Dixon defense reiterates that charges are flawed
Defense lawyers for Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon reinforced their arguments Monday that the 12 criminal offenses against the mayor should be dropped, with her lawyers insisting that four perjury charges are based on "a fundamental misreading" of the city's ethics code.
April 17, 2009
Prosecutor defends Dixon case
State Prosecutor Robert A. Rohrbaugh defended Thursday the indictment he brought against Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon and asserted in court papers that a jury needs to decide if Dixon falsified ethics forms and stole gift cards intended for needy Baltimore families.
April 9, 2009
Jean Marbella: City tax sale list is a hall of shame
Fur coats, trips and other treats for the mayor? At least $15,348.
April 3, 2009
Dixon's lawyers move to dismiss charges
Lawyers for Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon are seeking to dismiss criminal charges against her, calling a lengthy investigation into her activities a "misguided mission" by a state prosecutor that ended with a "hopelessly confused" 12-count indictment, according to court documents filed Thursday.
April 2, 2009
Jean Marbella: Holton poll seems downright quaint
It may be the second-most-noteworthy thing about the now infamous poll conducted during City Councilwoman Helen L. Holton's 2007 re-election campaign - the response to a name-recognition question. After serving on the council since 1995, and thinking she might have a shot at a citywide office in the future, Holton surely had to be taken aback by these results:
March 27, 2009
Dixon corruption case could expand
The City Hall corruption case against Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon and other officials could widen to include additional development projects, one of several fresh details revealed Thursday when prosecutors and defense attorneys met in open court for the first time.
March 19, 2009
Mystery developer identified in Dixon case
Patrick Turner is the second city developer mentioned in a 12-count indictment against Mayor Sheila Dixon, his spokeswoman confirmed yesterday.
March 11, 2009
Dixon's trial on theft, perjury charges could be in Sept.
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's trial on theft, perjury and misuse-of-office charges could be held in early September, a Circuit Court judge ruled yesterday after meeting for the first time with prosecutors and defense attorneys.
February 20, 2009
Dixon's invitation to White House abruptly withdrawn
After being invited yesterday to join more than 70 mayors for a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House today, indicted Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon was abruptly un-invited hours later, according to her spokesman.
February 19, 2009
Pollster in City Hall corruption case identified
New court filings in a City Hall corruption case identify the pollster who conducted a $12,500 survey for a Baltimore councilwoman as part of a transaction that prosecutors allege was a bribe.
February 18, 2009
Dixon 'floored' by charges, 'bothered' by Obama snub
Mayor Sheila Dixon, in her first extended television interview since she was indicted in January, told WJZ that she was "floored" by the accusation that she stole gift cards from needy families and "bothered" that Barack Obama snubbed her during a pre-inaugural visit to Baltimore.
February 18, 2009
Holton, Lipscomb lawyers ask prosecutors for data
Defense attorneys for Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen L. Holton and developer Ronald H. Lipscomb have filed requests for the state prosecutor to disclose details about the evidence that led to last month's grand jury indictment against them on bribery charges, including information about conversations between them and her role in helping to secure tax breaks for his company.
February 16, 2009
Dixon's pull in session critical
One after another, the Baltimore lawmakers spat complaints at Mayor Sheila Dixon.
February 12, 2009
City Ethics Board considers broader gift disclosure rules
The Baltimore City Ethics Board is considering broader rules that would require officials to disclose gifts from businesses beyond the initial year that companies secure contracts.
February 11, 2009
Retired Howard judge to hear Dixon case
Retired Howard County Judge Dennis M. Sweeney will hear the corruption cases against Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, City Councilwoman Helen L. Holton and developer Ronald H. Lipscomb, according to a ruling yesterday from a Baltimore Circuit Court judge.
February 4, 2009
Dixon keeping focus on city
Mayor Sheila Dixon joined a police task force visiting the homes of gun offenders in Baltimore yesterday, a demonstration that she was focusing on her job hours after the first hearing on the criminal charges she faces.
January 23, 2009
Mayor not talking about legal-fee reimbursement
Mayor Sheila Dixon shoved a television reporter's microphone yesterday while declining questions about whether taxpayers should foot her legal bills, and several City Council members expressed surprise that her administration would draft a new reimbursement policy while the mayor is under indictment.
January 22, 2009
City taxpayers could pay for Dixon's defense
Baltimore taxpayers could foot the bill for Mayor Sheila Dixon's legal fees under a new policy being drafted by the city law department.
January 16, 2009
Housing official pleads guilty to stealing gift cards
A Baltimore housing department official pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing from the same batch of gift cards for needy families that Mayor Sheila Dixon is accused of pilfering and has agreed to cooperate in a prosecutor's case against the mayor.
