Until I moved back to Baltimore in 2008, the idea of driving to work every day was entirely foreign to me. After growing up in Pikesville, I went to college in New York and lived in or around the city until we moved back here. I took the subway—and for the last two years there, when we lived in Jersey City, the commuter PATH train—to work every day. During that time, I would occasionally grumble about the crowded trains and platforms, the delays, and—particularly in cold weather—the walks to and from stations. But the commute never took more than 30 or 40 minutes and I grew to really value the time it afforded me to read, rest, or just take a few minutes to space out and contemplate things.

After moving to Baltimore, this turned out to be a major adjustment. I'd like to say the environment was at the top of the list of reasons I hated driving to work every day, but, truth be told, it's near the bottom. For one thing, I hate having to deal with cars—they break down all the time, gas is expensive, you have to change the oil (apparently. I have yet to do this.) Also, my reading time has been drastically cut. My commute used to give me a solid hour a day of reading time. I used to get through a book every couple of weeks, read the paper more thoroughly, do the crossword—all of that is pretty much gone and I really miss it.

All of which explains why, when Baltimore city launched the Charm City Circulator last week, making it a lot more feasible for me to get to work using public transportation, I decided tyo give it a try. The Circulator consists of 21 electric-hybrid buses that, when the program is fully rolled out, will run on four routes through the downtown area—all for free! It's an ambitious, green initiative aimed at increasing tourism and use of public transportation and I think it's great. The orange line was the first to begin operation, on January 11th.

As it happens, the orange line solves the major problem keeping from using public transportation to get to work. I live in Mt Washington, about a mile from the light rail stop, but, until now, there was no easy way to get from the light rail stops downtown to my office in Harbor East. As it happens, the orange line runs right past the light rail's convention center stop and to Harbor East, about a block from my office. I decided to give the commute a try.

One thing I didn't realize was how accustomed I had become to having a car with me all the time. Every day since last Tuesday, I have thought about trying the commute, but inevitably there was some errand I needed to do before or after work or some meeting I needed to drive to that would make being without a car particularly inconvenient. Finally, this morning, I was ready to give it a try.

I decided to ease into the commute. Rather than walk or ride my bike to the light rail stop—it's not that far, but there's a brutal hill coming back—I would drive to the light rail stop and take public transport from there. I had a few things to take care of, so I didn't get to the light rail station until almost 9 a.m. when, to my dismay, the light rail parking lot was completely full. An adjacent lot had metered parking and a two-hour limit, as did all the other parking in nearby Mt. Washington Village. I could have searched farther afield for parking, but at this point, I decided to abort this first attempt.

Next time, I will have an earlier start and hopefully, I can find a spot at the parking lot. If not, I can probably find a spot on the streets near Mt. Washington Village. And, if all else fails, I can bite the bullet and ride my bike from home (which means investing in a lock—suffice it to say, I am a novice rider at absolute best). I perish the thought of coming home after a long day and having to slog up Sulgrave Ave., past Mt. Washinigton Elementary, but Lord knows, other people work a lot harder to go green. I'll report back on my efforts.

In the meantime, I'm curious of anyone else's efforts to use public transportation—particularly the Circulator—to commute in Baltimore. Of course, the packed parking lot could mean than more people are commuting to work—I've never seen the lot full before—but it could also discourage potential commuters like me. I wonder if there is any thought to expanding the existing lots to encourage more commuters. If it's possible, there ought to be.

Mayor Sheila Dixon's lawyers, state prosecutors, and, at times, Dixon herself, have been huddling at the courthouse in downtown Baltimore all morning and into this afternoon, reportedly discussing a plea agreement in which Dixon would plead guilty to perjury charges, resign from office and, potentially, save her $80,000 a year pension from the city.

By Evan Serpick

So, the verdict is in. And now, observers are left to wonder what went on in the jury room over the seven days of deliberation. To quote Sun columnist and WYPR host Dan Rodricks, with whom I shared a courtroom bench on verdict day, "It would make a helluva movie."

I have my own theory about the gist of the deliberations and why the 12 men and women of the jury made the decision they did. I think a lot of city residents might have arrived at a similar verdict.

