Woman Evolve with Sarah Jakes Roberts - The Scales of Justice w/ Marilyn Mosby and Angela Rye

Episode Date: May 22, 2024

Tried in the fire, but she's coming out gold! Former Baltimore City State's Attorney, Marilyn Mosby, has been widely recognized for wielding the sword of truth to balance the scales of justice. While walking out her story of criminal justice reform, Marilyn soon found herself being targeted and now convicted of two counts of perjury and one count of mortgage fraud. Just days before her May 23rd sentencing and the possibility of facing 40 years in prison, SJR engages in a compelling, yet sobering exchange with Marilyn about her everyday life as a mom while navigating such compounded grief. If you believe that Marilyn is being penalized for standing up for the culture and not backing down from law enforcement, NOW is the time to activate your faith! Angela Rye is demanding justice for Marilyn Mosby through a national CALL TO ACTION:Educate yourself on the facts at justiceformarilynmosby.com. Sign and share the petition at campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/pardon-for-attorney-marilyn-mosby.Call the White House at [phone] to request a full presidential pardon.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guess what, Will? What's up, Mango? I've been trying to write a promo for our podcast, Part-Time Genius, but even though we've done over 250 episodes, we don't really talk about murders or cults. I mean, we did just cover the Illuminati of cheese, so I feel like that makes us pretty edgy. We also solve mysteries like how Chinese is your Chinese food, and how do dollar stores make money, and then of course, can you game a dog show?

So what you're saying is everyone should be listening. Listen to Part-Time Genius on the iHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Last season, millions tuned into the Betrayal podcast to hear a shocking story of deception. I'm Andrea Gunning, and now we're sharing an all new story of Betrayal. Justin Rutherford, doctor, father, family man,

it was the perfect cover to hide behind. Detective Weaver said, I'm sure you know why we're here. I was like, what in the world is going on? Listen to Betrayal on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. A new season of Bridgerton is here. And with it, a new season of Bridgerton is here. And with it, a new season of Bridgerton the Official Podcast. I'm your host Gappy Collins. And this season, we are bringing fans even deeper into the ton.

Watch season three of the Shondaland series on Netflix. Then fall in love all over again by listening to Bridgerton the Official Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to catch a new episode every Thursday. The government is now using that same system that I attempted to equalize to break me. Anybody who's working to ensure equity on any level is being targeted right now, and that is by design. My struggle is not against flesh on blood. It's against the evil forces of darkness that seek to undermine justice.

Justice for Marilyn Mosby is justice for all of us. What's up, what's up, what's up family? This is your girl back at it like I never left, kind of, sort of, a little bit. You will be glad to hear that I am not recording this from under the blanket unlike last week's episode. Not because I'm not tired though, but I had an incredible opportunity to be in LA this weekend and it was just so refreshing, so restorative to be back at the place that's really developed me in many ways. My voice as a speaker, my comfort in sharing the word of God, my recognition of having a gift,

all happened in Los Angeles and so that place will always be so special to me. It's been 10 years, I celebrated 10 years of preaching last week during Mother's Day. And man, I still feel like a newbie and a beginner, but I also recognize that I've learned and grown in so many ways. This month for Women Evolve, we are talking about surrendering to believing your story. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and so often we get stuck in the development of our story because our lives

are too hard to believe. We hear people say things like things are too good to be true, but there's another reality and sometimes that's life is too hard to be true. Can you relate? Have you ever had something happen in your life that was literally just too hard to be true and the wrestling in trying to come to a place where you can make peace with what has been too hard to be true can be devastating, catastrophic even. And yet until we fully embrace our story, we cannot make the best of whatever we have left. And by embracing it, it doesn't necessarily mean that we agree,

but the help that we need, the tools that we need, whether it's therapy and conversation, whether it's forgiving, it can't happen unless we get unstuck. And so I'm thinking of many of you who are in this space right now where your life feels too hard to be true, or maybe even too good to be true.

I know that when I first started speaking that I probably felt like life was, I guess, too good to be true. It was hard for me to believe that after all of the years of feeling weird and different and isolated in church, that God had given me a gift that would require me to accept that I needed to reconcile my experience with faith and my experience with church.

When people started telling me that I was not just sharing something special, but it was powerful, it was changing them, it was bringing them closer to God, I felt like my gift was too good to be true. And I have learned to rest and accept and embrace my life. For now, anyway, God keeps changing things. But what about you? Have you ever felt that whether it's too hard to be true or too good to be true, have you ever gotten trapped in the noise?

I know that I have. I preached a message in Dallas. It was called the power of agreement. And I want to play a clip real quick for you about when our life is too hard to be true and how we can often get disconnected from God in those moments because it feels like God, if you were here, God, if you love me, God, if you were protecting me, how could this happen to me? If you've ever thought that I believe this is going to help you stand by. Sometimes we don't agree with how things have played out in our lives. And in those moments we get upset with God.

