Maryland NAACP leaders are asking state lawmakers to make sure the governor cannot appoint a new Baltimore mayor if a mayor is convicted of a crime.
The group is worried that the appointment of a white or Republican leader who would not fully represent the majority black and Democratic city.
However, Dan Friedman, an assistant attorney general who is counsel to the General Assembly, says the governor does not have that authority.
The NAACP's request in a resolution adopted at a meeting last weekend was first reported by the online news Web siteInvestigative Voice.
It's the first time a mainstream organization has raised questions about succession should Baltimore Mayor Dixon be convicted of any of the nine charges she faces.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