It's seems very likely to me that Mayor Dixon mis-used gift cards that she knew were intended to be given away to kids. In the case of the gift cards purchased by developer Patrick Turner, she specifically asked for them as giveaways and then used them for herself. Her contention that she thought the cards—which arrived in her office in an unmarked envelope days after she requested them—were an anonymous gift from developer/boyfriend Robert Lipscomb was far-fetched. Besides the timing of the request and the arrival of the gift cards, what kind of anonymous gift is a stack of $25 gift cards?

At the same time, I think the lengths to which Republican state prosecutor Robert Rohrbaugh has gone to take down the popular Democratic mayor are appalling, and I bet the jury did too. His investigation opened over four years ago, when the mayor was an outspoken city council president. After spending millions of dollars in taxpayer money on the investigation, Rohrbaugh came up with $500 in mis-spent gift cards. If he cares so much about "the children of Baltimore," who he claims were victimized, he could have just given them a portion of the millions he's spent to take down a mayor who is largely seen as an effective, proactive voice in city government.

No one wants to outright ignore wrongdoing, but I'm guessing that some jury members were trying to balance their sense of immediate justice with a sense of broader justice. I think most, if not all, understand that the mayor had done something wrong. But I'd bet that many were leery of removing from office the first African-American woman to sit in the mayor's chair, particularly on charges that may seem like a petty or minor misapprpriation of funds.

After seven hard days of deliberations—the notes requesting smoke breaks might have set a record—the jury ultimately found an uneasy compromise. They convicted Mayor Dixon of one of the lesser charges she faced, acquited her of three others, and left one other undecided.

Mayor Dixon will likely have to step down in the coming days, but whether justice has been served remains a question for debate.

The jury in is on Mayor Sheila Dixon's corruption charges. Of the five charges the Mayor was facing, she has been acquitted of charges 1 and 3—which alleged theft of gift cards— and charge 7, which alleged misconduct in office. She was found guilty of charge 4, fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary, meaning that the jury believed she received gift cards in her official capacity as council president but then used them for herself. A mistrial was declared on the second charge of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary, which concerned a separate gift card. A fuller description of all the charges can be found here.

More news and analysis of the verdict will follow shortly.

Our reporter Doug Donovan is sending updates from the coutroom throughout the corruption trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon.

11:40 a.m.

The jury's latest note, read aloud at 11:40 a.m. by the judge, said the jury was "making great progress." It  requested a 15 to 20 minute break for jurors to get fresh air and to take "time to think."

"I personally need a smoke," read the note, penned by juror 12. Three others also wanted a cigarette.

Our reporter Doug Donovan is sending updates from the coutroom throughout the corruption trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon.

Jury says it's "overheated" and wants to be dismissed for the day.

Judge Sweeney sent them home until Monday at 9 a.m.

Our reporter Doug Donovan is sending updates from the coutroom throughout the corruption trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon.

4:00 p.m.

The jury had a question, requiring all sides to return to court at around 315 p.m.

At that time, Judge Sweeney told the lawyers that the jury wanted a transcript of testimony. The request was denied. The jury was instructed to rely on their notes and memories.

But the brief meeting provided some levity when defense attorney Arnold Weiner's cell phone went off, just minutes after the bailiff warned the courtroom audience that phones would be confiscated if they rang.

A bailiff playfully marched over to Weiner and took his phone. Sweeney laughed and told him to return it. "This is your one warning," Sweeney told him.

Even Dixon was laughing.

For summary's sake, here are the charges that Mayor Dixon's jury is debating:

Counts 1 and 4 deal with the gift cards from Turner.

1: Theft. She stole gift cards valued at more than $500 from Turner by deception, that she solicited and obtained the cards under the false pretense that they would be used by the council president's office to aid the needy families of Baltimore.

4: Fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary.  That she received the cards from Turner in her official capacity as council president but that she then used them for herself.

The jury can not find Dixon guilty of both charges. If she is found guilty of one she must be found not guilty of the other.

Counts 3 and 6 deal with gift cards from the city's housing authority.

3: Theft. That Dixon knowingly stole cards purchased by the housing authority and that were given to her to distribute to the needy.

6: Fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary. As mayor she received the housing gift cards during the Holly Trolley tour for the purpose of giving them out to needy people, but she willfully used them for herself.