And when we get upset with God. And when we get upset with God, we miss out on something. God agrees with you that that should have never happened. God agrees with you that death should have never been in the world. God agrees with you that that level of pain, that level of trauma should have never been your experience sometimes we miss out on the reality that what we are currently living in is a fallen world this was not God's plan this was not God's desire God didn't want you to go through that abuse God says I can agree that you should

have never went through that I can agree that you deserved better I can agree with you on that where you and I disagree Is that your story is over the moment where pain entered the picture? God says I disagree with that as a matter of fact I can make all things work together for your good where you and God disagree It's not about what happened you and God disagree about what he can do with what you have left over I said, I never wanted you to know I said I never wanted you to know death I never wanted you to know what pandemic I never wanted you to know divorce

But now that you know it I want to show you what my glory can do when it's six on top of your brokenness I want to show you what my glory can do when it gets in the middle of that heartbreak I come into agreement with you God I come into agreement with you, God. Did that resonate with you the way that it resonated with me when God dropped it in my spirit? I hope so. I hope that it adds some health and some healing to your journey. So as you know, we have been out of our usual rhythm of the podcast. And I thank you for your generosity while I find my footing and launch this book,

which oh my gosh, two weeks on the New York Times bestselling list. I don't even have the words to get into it fully, but I know that it would not have been possible without your help, your support, your belief in the book. And so thank you. I'm super grateful. And so thank you. I'm super grateful. I'm not exactly back into my full rhythm yet. But I am believing I'm podcast batching this week, I have some other things to do. And so I'm going to try and crank out a normal episode soon. But I did get to have an interview, a conversation with two women who I believe are worth you knowing, I will tell you that with two women who I believe are worth you knowing. I will tell you that one of the most difficult things about just having the opportunity to share

what God places in my heart with people is that it has created a lot of influence and with influence comes a lot of responsibility. And with influence comes another reality that people often have an idea of how you should be using that responsibility. And I've tried to be a good steward over my platform, over my influence and over the things I shine a light on. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been seeing these posts about a woman named Marilyn Mosby. And I will be the first one to admit that I am not the most

politically aware about each and although Jasmine Crockett. Amen. We'll talk about that next week. But I haven't always been politically aware. I do remember when Freddie Gray died in police custody that there was this young, ambitious, black woman, a prosecutor who was going to do what had been unheard of at the time and that was really seek justice and a full investigation regarding his death. That was the extent of what I knew about her until I recently saw a friend of mine, Angela, ride posting about her case.

Of course, as you know, I've been on tour and just because someone posts something doesn't necessarily mean that I hop on the bandwagon. I try to take the time to investigate, understand what's happening before lending my voice to something. And sometimes I'll be honest, I don't always feel like the most credible voice. Angela reaches out to me though, and she basically begins to tell me that she needs my help and my support.

And the first thing I asked her is, of course, what's going going? And secondly, what role can my voice play? And then I asked her, what would someone who is opposed to her case say to me? Obviously, I know you're in support, but where's the opposition? And I started listening to some podcasts that were very vocal about their disagreement with her position, her role, not even just as it relates to this current case that she's in, but just disagreement with her role as an elected official throughout her career. And I walked away from listening to that podcast, just choosing

to have a conversation with her about what's happening in her life, what's happening in her career and why it's important that other people know about it, why they think it's important that other people know about it. I will say that when we had woman evolve 2023, first of allOMEN EVOLVE 2023, first of all, before even WOMEN EVOLVE 2023, when I had WOMEN EVOLVE very early on, I asked my friend Arian Simone to be a part.

She's the founder of the Fearless Fund, which was a fund created to help women of color receive funding in areas where they're often overlooked. And I was so moved by her brilliance and her commitment. And if you were at Wombly Valve 2023, you know that we prayed for her because her organization is under fire from the Department of Justice for being exclusionary as it relates to who they focus on.

You guys should do some research about the case, but when affirmative action was overruled, her fund was one of the first things that became a target and it has created a lot of heartbreak, a lot of disappointment for those who need the work that she's doing, but also shed a light on the reality that for many people who have been disproportionately affected by systems and structures, those who choose to advocate for better pathways are often targeted. Marilyn Mosby, Angela Rye, and Monique Presley have really

sounded the alarm for those of us who may be unaware of what's happening in a way that made me feel compelled to just share her story with you. As always, just as when I'm preaching, I think that you should do your own research, that you should walk things out for yourself. This is a starting point, but please don't let it be the end of your journey and learning about what's happening in our communities,

in other communities, and from that place, if you feel compelled to take another step, we've got some action items that I think are worth you checking out. to take another step, we've got some action items that I think are worth you checking out. Marilyn, our theme for the month of May is Surrendering to Believe in Your Story, which it sounds like should be pretty easy, but when life begins to take us places that we never anticipated, the struggle to embrace that this is the journey that we must walk out, whether we would have chosen it or not, can be really hard.

Can you tell me what type of surrendering have you had to do in order to stand in this season of your life? I mean, first and foremost, what type of surrendering? I did surrender at all. You know, as someone who has pretty much prided myself on wielding the almost what type of surrendering, I had to surrender it all. As someone who has pretty much prided myself on wielding the sword of truth to balance the scales of justice, the government is now using that same system

that I attempted to equalize to break me. They've attempted to break me professionally, break me emotionally, break me psychologically, spiritually, and financially. So the brutality of the punishment imposed upon me and attempting to make me an example in my demise so that anyone stepping in my footsteps that are willing to challenge the status quo in the way that I did, they're encouraging them not to do it.

And so I've had to learn how to, and didn't even understand my own strength and the resilience and to keep fighting for justice as a mom and as a daughter, as a granddaughter, as my grandmother who raised me, she's in hospice right now. Rather than be there with her in Boston, I'm fighting for my liberty. But I want to be very clear that I couldn't have done this without my faith. God has been so good to me. What I recognize is that this fight that I'm in for my life is so much greater than me individually. It's taking it back to Ephesians 6, 12 through 15.

