Posted on 02/03/26
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - Feb. 3, 2026 - More back-and-forth between Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and City State's Attorney Ivan Bates, the latest development over the termination of a key crime-fighting partnership.
Mayor Scott's office released a legal opinion Monday by former Assistant State's Attorney Tara Barnes, stating that Bates' decision to end the partnership with the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) after concerns over information sharing is "neither legally required nor factually justified."
In response, Bates remarked, "Sounds like I will see the mayor in court," although his office later clarified there are no plans to sue, but that "the assumption is" the matter will likely end up playing out in court.
Legal analyst Jeremy Eldridge criticized the mayor's stance, arguing it opposes transparency and public policy. "Don't we, from a public policy perspective, want the state's attorney's office to err on the side of caution. And to say that to do something undesirable reopens convictions potentially," Eldridge said.
Bates' concerns about information sharing are echoed by the public defender's office and the city's inspector general, who claim MONSE is operating without sufficient transparency.