Keep trying! She is guilty and going down! I just hope she gives up O'malley cause he is dirty too!

this is a 'letter of the law vs. spirit of the law' argument if i've ever seen one. whether she's convicted or not, the trust is gone. she should step down. she's not irreplaceable.

The two sections are not strictly contradictory -- it is not impossible to abide by them both.

if she did what she is charged with she is stupid

I sent a Best Buy gift card to City Hall addressed to the Mayor. Imagine if she started receiving hundreds of them.

Regarding the comments about "Shiela The Shoe" and your current Governor:

Think about the Asian proverb that states the "the fish rots from the head back."

Who is paying for her defense? The taxpayers... and it will cost us a lot more than she stole from the children. Weiner should be ashamed of himself. Sad fact of the matter is that Bozo the Clown could represent her and get her off with a jury trial in Baltimore.

she's not stupid just greedy and thinks she's also above the average joe. but the people of balto will forgive her because sh'e doing a gudt job!

Don't be so quick to believe the prosecutors office. She should stay in office until the case is concluded in the courts.

It is a loophole. Something tells me, however, that this is the work of her lawyer and I am willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that Dixon had no idea about this contradiction.

This is a spirit vs letter of the law debate. Obviously the point of the law is to prevent public officials from getting exorbitant gifts from people looking to curry favor - something Dixon appears guilty of. But the letter of the law makes the distinction of people "doing business with the city" this is a broad distinction and it is up to the lawyers to argue both sides of that issue.

This could end interesting and hopefully we would see that contradiction corrected.

I'll point out this is why judges parse these things out and not juries. It may seem like these are contradictory sections or that the latter quoted section is broader than the first and seemingly captures a person like Lipscomb, but the problem is that it doesn't. Lipscomb doesn't benefit from the performance or nonperformance of her duties he's seeking a certain result from legislation, of which she only plays a part and can't control the outcome by herself; he's not asking her not to do her duty (like paying the guy who comes boots your car not to boot it or a property owner looking to escape housing code violations and asking the enforcement officer to look the other way while slipping him a C note.) He certainly would like certain benefits from the city, but it's not the performance vs. non-performance of her duties he's seeking; he's seeking a certain result from the legislative process. There's also their romantic entanglement as well; a public official dating someone whose business from time to time involves the government, reeives a gift from that person, is teh gift ALWAYS given for the purpose of influence or in consideration of their affection for the person? Second issue, is it an intentional falsehood or intent to mislead if she honestly believed the gift to be given for her affection and not her public duties? This case has a lot of legal holes in it, which is why it's kind of srprising it was brought. You shoot for the king--or queen as it were--, you best not miss.

she may have had her hand in the cookie jar but o'malley has had both of his hands in the cookie jar for years. when are they going to go after him? or is it open seasons on blacks in public office?

The gift cards found in her house are enough to prove this lady is a crook.

I cannot tell you how disappointed I will be if she walks scott free just because the Baltimore City Ethics Code isn't stringent enough.

Regardless of her guilt or innocence, I believe her political carreer is over - but then again, D.C. did re-elect Marian Berry. I hope the citizens of Baltimore have more sense.

Lets not convict anyone in the press. After how many years of investigation and a great cost of lawyers investigating, then using several grand jurries - and this is all they come up with? Unaccounted GIFT CARDS?

Where is the smoking gun? Where is the materiality? This smells of partisian polictics.

While many may not like the Mayor, you have to admit that there seems to be some weak charges here. Allegations are one thing, while proving such a weak case is yet another. Then too, a Baltimore City jury will not likely convict a person of color with a weak case. Let us not rush to judgement.

I am sick and tired of the corruption in our government. The government officials rip us off every day and we are supposed to take it. Sheila Dixon should step down now as well as all the other corrupt politicians!

Leave her alone - she's is the mayor....... shouldn't she get a piece of the action other city officials are getting. Look at the School Board, they are embezzling some big bucks!

Most of you want to bury the Mayor, before she has an opportunity to have justice. This prosecutor has been trying to charge the Mayor with something, anything, for three years. I would say, that we need to look very carefully at this prosecutor. If it took him these three long years, to put together this weak case, I would think he is incompetent at the very least. It would also show, that he has more than a little prejudice, against the Mayor. I would urge the States Attorney to investigate this prosecutor before this case goes any further. Just maybe we can put him in jail before he does anymore harm to innocent people.

First Doc, the States Attorney does not have the legal authority to investigate the State Prosecutor. Actually, he could file charges against ANY States Prosecutor. Second, it takes time t develop a case against a politician. Also I seriously doubt with the level of reporting done by this new outlet and other that Shoe will be tried in Baltimore City. It will probably be a county far, far, away! Is she guilty? Well the Smoking Gun is gift cards donated to needy families in her home; the $4000 given to an aide to pay her AMEX bill; the $6000 paid by Develop A Employee 1 to pay on Shoe's AMEX bill. They won't get her on all 12 counts, but they will get her and get her soon!

I trying to understand the concept of Government policies....If a citizen does the same crime and gets indicted the conquences would be going to central booking and process waiting for bail but someone in the legislative system commits a crime goes back to work as like nothing happen and wait for court dates and reults...Ms. Dixon working against crime but commit crimes.....leaders of an example suppose to set them not break them....kids think that what Ms. dixon is ok but it is not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

always crying about the poor children of baltimore. a way to get money for themself. she is lower than low.

The lady is still innocent until proven guilty POEPLE!!! Its a set up and Im sick and tired of white prosecutors trying to discredit and ruin wonderful city officials. People who are actually making a differnece in our society not those who are incompetent and only care about portions of the city. WE LOVE Mayor SHIELA DIXON and for all the hard and genuine work she has done for the city. Stay Strong Shiela and dont let these devils bring yopu down.

We are praying for our mayor, we are asking God to let his MERCY prevail.