My struggle is not against flesh and blood. It's against the evil forces of darkness and they seek to undermine justice. So God has been amazing. He's sent earth angels into my life, with those that I loved unconditionally, showing me the conditions of their love. God's kept my little girls who are 13 and 15 through the trauma of this ordeal. And when you ask about surrendering, like God has kept me, he's covered me, my sanity,

he's covered my sanity through the compounded sort of torture of on top of this, heartbreak and betrayal and predictions, anxiety, fake friends, deception, I mean, the list goes on and on. And so, you know, I had to learn how to surrender and the art of forgiveness and being able to, you know, I had to learn how to surrender and the art of forgiveness and being able to, you know, release any and anything or anyone that no longer serves my higher purpose.

So I felt like if there were like levels to surrender, because oftentimes we talk about surrendering it, we make it seem like it's a one time thing, right? Like I have to have this one act of surrender and then after this, it's smooth sailing. And I may have to pay the price initially, but things get easier. But when I look at your story,

I see someone who had to, one, surrender to being a part of a system that you felt like you could change. And whatever mentalities are connected to like, do I do it? Do I engage with the system? Do I not engage with the system? But no, I'm gonna do it.

I'm gonna try and do it well. I'm gonna try and do it in a way that has never been done to me. That was an initial act of surrender. And now I feel like you're having to surrender to the reality that different comes at a cost. When I think about the people who are connected to this podcast,

many of them, they want to break generational curses, they want to start businesses, and they have to surrender this idea of what their life should look like in order to dismantle systems. And then they step into the system and they realize, wow, this makes me a target. This is fracturing my self-esteem. I'm questioning myself. Can we talk a little bit about the reality that when something is seeking to break you, that there are moments where it feels like the weapon is prospering. You've talked about your marriage. You've talked about professionally the cost that've talked about professionally, the cost that you've had to pay.

I want to talk to you just like as a woman for a minute about just how devastating it can be when it feels like weapons are prospering. How are you processing the fact that like this is really, this is really happening. So I mean, that was loaded, but I can tell you that, I mean, you're absolutely right. There are so many different levels to surrendering. And I went into this field, it wasn't because I did this out of ambition or for money.

I did this because it was a calling. I felt, you know, God placed this on my heart to reform a criminal justice system that has disproportionately impacted people of color in this country for far too long. I believe that's the biggest civil rights issue facing people of color in this country. And it was a calling for me.

So when I became one of the first prosecutors in the country to attempt to hold police officers accountable for the death of a black man, when I was arguing and advocating for the legalization of marijuana because these laws were being discriminately enforced against poor black and brown people, when it came to my vision, And I gotta be very clear, it wasn't even my vision. I feel like God has been using me as a vessel for the work that needs to be done in equalizing a system and to do the righteous work of what he represents,

which is justice. And so when I created the Conviction Integrity Unit, which was the first in the state of Maryland, where we did re-investigations into claims of actual innocence and exonerated 13 innocent black men who collectively served 300 years in prison for crimes they didn't commit. At no point during that calling

and doing that righteous work did I ever believe that I would be on the other side of that system and facing the same sobering reality as each and every one of those exonerees? And I think through this experience, having to surrender the calling, having to surrender when you have the negativity and the villainization of the media and people publicly slandering your name and your reputation and your legacy and all that you've done in the name of righteousness.

Yes, it does feel like those weapons are forming, but it comes down to your faith. And it was on my knees and through my tears by myself in solitude where, like I said, the people that I loved the most were not there, that it was only me and God that I understood the magnitude of the calling that he sent into my life, the magnitude of the collateral consequences

of a flawed criminal justice system, and why God called me to balance the skills of the collateral consequences of a flawed criminal justice system, and why God called me to balance the skills of justice in the first place. And that takes surrendering. Guess what, Mango? What's that, Will? So iHeart is giving us a whole minute to promote our podcast, Part-Time Genius. I know. That's why I spent my whole week composing a haiku for the occasion. It's about my emotional journey in podcasting over the last seven years, and it's called Earthquake House.

Mango, Mango, I'm going to cut you off right there. Why don't we just tell people about our show instead? Yeah, that's a better idea. So every week on Part-Time Genius, we feed our curiosity by answering the world's most important questions. Things like, when did America start dialing 911? Is William Shatner's best acting work in Esperanto? Also, what happened to Esperanto?

Plus we cover questions like how Chinese is your Chinese food? How do dollar stores stay in business? And of course, is there an Illuminati of cheese? There absolutely is, and we are risking our lives by talking about it. But if you love mind-blowing facts, incredible history, and really bad jokes, make your brains happy and tune into Part-Time Genius. Listen to Part-Time Genius on the iHeart radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. A new season of Bridgerton is here. And with it, a new season of Bridgerton the official podcast. I'm your host Gabrielle Collins and this season we are bringing

fans even deeper into the ton. Colin Bridgerton has returned from his travels abroad. Is betrothal written in the stars for the eligible bachelor? Meanwhile, the ton is reverberating with speculation of who holds Lady Whistledown's pen. We're discussing it all. I sit down with Nicola Coughlin, Luke Newton, Shonda Rhimes, and more to offer an exclusive peek behind the scenes of each episode of the new season. Watch season 3 of the Shondaland series on Netflix. Then, fall in love all over again by listening to Bridgerton the Official Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe to catch a new episode every Thursday. Last season, millions tuned into the Betrayal podcast to hear a shocking story of deception. I'm Andrea Gunning, and now we're sharing an all new story of betrayal. Stacey thought she had the perfect husband. Doctor, father, family man. It was the perfect cover for Justin Rutherford to hide behind.

