Catherine Pugh’s Spiraling Downfall

The more I read about Catherine Pugh’s current situation in the Sunpapers regarding her upcoming sentencing hearing, the more dismayed I become. How could she do this to herself . Wasn’t she surrounded in her life by Baltimore’s finest establishment of black leaders. She was an active member of one of the largest church congregations in the city. She was a confidant to many political and business leaders. She was a friend to the current President of the college she attended Morgan State University. She was considered a close friend to the late Elijah Cummings. She went to school with and has been friends with former NAACP President Mfume. She was business partners with City Comptroller Joan Pratt. So many black friends and no one couldn’t step in and save Catherine Pugh from herself? Now in 11 days she will face the gravel of justice.

Those friends who couldn’t save Ms. Pugh are writing testimonials to the sentencing judge asking for mercy. Where were these testimonials when Ms. Pugh really needed them? Before she threw her life away at all 60+ years of age making poor decisions that lead to her current misfortune. The federal government has requested 60 months of incarceration in a federal penitentiary while Catherine Pugh’s legal team has requested 366 days of incarceration. The fact that Ms. Pugh is 70 years old should account for limiting the amount of time she is given. I hope the result of Ms Pugh’s sentencing ends the downward spiral which has taken its toll on her emotional and psychological well-being. The sentence shouldn’t be deemed a life sentence it however cannot be a slap on the hand either. I just wonder where all these advocates for Catherine Pugh’s well-being where when she was making these terrible life changing decisions that destroyed her standing in a city she loved and supposedly loved her.