2:24 PM EST, January 15, 2009
Dixon may count on sympathetic jurors
If Mayor Sheila Dixon goes to trial before a Baltimore jury, it might include some of the best friends she could hope to find.
January 15, 2009
Dixon defense gets support from city Law Department
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's legal defense received a boost yesterday from the city Law Department, less than a week after her indictment on public corruption charges.
January 15, 2009
Peter Hermann: Teens can't look to City Hall for role models
A frustrated Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III, facing an upsurge in crime just days into the new year, said at a news conference recently that he and the mayor can't be the only ones "trying to engage people's morality about violence in this city."
January 13, 2009
Evidence, sympathies could vie in Dixon case
Indicted Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's first court hearing is scheduled for three weeks from today, but attorneys have already begun dissecting the case against her, with some outlining bountiful defense options that could prove effective in a largely supportive city.
January 13, 2009
Dixon and Holton get back to work
The City Council and Mayor Sheila Dixon returned to business yesterday, but the reverberations from last week's indictments of the mayor and Councilwoman Helen L. Holton contributed to an uneasy tone.
January 12, 2009
Weiner loud in his defense of Dixon
Hours after Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon was indicted on charges of theft, perjury and misuse of office, she headed to the industrial-chic offices of her lead defense attorney, where dozens of reporters and photographers had gathered.
January 11, 2009
It's business as usual for Dixon a day after indictment
A day after becoming the first Baltimore mayor to be indicted, Mayor Sheila Dixon maintained a public schedule designed to show her steely backbone and close connections with the community - donning boxing gloves at a gym in West Baltimore and later giving heartfelt advice to underprivileged girls at a Boys and Girls Club in Brooklyn.
January 11, 2009
Laura Vozzella: Maybe we guessed wrong about Dixon
No surprise that the prosecutor who's been dogging Sheila Dixon for years thinks she's corrupt. The real shocker, if her indictment is to be believed, is that Sheila Dixon thinks Sheila Dixon is corrupt.
January 10, 2009
Baltimore Mayor Dixon indicted
Baltimore Mayor Sheila A. Dixon was charged yesterday with 12 counts of felony theft, perjury, fraud and misconduct in office, becoming the city's first sitting mayor to be criminally indicted.
January 10, 2009
It's difficult to remove a Md. mayor from office
Mayor Sheila Dixon has pledged to fight the charges of theft and perjury she faces and said she will continue to serve in office.
January 10, 2009
Jean Marbella: 'Ah, Baltimore,' Dixon indictment another exasperating moment
It was another "ah, Baltimore" moment. Ever get those? You get exasperated by some bureaucratic runaround at City Hall, and you sigh and steam and maybe that vein on your forehead starts to throb. But after a while, you learn to just surrender - "ah, Baltimore" - and accept you're going to have dial one more number or go to one other office or just do without whatever it is you thought you needed.
January 10, 2009
City Hall scandal: Who's who?
Sheila Dixon
• Baltimore's first female mayor, she assumed the position in January 2007 after Martin O'Malley became governor. She was re-elected later that year.January 10, 2009
What they're saying about Dixon's indictment
"I am very saddened to hear about the indictments that have just come down against Mayor Sheila Dixon. My prayers go out to her and her family. I am confident that she will be found not guilty of all the charges that have been brought against her. During her tenure as Mayor, she has done a remarkable job in continuing the renaissance of the City of Baltimore."
January 10, 2009
Timeline of allegations against Dixon
2004
Jan. 15: Dixon uses a $2,000 gift certificate for a furrier, purchased by an employee of "Developer A," to buy a Persian lamb coat and burnt umber mink coat.January 9, 2009
List of charges against Mayor Sheila Dixon
The 12-count indictment against Mayor Sheila A. Dixon filed Jan. 9, 2009, includes four counts of perjury, three counts of theft, and three counts of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary and two counts of misconduct:
January 9, 2009
Timeline of the investigation into City Hall
Feb. 2006: The Baltimore Sun reports that Mayor Sheila Dixon questions officials from Comcast at an investigative hearing, asking them to give more work to the company that employed her sister, Union Technologies. Dixon had not disclosed that her sister worked for the company as city rules require.
January 9, 2009
Bribery charges against Baltimore councilwoman called difficult to prove
Nearly three years into a City Hall corruption probe, the only charges leveled so far against an elected official appear difficult to prove, veteran attorneys said yesterday. And some wondered why a prominent developer also indicted would resort to a questionable political payment, given his long experience using campaign finance loopholes.