They led me into the house and I mean it was like a movie. He was sitting at our kitchen table. The cops were guarding him. He was sitting at our kitchen table. The cops were guarding him. Stacey learned how far her husband would go to save himself. I slept with a loaded gun next to my bed.

He did not just say, I wish he was dead. He actually gave details and explained different scenarios on how to kill him. He, to me, is scarier than Jeffrey Dahmer. Listen to Betrayal on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I just like, I am so fascinated by how your life is literally a living example. A lot of people, I think, have made their calling, their purpose. This thing that is supposed to make you famous, it's supposed to come without heartbreak. And you are living out the reality that most of us experience is that the calling has a

crucifixion connected to it. Like there's resurrection connected to it too, but there's a price to pay whenever you are choosing to do something that is going to establish light in dark places. Did you have a moment throughout this process where you're like, you might take this, you might take that, but you cannot have my faith? Or did you just, was it just innately a part of your journey

where your faith was your foundation? Because I feel like so many people, they'd be like, God, how could you do this to me? I said yes, I was obedient. How could you not protect me from this? Whereas I hear you saying that I have managed to find a way to hang onto to my faith even in the midst of what could be very scary.

There wasn't just one moment, there were several moments where I'm questioning God and questioning what this calling that he put on my purpose was and is. And there were so many times where I second guessed everything that I've built my career upon. And then I think that's part of the process. That's part of the self-transformation that I found the beauty in the trauma and in the fire, like I've come out. I've got to send people into my life that have understood the calling, that have understood at the moment that I spoke to Angela Rye, she was able to connect the dots where when I felt so invisible and forgotten, he would send these

people into my space to remind me that I'm still divinely protected and the work that my office was doing and the vessel that I am is so much greater than me. It's never been about me. And yes, I can sacrifice because so many of my ancestors have sacrificed so much more for me to be in that role and in this position. 95% of the prosecutors making decisions about who's going to be charged, what they're going to be charged with, what sentence recommendations they're going to make. If somebody gets into the criminal justice system in the first place, they are white.

79% are white men. As a woman of color, I represent 1% of all elected prosecutors in the country. Right? And so this is a role that I have been able to have an impact, not just statewide, not just nationally, but internationally. When my office stopped prosecuting low level offenses that can lead to a death sentence for black men in this country, like George Floyd passing a $20 bill for groceries, or Eric Garner allegedly selling loose cigarettes, or Dante Wright who had an air freshener in his vehicle, or Sandra Bland who failed to put on a turn signal. These minor offenses that can lead to a death sentence in this country. We stopped prosecuting those cases and unlike 26 municipalities in the country, for the first time, despite what they put

on the news, our crime rate went down by 20%. And so I'm just grateful. I'm filled with nothing but gratitude. Scotland started modeling those policies. London was considering modeling those policies, right? London was considering modeling those policies. And so when you get that it's greater than you, then it's worth, and I say this all the time, justice is always worth the price paid for its pursuit. Okay, that's so good to me.

I am really inspired by your acknowledgement of God's presence even in the fire and keeping your heart open enough to realize that like, God, I can be a little frustrated that I'm in it, but also acknowledge that you're sending me covering and protection in the midst of it, I think is the most that any of us can hope for when life gets hard. Not necessarily the anger of why am I in it, but God can I see you even while I'm in it. So I've got a lot of respect and admiration for that. So you've got a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old daughter. What is this like for them? Like

when you're not fighting for your life and talking to people like me about your case, like what are you doing in your spare time with your girls? So, and let me be very clear, you know, I wasn't always at that place. Yeah. Like, right? Where that place of surrender, where I could see God in the presence, because in the midst of it, you're like, God, where are you? Where are you?

And I think that's part of the process too. You have to learn not to doubt and to have that faith. And even if it's the size of a mustard seed, right? And he comes through every time. And then you talked about my daughters and I start my interviews with just expressing how grateful I am. I have gone to this is it's brought me to my knees, like in ways that you can never imagine. I have cried so many tears. I have lost everything.

I've lost my my career, my reputation, my finances are ruined. I always had 800 credits for my credits, some cards are delinquent, you know, I didn't have a car, my grandmother's sick, I went through a divorce, I was married for 17 years with the man for 25 years, that ended and like on top of that, so you try to find mechanisms and coping mechanisms to just survive what you're going through. And so again, it was something that I had to realize, I had to experience to go through in order to arrive at where I am

and to understand that God is with me. I got through that fire. He is covering my little girls. My little girls have gone through so much trauma and my children need to see what love is and they need to see what strength is. They need to know what faith looks like in the face of adversity.

At first I said, I'm not bringing my little girls to the courthouse. They've been through enough. They published their photos all on the evening news when I'm still getting death threats to my home to this day. And so they see this negative sort of media coverage. And when they see it, they come back and they're like, mom, why are they saying this?

And so what I wanted to do even in the second trial is, no, I'm not, God is covering them. This is another example of God's grace and his presence in my life. Like you have covered my babies. You know, they're in therapy, but they are good. And so yes, that, it was not something that I always arrived at,

but it is something that I definitely experienced and that was the presence of God. Okay, so I love that you said all of the different ways that you tried to cope to escape the reality, because so many of us can relate to this. Whether it's we stay in the bed all day, or we're drinking, or whatever. You know what I mean?

