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The trial of Sheila Dixon, then mayor of Baltimore, started on November 9, 2009. It was the first of two scheduled trials for Dixon on a variety of charges. The charges stemmed from alleged corruption on the part of the mayor involving gifts she allegedly received and gift cards she allegedly stole.
A verdict was reached on December 1, 2009. Dixon was convicted on one count of misappropriation of gift cards. The jury was hung on one other count, and all others resulted in acquittal.
The case against her left speculation about her future. While the city of Baltimore has no provision for removing a mayor from office, the Maryland Constitution bars convicted felons from serving in elected office.[1] On January 6, 2010, Dixon announced she would step down as mayor on February 4, 2010.
The charges against her also resulted in a snub by President Barack Obama. Obama reversed an invitation of Dixon to the White House in a conference of seventy mayors, supposedly due to the charges she was facing. This was despite the fact that Dixon had endorsed Obama for president during the election and his arrival in Baltimore days before the inauguration.[2]
- ^ Annie Linskey (January 10, 2009). "It's difficult to remove a Md. mayor from office". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
- ^ Annie Linskey (February 20, 2009). "Dixon's invitation to White House abruptly withdrawn". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 22, 2011.