Sheila Dixon Politician

Sheila Ann Dixon (born December 27, 1953) served as the forty-eighth Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. When former Mayor Martin O'Malley was sworn in as Governor on January 17, 2007, Dixon, the president of the Baltimore City Council served out the remaining year of his term. In November 2007, she was elected mayor. She was the first African-American female to serve as President of the City council, Baltimore's first female mayor, and Baltimore's third black mayor. On January 9, 2009, Dixon was indicted on twelve felony and misdemeanor counts, including perjury, theft, and misconduct. The charges stem partly from incidents in which she allegedly misappropriated gift cards intended for the poor. On December 1, 2009, the jury returned a "guilty" verdict on one misdemeanor count of fraudulent misappropriation and received probation provided she resign as Mayor as part of a plea agreement effective February 4, 2010. She was succeeded by the Baltimore City Council President, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on February 4, 2010.By December 2012, Dixon had completed all of the terms of her probation. The case is expected to close by the end 2012. In March 2013, Dixon was said to be considering a return to Baltimore politics.