There are plenty of ways where we're like, I cannot stand up to this version of my life. So whatever it takes to skip the chapter we do. And then we get to this moment where we realize I am becoming someone I'm not trying to run from where I am. And man, that I feel like that's so powerful for someone who's listening. Cause you don't even realize that you're not

who you once were anymore. I don't know. I wish I could put it in the language, but when your life starts to look like something you never wanted, something you never imagined, I just will log out. Like, I just won't be a character to like,

forget about it. That's how I felt, because I'm a first generation college student, right? And I worked hard to get through college because I'm a first-generation college student, right? And I worked hard to get through college. I got a presidential scholarship to Tuskegee. I didn't go out to parties. I was focused. I was, you know, my career was everything.

Then when I got into law school, it wasn't easy for me to get into law school. I ended up getting into my first choice only after thinking outside the box and calling the law schools and saying, my LSAT school is not indicative of my potential, you need to meet me, right? Like I worked hard, I didn't pass the bar right away. I had to work at passing the bar. And so when my colleagues were making $40,000 a summer, I was volunteering in the US Attorney's Office in Boston and DC in the Suffolk County Homicide Unit.

So there was a sacrifice that came with this calling. And so, yes, when you're in the midst of it and all of that is being taken away, and I'm like, God, but what is this? But at the same time, God was there the whole time. And so that's why I start everything with how much gratitude I have for life. I have so much gratitude for the people in my life

and in my space. There were so many toxic individuals, and I can't repeat Alicia Keys, but there was a lot of toxic people in my life that God exposed and needed to be out of my space. And so now the people that he's bringing into my space are the earth angels, the people who genuinely love me and are there to support me at my most time of need.

That's a great segue. So I was in LA and I was preaching a message or tried to preach a message. I had 20 minutes and we did what we could, but there's a moment in 2 Samuel 6 where David has basically his journey has been marked by fighting from fighting the bear and the lion, fighting the life. Like his journey has been marked by fighting. He finally gets this opportunity where he is being established and he knows he's being established because God allows

for the materials, resources and people required for him to build a house to be brought to him. And as you were speaking, it just reminded me of that, because though he had this journey that was marked by, you have this journey fighting to get into school, fighting to make it through school, fighting to get into law school, there comes a moment where you don't have to fight that God sends resources and people

to help you build from where you are. You mentioned your Earth Angels, Angela Rye is here, and she reached out to me to tell me about your case. And I wanna talk a little bit about like, why she's reaching out to me about your case and the role that any of us can play in discovering more about why you're in this situation and then how we can help to serve you and support you while you figure out, you know, how God's

ultimately going to come through. So I guess maybe Angela, can you tell me a little bit about like, why, why do you call me girl? So I'm always gonna call you because even though I'm the big sister, you are the sister with the wisdom, the age of Methuselah, so I'm always going to call you first of all. I think, you know, one of the things that we've talked about offline, I think, historically in our sisterhood and our friendship is the role of the church in issues just like this. I struggled for a long time with a dad who's Baptist, a mom who's

Catholic, and I started going to Kojic Church in who's Baptist, a mom who's Catholic, and I started going to Kojic Church in high school. And in Kojic Church, in the Church of God in Christ, you didn't see a lot of activism around social justice and racial justice issues. And I really wrestled with that. And now I've come to the place where I believe that the role of the church

has not changed from the civil rights movement. In fact, as we in this country continue to go backwards as it relates to our rights and what we have the freedom to do, I think that the role of the church is substantial. The influence that you have, Sarah, because of your integrity,

the way you carry yourself, your transparency, not only will you snatch our wigs, you will snatch your own. It is one of those things where it makes us know that we can count on you for all the things, whether it is wisdom for how we pursue this and protect Marilyn in the process. She talked about receiving death threats.

Those threats aren't just coming as death threats to her home. Her career was threatened by a system that is supposed to protect and serve us. We are taxpayers to this system. And so, we should know that we can count on it for righteousness. And many of us know that that has not always been the case, especially when you are a black person in America. And so, what is the role of the church in protecting and defending people like Marilyn who have done nothing but protected and served us when the country had its back turned on us? And so really the question was, you know, what can you do? How can we get this truth out about not just her trial, but who she is, what her legacy means, the fact that Marilyn is not the only one. She is the first

of many very egregious attacks on black women, black prosecutors, black elected officials. And I'm saying of this generation, because we know that she's not the first. We know that the justice system, the Department of Justice, through the FBI, through the CIA, attacked some of our best and brightest Black leaders historically. So it is core to its mission, frankly. And so my question really was, how can we engage the church in this fight? How can we get church folks everywhere to stand up, to sign a petition, to activate their faith, to ensure that this country does right by us?

I think that that is our most reasonable service. And that is what we are called to do. It is a portion of what we are here to ensure that the next generations don't continue to face these kinds of attacks. It is too late. It is 2024. We should not still be seeing this.

