Maryland appeals court denies Baltimore bid to pause inspector general lawsuit ahead of court hearing

BALTIMORE — A legal battle between Baltimore City and Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming will continue after Maryland's appellate court denied the city's request to pause the case, clearing the way for a court hearing scheduled later this week.

The Appellate Court of Maryland on Monday rejected Baltimore's motion to stay proceedings in the lawsuit filed by Cumming and the Office of Inspector General. The decision means the case will move forward Wednesday before Baltimore Circuit Judge Pamela White at the Elijah E. Cummings Courthouse.

The latest ruling follows a major decision in August, when White denied the city's effort to dismiss the lawsuit and rejected arguments that the inspector general's access to records should be governed by Maryland's Public Information Act.

In that ruling, White found the Office of Inspector General's subpoena authority stems from powers granted through Baltimore's City Charter and is separate from the public records process. The judge also said requiring the office to rely on public information requests could undermine the independent watchdog role Baltimore voters approved.

The lawsuit centers on the inspector general's authority to obtain city records and conduct investigations into potential fraud, waste, and abuse. Cumming's office alleges the city has restricted access to databases and records needed for investigations, while city officials argue some requests are overly broad and could expose privileged legal communications or confidential information.

The city sought to pause the case after White ordered the administration to comply with subpoenas issued by the inspector general's office. Monday's appellate ruling did not address the underlying dispute. Instead, the court found White's order was not immediately appealable as an injunction and declined to halt the proceedings.

In a separate opinion, one appellate judge said the city raised legitimate concerns about protecting attorney-client communications, whistleblower complaints and other sensitive information. However, the judge agreed that any potential harm was not irreparable because the records would only be provided to the inspector general's office and would remain subject to confidentiality protections.

Mayor Brandon Scott briefly addressed the decision Monday.

"I'm aware of the decision, and I respect it," Scott said. "We'll go forward with the case on Wednesday."

Cumming declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.

The outcome of the case could have significant implications for how much access Baltimore's inspector general has to city records and how the office conducts investigations moving forward.

This is a developing story, so check back with WMAR2News.com for updates. Email the WMAR-2 Newsroom if you have info, photos or videos to share.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.