Wagner, Husband Plead Not Guilty During Arraignment In Detroit
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner, and her husband, Khari Mosley, have surrendered to police in Detroit following an incident earlier this month at a hotel.
For just over a minute and a half, Wagner looked into a camera from the Detroit Detention Center where her face and voice were transmitted to a local Detroit courthouse.
Wagner: "Chelsa Wagner. Chelsa Wagner."
Magistrate: "OK. This is case number 19056430, the People of the state of Michigan versus Chelsa Wagner."
Wagner was arraigned where, accompanied by her Detroit lawyer Charles Longstreet, she pled not guilty to felony and misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, obstructing police and disorderly conduct.
Mosley was also arraigned two misdemeanor counts.
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After viewing body cam video worn by his police officers, Detroit police chief James Craig said it was Wagner who interfered with their arrest of Mosley.
"There were several times when I could see in the video where she was placing her hands on the officer -- not in a very aggressive way -- but she was certainly was kind of pushing and touching, at least six or seven times," Craig said.
But Wagner says she was the one mistreated, showing wounds on her arms.
She says her video proves that.
Wagner: "You will not push me. You will not push me. You will not..."
Officer: "I do not want to tase you."
On Monday in Detroit, her Pennsylvania attorney, Thomas Fitzgerald, said Wagner and Mosley will file a civil lawsuit against the Westin Hotel and Detroit police.
"Ms. Wagner and Mr. Mosley were mistreated by the staff at the Book Cadillac [Westin Hotel], as well as by Detroit police officers," Fitzgerald said at a press conference recorded by the Detroit News. "On March 19, my office advised the city law department that Ms. Wagner and Mr. Mosley would be seeking civil redress based upon the way they were mistreated."
As for the criminal charges against them, noted Fitzgerald, "We look forward to defending them against these charges. We believe they will be fully vindicated of any criminal wrongdoing in this matter."
Wagner and Mosley turned themselves in to Detroit police at 5 a.m. Monday.
After their arraignment Monday afternoon, they were released on $5,000 bond and granted leave to travel out of state, meaning back home to Pittsburgh.
The criminal case is expected to proceed first, with Wagner having a probable cause conference next Monday, April 1.
She is running for reelection unopposed in the Democratic primary in eight weeks with no Republican opponent in November.
But if convicted of a felony, she does risk removal from office, although it's not clear that these charges would qualify for removal.