January 9, 2009
Councilwoman Holton vows innocence, is 'holding up very well'
In public, City Councilwoman Helen L. Holton casts a formidable figure.
January 8, 2009
Council member, developer indicted
A Baltimore grand jury indicted a city councilwoman and a developer with close ties to Mayor Sheila Dixon yesterday on bribery charges related to tax breaks for luxury buildings under construction on the city waterfront.
January 8, 2009
Jean Marbella: Two indictments, but so many loose ends
For some years now, the state prosecutor's long-running investigation of City Hall shenanigans has played out like Chinese water torture, drip by excruciating drip. A subpoena here, a plea bargain there, even a raid on the mayor's home - but what did it all add up to?
January 8, 2009
Hard work, political ties eased Lipscomb's rise
Ronald H. Lipscomb loved being part of the development team behind the high-end Four Seasons hotel and condominium tower now rising on Baltimore's transformed Harbor East waterfront.
January 4, 2009
As grand jury expires, City Hall probe at crossroads
With the latest grand jury examining Baltimore City Hall corruption allegations expiring at the end of the week, observers say the nearly three-year-long probe hanging over Mayor Sheila Dixon is approaching a pivotal moment.
October 9, 2008
Uplands contract raises questions
Baltimore's Board of Estimates awarded a $4 million contract for the Uplands redevelopment yesterday to a firm whose bid did not meet city women- and minority-owned business guidelines, passing over two firms that followed the city's policies and causing some elected leaders to ask whether the decision compromises the honesty of Baltimore's bidding process.
October 3, 2008
A scramble for documents
Some City Council members are scrambling to provide documents to satisfy the latest demand for information by state prosecutors who want to know about four development projects related to a probe into City Hall spending.
October 2, 2008
New subpoenas issued in Dixon case
The state prosecutor's office has issued a fresh round of subpoenas seeking information about four development projects, the latest chapter in a long-running probe focused at least in part on gifts Mayor Sheila Dixon received from a developer who received tax breaks from the city.
July 8, 2008
Dixon ally tied to development deal
A development team including a contractor with whom Mayor Sheila Dixon had a relationship was chosen last year for a $200 million project in Southwest Baltimore, even though an independent city panel urged that the contract be awarded to another firm.
June 27, 2008
Probe may turn on taxes
State prosecutors have subpoenaed records from the Maryland comptroller's office, suggesting that the long-standing investigation into City Hall might involve state taxes.
June 27, 2008
Jean Marbella: What do you get for a mink?
You know how you get a song stuck in your head? Ever since the fur started flying in the state prosecutor's investigation of Mayor Sheila Dixon, I keep hearing that song from Guys and Dolls, the one sung by a doll who was shocked, just shocked, at what a guy expected in return for his gifts:
June 26, 2008
Dixon angered over leaks in case
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.
June 25, 2008
Dixon funds linked to firms
Companies linked to a developer questioned in the state investigation of Mayor Sheila Dixon have made nearly $500,000 in political contributions in the past decade, state campaign finance records show.
June 24, 2008
Dixon gifts probed
Prosecutors are investigating whether Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon received thousands of dollars in gifts - including fur coats - from a prominent developer whose projects benefited from tax breaks and zoning changes she supported as City Council president, a document obtained by The Sun shows.
June 24, 2008
Three questioned in City Hall investigation
The state prosecutor's office questioned at least three people yesterday in its investigation into contracting practices at City Hall, including Patrick Turner, president of Turner Development Group, which is developing a residential community called Silo Point in South Baltimore.
June 22, 2008
Prosecutor under fire
Maryland State Prosecutor Robert A. Rohrbaugh claims that he has no hobbies, and that he's just not that interesting. He says he spends long days at his Towson office and then heads home to spend time with his family in Montgomery County.
June 21, 2008
Ex-Dixon spokesman receives subpoena
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's former spokesman, a longtime confidant who helped establish the administration's public message, has been subpoenaed in the state prosecutor's widening probe of City Hall, The Sun learned yesterday.
June 20, 2008
Probe includes Dixon's furs
State prosecutors are looking for Mayor Sheila Dixon's fur coats and have been seeking information on gifts she received from people doing business with the city, new lines of inquiry in the probe of City Hall contracts involving her friends.
June 20, 2008
Some see cloud over City Hall
With the raid of Mayor Sheila Dixon's house, the complicated financial investigation that has bubbled through Baltimore news cycles for years officially jumped the local threshold. Political and public relations experts say this whiff of scandal will likely be an investigative cloud hovering over Baltimore's executive office, taking time and attention from pressing city business and potentially thwarting Dixon's agenda for progress.