And that's why I reached out. Marilyn and I shared a mentor, Congressman Elijah Cummings, who's no longer with us. If you don't know him, look him up, this man, his integrity was impeccable. And what I know about him is there was one moment,

I think we were at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's dinner, and I knew Maryland, we weren't close, but I knew her, and he said to me, he said, you all need to know each other. And every time I talk about him, I cry. But I don't know if like, you know, he probably was a prophet. Mr. Cummings was deeply spiritual and deeply discerning. And I think that he probably knew there would be a time,

whether it was my time or her time, where we would need each other, where we'd need each other's advocacy. We certainly leaned upon hers. She set the stage for not just what would happen in Baltimore, but in counties and in cities all over the country that have large black populations. He knew that she would

need protection. And it was in that moment that I harken back to thinking about that in this case, like this is what he needed me to do. And so I really am calling upon all our brothers and sisters in Christ, all our siblings in the faith, like this is the time, if not now, when? So I know I'm gonna ask questions, one from a somewhat space of ignorance, because I've only spent the last few days doing a deep dive, but also I'm gonna ask the questions

as if someone who has no idea, because I think that there probably will be people who have no idea about the case. So can you tell us exactly what she's accused of? Yes, so Marilyn, after she put her foot down on Freddie Gray, many of you all will remember Marilyn Mosby from the Freddie Gray trial, the officers who killed Freddie Gray in Baltimore.

And she said that this was a time, our time is now that she was going to be looking out for our best interests. From that moment, she became a target because that is not how prosecutors normally serve in that role. Normally, prosecutors are hand in hand with law enforcement. You fast forward a little bit, there was something called the Gun Trace Task Force in Baltimore, where Maryland said, if all of these officers are corrupt, associated with this case in this unit, I am going to now look at all of the cases

they were associated with, they need to be reviewed. 2,100 cases were reviewed and Maryland ensured that almost 800 of those cases were overturned because of corrupt behavior from officers. That infuriated people even more. You fast forward to 2020 when George Floyd was killed and protests were happening all over the country, including in Baltimore.

Our former president, Donald Trump, threatened to send in federal law enforcement to Baltimore, to other cities. And Marilyn said, if you send them, they will be prosecuted. She did so in an op-ed with another progressive prosecutor, Larry Krasner out of Philadelphia. Two months from that op-ed, Marilyn learned she was

under federal investigation. This investigation has taken many turns. First they were looking at tax evasion. Oops, the tax extension deadline hasn't passed yet. Guess we don't have anything there. The prosecutor in this case was working hand-in-hand with the Ethics Committee in Baltimore. Anything the Ethics Committee in Baltimore couldn't get, they would get a subpoena for. Marilyn ended up being prosecuted for lying on a mortgage application and perjury. The perjury charges were related to two COVID-related withdrawals from her retirement account for $40,000 and $50,000. Marilyn called the

account holder to ask if she qualify for an adverse financial consequence given a business she was starting after leaving the prosecutor's office. And they told her that if she experienced an adverse financial consequence, not a hardship, that she would qualify. And hardship is the tougher standard. So Marilyn was told that she qualified for the withdrawals. The Baltimore Deferred Compensation Plan executive director testified in court that she qualified for these withdrawals. Mind you, upon receiving the withdrawals, she immediately was taxed on those, and she secured those payments to get property,

which is what most of us, I worked on Capitol Hill, I withdrew from my retirement account to get property. Out of 30,000 people in the country who withdrew from their retirement accounts, Marilyn was the only one prosecuted under the same provision. 739 in Baltimore, Marilyn the only one prosecuted. Three in her specific agency in Baltimore, the only one prosecuted. My question would be, if she doesn't qualify because she was drawing her same salary, which is the argument of the prosecution, then please tell me why members of Congress were able to get PPP loans and they also were not prosecuted. That's the first piece. The second piece is related to what was put on her

mortgage application by her mortgage broker who also testified to this fact in court. Marilyn received a $5,000 gift from her husband Nick. She had given him that money because she was concerned that he may not have it based on some of the financial issues they experienced. Marilyn has already referenced this. Nick testified to this in court. And when she received that gift, the prosecution argued in an indictment that she used it to

secure a lower interest rate. The problem with that is chronology. Chronologically, it doesn't add up. Marilyn's interest rate was already locked. So they lied in the indictment, never had to correct the indictment. She was charged for that and subsequently convicted of that. I suspect because there are people out here who don't really believe that you could be from Baltimore, be a public servant and not be corrupt. Too many folks watch The Wire. I know people super saved on this podcast, Sarah, who watched this podcast, but too many folks watch The Wire. I know people super saved on this podcast, Sarah, who watched this podcast,

but too many folks watched The Wire and have impugned Marilyn's character as a result. And I really believe that's what happened. And so you have someone who has worked on our behalf diligently, folks weren't expecting that. They weren't expecting the youngest chief prosecutor in the country to be this bold. And she was, and as a result,

was penalized in a gross manner for this. She was gone after relentlessly. The same man who went after Marilyn is a prosecutor named Leo Wise. He did it first on Capitol Hill. At one point, eight open ethics investigation, open investigations under Leo Wise were all congressional black caucus members.

