Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby celebrated the beginning of her term Thursday, four days after she started the job. She was officially sworn in Monday.
There was a ceremonial swearing in at the War Memorial downtown, speeches and a few off-beat moments.
Mosby was late getting to the stage after former Congressman and NAACP President Kweisi Mfume introduced her.
“OK, I’ve never been in this position before,” Mfume quipped, “Are you ready to do it a second time?”
At last, Mosby walked in with her husband, City Councilman Nick Mosby, and their two young daughters.
As she took the oath of office, Mosby asked former Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert Bell, to repeat a line; “[And I will] be faithful and bear true allegiance to the State of Maryland.”
During her speech, Mosby praised the prosecutors who handled the murder case of her 17-year-old cousin – who was gunned down in front of her childhood home in Boston two decades ago. She said they stayed in contact with her family at every point in the case.
“They shaped and inspired my passion for justice,” Mosby said. “Those prosecutors inspired my passion for change. Those prosecutors inspired me to stand before you today.”
Mosby defeated then incumbent Gregg Bernstein in the Democratic primary last June and easily staved off a write-in challenge from defense attorney Russell Neverdon.
She faces her first major challenge as state’s attorney when she discusses the case of bicyclist Thomas Palermo in a news conference Friday. Palermo was fatally struck Dec. 27 by a car driven by Heather Cook, an Episcopal bishop.