Ex-mayor Dixon caught up on court-ordered charity donations

Former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon turned a violation of probation hearing into what is likely to be the last public act in a criminal case that saw her ejected from office and narrowly clinging to a city pension, after she paid in full $45,000 of court-ordered charity payments.

In early November, violation of probation charges were filed against the mayor because she had fallen more than $13,000 behind on the donations. In court Friday, her probation officer said the $27,000 balance had been paid in full, pending the clearance of two cashier's checks.

Dixon, who said when the charge was filed that she did not have enough money to keep up with the payments, declined to say where she found the cash.

"I'm not going to comment, I'm moving on," she said. "You fall from grace with people, but you don't fall from grace with God."

As part of a 2010 plea deal related to perjury and theft charges, Dixon was allowed to keep her city pension as long as she resigned, donated $45,000 to charity, performed 500 hours of community service and completed a period of probation. The violation charge threatened to wreck that deal.

Judge Dennis M. Sweeney said he would sign an order terminating Dixon's probation once the checks had cleared, likely before the end of the year.

"The conditions of the plea deal were met, so this was the appropriate resolution at this point," said state prosecutor Emmet Davitt, whose office handled the case against the former mayor.

Probation division records showed that Dixon's charity contributions had been erratic, with long lapses followed by a series of payments.

Dixon testified Friday that she had completed the community service at a range of organizations in Baltimore, tutoring, providing job training and acting as a go-between with the city for a housing group. Dixon also said she had helped raise funds for Arena Players, a community theater.

"I assist in multiple areas," she said.

iduncan@baltsun.com

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