What you're not gonna tell me is that all of us have a natural bent towards corruption. I think this man has a natural bent towards going after black public servants. And I think that's what happened in this case. Guess what, Mango? What's that, Will? So iHeart is giving us a whole minute to promote our podcast, Part-Time Genius. I know. That's why I spent my whole week composing a haiku for the occasion. It's about my emotional

journey in podcasting over the last seven years, and it's called Earthquake House. Mingo, Mingo, I'm going to cut you off right there. Why don't we just tell people about our show instead? Yeah, that's a better idea. So every week on Part-Time Genius, we feed our curiosity by answering the world's most important questions. Things like, when did America start dialing 911? Is William Shatner's best acting work in Esperanto? Also, what happened to Esperanto? Plus we cover questions like how Chinese is your Chinese food? How do dollar stores stay in business? And of course, is there an Illuminati of cheese? There absolutely is, and we are risking our lives by talking about it. But if you love mind-blowing facts, incredible history, and really bad jokes,

make your brains happy and tune in to Part-Time Genius. Listen to Part-Time Genius on the iHeart radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. A new season of Bridgerton is here. And with it, a new season of Bridgerton the Official Podcast. I'm your host, Gabrielle Collins, and this season, we are bringing fans even deeper into the ton. Colin Bridgerton has returned from his travels abroad. Is betrothal written in the stars for the eligible bachelor? Meanwhile, the ton is reverberating with speculation of who holds Lady Whistledown's pen.

We're discussing it all. I sit down with Nicola Coughlin, Luke Newton, Shonda Rhimes, and more to offer an exclusive peek behind the scenes of each episode of the new season. Watch season 3 of the Shondaland series on Netflix. Then, fall in love all over again by listening to Bridgerton the Official Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to catch a new episode every Thursday. Last season, millions tuned into the Betrayal podcast to hear a shocking story of deception. I'm Andrea Gunning and now we're sharing an all new story of betrayal. Stacey thought she had the perfect husband,

doctor, father, family man. It was the perfect cover for Justin Rutherford to hide behind. They led me into the house and I mean, it was like a movie. He was sitting at our kitchen table. The cops were guarding him. Stacey learned how far her husband would go to save himself. I slept with a loaded gun next to my bed.

You not just say I wish he was dead, he actually gave details and explained different scenarios on how to kill him. He to me is scarier than Jeffrey Dahmer. kill him. He to me is scarier than Jeffrey Dahmer. Listen to Betrayal on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Angela, can I ask you, Marilyn, I'm sorry. No, I'm just because I'm a student at this point, but Angela, do you think that

there's a connection between what's happening with black women being targeted and what's happening with Arian Simone's case? Are you familiar with that? A thousand percent. And what I would tell you is we are being attacked on every side in public policy, on the civil side, which is what Arian Simone's fearless fund is.

They are targeting her on the fearless fund. The worst thing is they said, we don't want y'all's history in our schools or in these textbooks. We don't want y'all to have affirmative action. And if you needed an extra boost to get into a school because of everything that's happened to you historically in this country since 1619, we don't want you there either. Oh, and then you want to start a fund to support your own businesses? We don't want you to do that either.

So it's happening on every single side. You know, I know that folks may disagree on reproductive justice. Maybe all folks don't agree that we need equitable outcomes in this country. Maybe folks don't agree that folks shouldn't be prosecuted differently for different crimes.

I certainly believe that outcomes should be equitable, that the justice system should be equitable, and anybody who is working to ensure equity on any level is being targeted right now and that is by design. So someone's listening and maybe they're going to go do their own research and after they do their own research they're like okay I do feel compelled to do something. As leaders of faith, I will say that I don't know that it's just SuperSafe people listening to this podcast because we got a lot of different people.

So I wonder, I think you're going to have the spectrum of people who are like, you know, all I feel like I can do is pray and maybe sign a petition. But for someone who feels like, no, I really, I want to engage, I want to learn more. Maybe I want to see things from every perspective, like what would be their next steps? You know, and Sarah, to that point, I want to say to you, I thank God for you, for your transparency, for your realness. Like you just represent what evangelism really is supposed to be. You do go out to the far corners of the earth and reach everyone.

So that was not shade to say the super save. The super save and the super need saving. Listen to this podcast for all of y'all and me. We're grateful. I will say that your action is required. If this were you, how would you want someone to move? The website is justiceformarylandmosby.com. You can see and hear and read about Marilyn's story there.

The petition can be found on justiceformarylandmosby.com. You can ask your friends. The same way that you will share a post from the shade room, share when we need salvation, share when we need support. The same way that you will share all the mess or the funniest TikTok dance, share it that way. That's the kind of information blast we need given the circumstances before us.

It could happen to any of us. And if we move like that, we will treat this differently and we'll be better stewards over our own advocacy. If you're in the Greenbelt, Maryland area, the DMV area, some of y'all just went to see my good sis, Power Moves in the DMV, come show up for this sentencing hearing too and let Maryland see she's not alone,

that her faith has served her well and that she's standing shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of folks in our community who get it. If you wanna call the White House, you can do that too. 202-456-1111 and let them know that you want to see a pardon for Marilyn Mosby because justice for Marilyn Mosby is justice for all of us. Okay, Marilyn, I'm wondering, I asked you this earlier. When you're not out here making sure

that there's awareness about what's happening in your world, what's bringing you joy? Are you watching anything? Are you doing TikTok? Are you eating anything good? Like, what are you doing outside of, you know, making sure that we're all as aware as possible about what's happening with you?