The jury can not find Dixon guilty of both charges. If she is found guilty of one she must be found not guilty of the other.

Count 7: Misconduct in office. That she abused her office by corruptly using the housing cards.

If Dixon is found not guilty of count 3 the jury must find her not guilty of this misconduct charge. If she is guilty of count 3 the jury must then decide whether she is guilty or not guilty of count seven.

Our reporter Doug Donovan is sending updates from the coutroom throughout the corruption trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon.

10:00 a.m.

Mayor Dixon's defense rested its case at 9:45 a.m. after calling two witnesses: a florist and Rev. Frank M Reid III, Dixon's pastor and spiritual adviser.

Judge Dennis Sweeney scheduled closing arguments for tomorrow morning. He sent the jury home so that the prosecutors and defense attorneys could devise final instructions to give to the jury before it begins deliberating the five charges against Dixon.

Dixon did not take the stand.

The owner of Flower Cart Inc. testified that in January 2004 Dixon's former boyfriend Ronald Lipscomb sent the then-City Council president a $285 flower arrangement. It was delivered to City Hall with a card that read: "To Sheila, Anonymous."

The defense has said that it would argue that Dixon used gift cards donated by developer Patrick Turner because she thought they were just another anonymous gift from Lipscomb.

So getting evidence in about an anonymous gift was crucial. The prosecutors objected to the florist's testimony but lost.

Maryland State Prosecutor Robert Rohrbaugh gambled yesterday by not calling Lipscomb to the stand, taking away the defense's opportunity to make his relationship with Dixon a key part of the mayor's argument.

Sweeney then tossed the theft charge related to the gift cards donated by Lipscomb.

Rohrbaugh's only question to the florist was to reiterate that the floral arrangement was delivered in 2004, nearly two years before Turner's gift cards were delivered.

Reid testified that he knows Dixon to be "honest and forthright" in her many dealings with his church, Bethel AME in Baltimore.

Afterwards he told me that as spiritual adviser to Dixon he prays with her and tells her what Biblical scriptures to read, like the 23rd and 27th Psalms.

Our reporter Doug Donovan is sending updates from the coutroom throughout the corruption trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon.

After Robert Lipscomb failed to appear for the prosecution, Judge Sweeney agreed with Dixon's attorneys and dismissed the two charges related to the gift cards that Lipscomb gave to Dixon.

But he rejected Dixon's request to declare a mistrial and said the jury will decide the remaining charges related to the gift cards given by developer Patrick Turner and from the housing department.

Dixons defense will start afternoon.

The late morning legal tussle started after the jury was given a lunch break near 11a.m. Defense attorney Dale Kelberman said the state failed to show that Dixon ever directly spoke to Lipscomb to request gift cards.

"There is no evidence that Sheila Dixon made any misrepresentation or false statements to Ronald Lipscomb," Kelberman said.

Sweeney asked the defense if its theory is that Dixon couldn't distinguish between gift cards for the poor and personal ones because she was "swimming in gift cards?"

Kelberman said it doesn't matter if she was "swimming in them" or "wading" in them up to "her ankles." The point is that the state can not prove that Dixon knew Lipscomb intended the gift cards for the poor.

In granting Dixon's request to dismiss the two charges related to the Lipscomb gift cards, Judge Sweeney said:

"It would require speculation ... to decide what Mr. Lipscomb's wishes were (for the gift cards). It's a bridge too far. There is simply no evidence" that Dixon solicited the cards from Libscomb to be given to charity.

"There is basis for suspicion," Sweeney added.

In its request for a mistrial, Dixon's defense team also alleged misconduct by prosecutors. Kelberman said state prosecutor Robert Rohrbaugh knew from the start of the trial that he wouldn't be able to show a direct line between Lipscomb's intent for the cards and Dixon's personal use of them. That is why, Kelberman argued, Rohrbaugh never mentioned Libscomb in his opening statement even though Lipscomb is the alleged victim of one of the theft charges.

Rohrbaugh protested the allegation and said he was prepared to put Lipscomb on the witness stand. But that his trial tactics changed when Dixon's defense revealed that they would make their case about Lipscomb's many gifts to Dixon in order to show the mayor simply thought the cards were more gifts from the developer, who used to be her boyfriend.

There are still five charges pending.