June 20, 2008
Jean Marbella: The elephant in the room
I'd like to take the opportunity of all those microphones that have been shoved in my face these past couple of days since my house was raided, and speak directly to you, the citizens of Baltimore.
June 20, 2008
Laura Vozzella: A tiny peek into Dixon's closet
Even before prosecutors started sniffing around for Sheila Dixon's fur coats, her people were worried.
June 19, 2008
More subpoenas in Dixon probe
A day after investigators raided Mayor Sheila Dixon's home, more city employees received subpoenas in what appears to be an accelerating investigation into City Hall spending practices.
June 18, 2008
State raids mayor's home
Maryland state prosecutors raided the home of Mayor Sheila Dixon yesterday as part of an investigation into past spending practices at City Hall, the most aggressive move so far in the years-long probe.
June 18, 2008
Inquiry threatens Dixon's momentum
Six months into her historic term as Baltimore's first female mayor, Sheila Dixon has been riding high - the homicide rate is at a two-decade low, the City Council passed her budget almost untouched, and she has won praise for her work on gun control and homelessness.
June 18, 2008
On the scene: Mayor Dixon ducks out
The investigators in dark blue state prosecutor's office jackets arrived at Mayor Sheila Dixon's tidy brick home just an hour after sunrise yesterday. The quiet Hunting Ridge neighborhood on the city's western edge wasn't quiet for long.
June 18, 2008
Council member expresses shock
News that the state prosecutor's office was searching Mayor Sheila Dixon's house gave City Hall a case of emotional whiplash yesterday.
March 11, 2008
Utech head pleads guilty
A city contractor who employed Mayor Sheila Dixon's sister while doing work for the city pleaded guilty yesterday to falsifying tax returns - the latest development in a months-long investigation into questionable spending practices at City Hall.
January 11, 2008
State seeks more city documents
Baltimore's Finance Department and the offices of the city's powerful Board of Estimates have been ordered to turn over documents to the Maryland state prosecutor's office, which has been engaged in a long-standing investigation at City Hall.
November 30, 2007
Prosecutor demanding BDC papers
The city agency that oversees Baltimore development has received a subpoena from the Maryland state prosecutor's office, which has been conducting an investigation into spending practices at City Hall.
November 29, 2007
State raids company with ties to mayor
The office of one of Baltimore's largest developers was raided yesterday by the Maryland state prosecutor's office, which has been engaged in a long-running investigation into questionable spending at City Hall.
September 25, 2007
Dixon friend pleads guilty
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's former campaign chairman pleaded guilty to charges of failing to file tax returns related to his work as a computer consultant for the City Council and has agreed to cooperate in the state prosecutor's probe into no-bid contracts at City Hall.
August 31, 2007
Ex-Dixon aide Clark charged
The Maryland state prosecutor charged Mayor Sheila Dixon's former campaign chairman yesterday with failing to file state income tax returns for three of the six years in which he earned $500,000 working without a contract as the Baltimore City Council's computer consultant.
January 12, 2007
Ethics board clears Dixon
Nearly a year after beginning an inquiry into whether City Council President Sheila Dixon used her influence to direct city money to a company that employed her sister, Baltimore's Board of Ethics announced yesterday that it has found no cause to pursue the allegations.
December 21, 2006
Dixon decries state inquiry
City Council President Sheila Dixon said yesterday that a state investigation into government contracts related to her office has unfairly sullied her reputation and that the probe's lone indictment proves she is "innocent."
December 8, 2006
Ethics inquiry could be awkward
Since February, Baltimore's Board of Ethics has delayed a detailed review of City Council President Sheila Dixon's participation in official business that benefited a company that employed her sister.
March 16, 2006
Dixon probe begins
State prosecutors have opened an investigation into the Baltimore City Council's computer services contract, ordering city officials to turn over documents detailing how and why the city paid $600,000 to Council President Sheila Dixon's friend for six years.
March 12, 2006
Dixon steered work to ex-aide
For the past six years Baltimore City Council President Sheila Dixon has steered government work worth at least $600,000 to her former campaign chairman, most of the time without a written contract.
February 21, 2006
Contract presents questions for Dixon
One of the Baltimore contracts that prompted an ethics review of City Council President Sheila Dixon was the subject of contentious hearings in 2004 and 2005 that involved accusations of bid steering.
February 6, 2006
Dixon's use of hearing at issue
In what may be a violation of the city ethics law, Baltimore City Council President Sheila Dixon used an investigative hearing to press a major city contractor on why it was not awarding more work to a company that employs her sister.
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