To be honest with you, I haven't even watched TV in over a year. But I have been inspired and I said this a little earlier. I also thank God for you, Sarah. You know, there are different video clips from your sermons in which they have inspired me on my lowest and darkest days. And so, you know, I'm on TikTok. I do social media,

I do a lot of reading, and trying to spend as much time with my little girls as possible, you know, because at the end of the day, they are the ones that have made the ultimate sacrifice and will be making the ultimate sacrifice if the government has its way on the Thursday, right? Like the government is not only seeking to penalize me by putting me in jail and separating me from my children,

they're looking to take my only asset, the only house that I have to my name. They're looking to put me in prison and to keep me away from my family and wanna take my law license. And so I'm spending as much time with those little girls as possible because I don't know what's going to happen. I didn't think it would ever get this far

considering the ridiculousness of the idea and the concept that I'm the only person in America being prosecuted under this provision for withdrawing my own retirement savings, not PPP loans, not COVID relief funding, getting my money that I put away every two weeks and using it to buy property and to build generational wealth for my children. And so right now that's how I spend my time. I spend my time with God and my little girls.

And that's all that I kind of really want to do leading up until Thursday. And to be clear, I don't know if we mentioned this or not, Maryland is facing up to 40 years. This is not just six to 12 months. The reason why this is so important is because 40 years is an incredible amount of time for anything, but especially when you haven't done

anything wrong. And so I thank you for sharing your story, for taking time, that you could be in the presence of God doing nothing at all to make sure that the WomniVov audience, the delegation as we call them, is aware of what's happening in your case. I am definitely gonna make sure that we position this properly so that they have all of the tools and resources in the description to make sure

that they're plugged in as well. Obviously, we're gonna be praying for you, but we wanna make sure that those prayers have action as well. So thank you. Thank you. And my prayer warriors, they get me through. I mean, there have been so many strangers

and people that have interceded on my behalf. And I know, like at the end of the day, that's my grounding, that's what's gonna get me on the other side and has gotten me on the other side of it. So thank you again, Sarah. My pleasure, thank you. We have more content in the show notes

for those of you who want to learn more about her case. If you're still on the fence and you're still wondering, you know, I want to know more from a full picture, just Google it, honestly. I listen to other podcasts, as I mentioned earlier from people who were, you know, not as dedicated to her innocence as Angela and Monique just to hear the other side. And I feel like it gave me a pretty good picture of everything that's happening. I think if for no other reason, what's happening

for people who are being targeted for equality, for trying to pave better paths for those who have been marginalized is something worth all of us knowing. And so I want you to check it out, do your research. I think the most powerful thing that we can do first is of course, pray, not just for her, but about our response, our role in this conversation. And once we've done that, to respond. And this is my attempt at laying something in front of you that I think is worth you taking to the Lord in prayer. I Love you all deeply next week

I'm a much better person not because I would have rested but because I would have at least been off the road and my girls Get out of school, which means that I will have an opportunity to not be in the school hustle and bustle So I'm looking forward to that looking forward to growing with you hearing your voice and thoughts about what's happening here. I Let's pray let's pray child Jesus Lord Father we need you This world is so hard So scary so unpredictable

And yet, you know all things. You know why we do the things we do. You understand how people, how our stories just become something we could have never anticipated. And God, I just ask for your closeness right now for anyone who was having to surrender to a truth that is too hard to swallow. Someone who was having to surrender to a process that might feel unfair, where they may feel misunderstood. God, I pray that you would give them the courage to see their story,

to hear their story, to embrace their story, and to trust you with their story. Father, we don't always know what the outcome will be. When some of these stories get out of control, we don't know where it will end, but we know that if you're with us, that you will establish us, that you will take care of us, that you'll protect us.

And so God, I pray that those who are in a difficult time will also seek out the ways that you're showing up in the difficulty and from that space, that they would not be anxious for an outcome, but that they would be patiently observant for how you're showing up in the present. God, I pray a special blessing over Marilyn Mosby, her daughters, her support system. God, you know what they're up against. You know the truth, you

know, all that is being thrown in her direction and the way that she's being developed and challenged and convicted in the midst of it all. God, I pray that your path would be clear for her, that you would order her steps, that you would protect her children from any harm, any danger, that you would reconcile for them now how their worlds have changed

so that they're not dealing with the aftermath of this years down the road. God, I thank you for your sweet reconciliation meeting them, that your love, your wisdom, your presence will cover God and protect them. I plead the blood of Jesus over this criminal justice system, over those who are in positions of power. God, I pray that you would put a burden on their heart to be a light that you would put a burden on their heart to dismantle where there is injustice and that you would give them courage to do the right thing, even if it's hard. God, I pray

that you take this podcast and allow it to fall on the hearts of those who need it the most and where there's room for any of us to grow, I pray that you would reveal it so that we can all evolve together. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Evolve. Guess what, Will? What's up, Mango? I've been trying to write a promo for our podcast, Part-Time Genius, but even though

we've done over 250 episodes, we don't really talk about murders or cults. We did just cover the Illuminati of cheese, so I feel like that makes us pretty edgy. We also solve mysteries like how Chinese is your Chinese food, and how do dollar stores make money, and then of course, can you game a dog show? So what you're saying is everyone should be listening. Listen to Part-Time Genius on the iHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Last season, millions tuned into the Betrayal podcast

to hear a shocking story of deception. I'm Andrea Gunning, and now we're sharing an all new story of betrayal. Justin Rutherford, doctor, father, family man. It was the perfect cover to hide behind. Detective Weaver said, I'm sure you know why we're here. I was like, what in the world is going on? Listen to Betrayal on the iHeart radio app,

Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A new season of Bridgerton is here. And with it, a new season of Bridgerton the Official Podcast. I'm your host, Gabby Collins. And this season, we are bringing fans even deeper into the ton. Watch season three of the Shondaland series on Netflix. Then fall in love all over again by listening to Bridgerton the Official Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to catch a new episode every Thursday.