A. Scott Bolden, the lawyer leading former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s federal criminal defense, can no longer represent her because he might soon be in legal trouble, too, he said in a court filing Wednesday explaining why he wants off the case.
Last Thursday, all six attorneys representing Mosby asked to be removed from the case and to have the city’s ex-top-prosecutor represented by the federal public defender.
Federal prosecutors said they’re fine with Bolden withdrawing from the case but argued the remaining five attorneys — including three from Bolden’s firm, Reed Smith LLP — should remain on the case to avoid another postponement of Mosby’s trial, slated for March.
U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby scheduled a video hearing Friday to determine whether she’ll allow the defense attorneys to quit the case.
The development comes after Griggsby on Jan. 17 threatened to hold Bolden in criminal contempt of court for violating court rules, like divulging confidential juror information in public legal paper and filing motion without the signature of a Maryland attorney. Bolden’s firm is based in Washington, D.C., and he is not licensed to practice law in Maryland.
In separate filings this week, Mosby’s lawyers offered differing reasons for why they wanted off the case.
Bolden said it would be unfair for him to continue representing Mosby because his interests are now divided between defending Mosby and himself. The other lawyers from his firm — Rizwan Qureshi, Kelley Miller and Anthony Todd — said they shared Bolden’s conflict of interest.
[ Prosecutors: Marilyn Mosby’s net worth tripled when she claimed COVID-19 hardship ]
Attorneys Gary Proctor and Lucius Outlaw joined Mosby’s defense more recently and said they did so with the understanding they’d only play supporting roles, not that of lead lawyers.
This article will be updated.
