On Saturday’s Today, fill-in host Thomas Roberts interviewed Baltimore state attorney Marilyn Mosby about the recent charges filed against 6 Baltimore police office for the death of Freddie Gray and actually pressed her on the case as well as her qualifications to lead the investigation.
The MSNBC host immediately highlighted how “police are coming out, the Fraternal Order of Police, the union’s saying that this is an egregious rush to charge the six officers involved.”
Rather than simply give Ms. Mosby a platform to promote her investigation, the liberal MSNBC host pressed her about the details of the case:
You talk about the fact that you did your independent investigation. I have the statement of charges here that talks about the fact that Freddie was charged with having a switch blade or spring-activated knife. Has your office seen the evidence? Have you personally seen the evidence and you know for yourself that this was not an unlawful knife?
As the interview progressed, Roberts acknowledged the opposition the police union has to Ms. Mosby leading the investigation and brought up her potential conflict of interest in prosecuting the Freddie Gray case:
So let's talk about one thing that you have been combating against the fact there are people from the Fraternal order of Police saying there is a conflict of interest because your husband is a councilman and you live in the district where Freddie Gray lives and grew up. What do you say in response to that? Can you handle this on your own without bias?
Since the Freddie Gray case first made its way into the national conversation, MSNBC's hosts have been extremely one-sided against the Baltimore police which made Roberts’ tough and fair questions for Ms. Mosby even more refreshing.
Last week, a panel on NOW with Alex Wagner argued that it was “offensive” to label Baltimore rioters “thugs” and that the word “thug” was the “new n-word.” During the height of the riots, Rachel Maddow went so far as to accuse the police of being “a little of control” and her colleague Chris Matthews even blamed “right-to-work states” in part for the ongoing violence throughout the city.
See relevant transcript below.
NBC’s Today
May 2, 2015
THOMAS ROBERTS: So Marilyn Mosby is Baltimore’s state attorney handling this case. And you just heard her in Lester's piece. Marilyn, it is great to have with us this morning. You also heard in Lester’s piece the fact that police are coming out, the Fraternal Order of Police, the union’s saying that this is an egregious rush to charge the six officers involved. How do you respond to that?
MARILYN MOSBY: I think that’s absolutely absurd. For my investigative team from the very beginning at the outset of this tragic incident, my team went out, I sent investigators, we spent between 12 and 14 hours a day trying to get to the bottom of this and what happened in this case. The Baltimore police department dedicated about 50 detectives to try to get to the bottom of this case. I think that that is absolutely absurd.
ROBERTS: So when you say that that’s absolutely absurd and you talk about the fact that you did your independent investigation. I have the statement of charges here that talks about the fact that Freddie was charged with having a switch blade or spring-activated knife. Has your office seen the evidence? Have you personally seen the evidence and you know for yourself that this was not an unlawful knife?
MOSBY: What I can tell you is exactly what I stated yesterday. What's in the statement of probable cause, I can tell you that we did an independent investigation, my investigators went to the scene, spoke to witnesses. I went to the scene. I spoke to witnesses. I can't get too far into details of the case because it is still a pending matter. But I can tell you that everything that is indicated in the statement of probable cause is accurate.
ROBERTS: Alright, so Mrs. Mosby, let me ask you about this neighborhood where Freddie was apprehended. I was in Baltimore all week and on most of the corners of buildings there, there are citywide cameras. In this direct spot where Freddie was apprehended there is a camera there as well. There is no video that exists of his full takedown and arrest from that camera, correct?
MOSBY: Well, I can't tell you what evidence we have. Again, this is a pending investigation. I can tell you that we’ve reviewed hours of CCTV footage. Period.
ROBERTS: So let's talk about one thing that you have been combating against the fact there are people from the Fraternal order of Police saying there is a conflict of interest because your husband is a councilman and you live in the district where Freddie Gray lives and grew up. What do you say in response to that? Can you handle this on your own without bias?
MOSBY: I say that that is absolutely absurd. I am the Baltimore City state's attorney. I prosecute every crime within the jurisdiction of Baltimore City, including my own jurisdiction. I live in the heart of West Baltimore raising two girls so I don't see what the conflict of interest is. I have to prosecute every crime that takes place in the City of Baltimore.
ROBERTS: Marilyn Mosby.
MOSBY: My husband is a lawmaker and I enforce the laws.
ROBERTS: Marilyn Mosby, thank you for taking time out for us today. We appreciate it.
