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Getting To Know Baltimore's Top Prosecutor

by Lauren Holter

The death of Freddie Gray after he was arrested by Baltimore police sparked protests across the country. It's still unclear what led to his death; multiple investigations are underway by the police, the Justice Department, and the state's attorney to determine exactly what happened and who was at fault. And it's Marilyn Mosby, Baltimore City state's attorney, who will determine whether charges will be filed in response to the 25-year-old's death. So who is Marilyn Mosby, the woman in charge of the high-profile case?

Elected Baltimore's state's attorney in November, the 35-year-old is the youngest top prosecutor of any major city in the U.S. On Thursday, her office received the findings of the police department's investigation into Gray's death, for which six officers have been suspended with pay, and is now tasked with deciding whether or not to pursue criminal charges against any of the officers involved. She has not said when she will announce her decision, but this case has captured the attention of the whole nation and now all eyes are on Mosby. Her office said in a statement: "We ask for the public to remain patient and peaceful and to trust the process of the justice system."

Before becoming Baltimore's top prosecutor, Mosby was an insurance company attorney and previously worked in the state's attorney's office as assistant state's attorney and then as supervisor of the early resolution court. Mosby's family is full of police officers, as her mother, father, grandfather, and uncles were all in law enforcement, but she recognized complaints about police brutality when she was sworn into the state's attorney's office, saying: "Police brutality is completely inexcusable. I'm going to apply justice fairly, even to those who wear a badge."

Richard Woods, a Baltimore-based criminal defense attorney, told NBC News:

She has a natural affinity for police officers and law enforcement types, and at the same time, she is aware of the incredible number of complaints against the Baltimore City police department. It was important to have somebody who was willing to look at it from both sides, and Marilyn Mosby fit the bill.

Mosby's husband, Nick Mosby, is a Baltimore city councilman and spoke to Fox News Monday about the riots in Baltimore in response to Gray's death, saying: "This is bigger than Freddie Gray. This is about the social economics of poor urban America."

Images: Marilyn Mosby, Esq./Facebook (1)