5 things to know about Chelsa Wagner's trial in Michigan

Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner’s jury trial on charges stemming from a March 6 confrontation with Detroit police and staff at a hotel there starts Tuesday morning with jury selection.

Here are five things to know about the case:

1. Wagner, 42, of North Point Breeze, and her husband, Khari Mosley, 43, went to Detroit for a Nas concert as a post-Valentine’s Day celebration. The show with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra was amazing, the couple said, and Detroit media agreed in reviews of the show.

Once they returned to the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in Downtown Detroit, Wagner went to their room to sleep. Mosley went to the hotel bar. After spending time at the bar, he realized he didn’t have his room key, which started a series of events that went from bad-to-worse for the couple, they said.

2. Detroit Police Chief James Craig has maintained a different story, saying the couple both appeared to have been drinking. Wagner and Mosley’s actions warranted the response by police, the chief said, which ended with Wagner in handcuffs, taken to a detention center for the night.

3. In July, Mosley was acquitted of charges of disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. The couple contends there has been a “coordinated effort” by police and hotel officials to smear their reputations and assassinate their characters.

4. Last week, Wagner said she was looking forward to the trial and the chance to clear the air about the case.

“Basically we’re looking forward to having everything be fully revealed,” Wagner said.

5. If Wagner is convicted of the felony she’s charged with, she could face removal from office, legal experts have told the Tribune-Review.

The Allegheny County code says that any officers of the county “whether elected or duly appointed to fill a vacancy shall be removable from office … upon conviction of misbehavior in office or any infamous crime, in accordance with the Constitution of the Commonwealth.”

The resisting and obstructing the police charge Wagner is facing is a felony, while the disorderly conduct charge is a misdemeanor.

On Nov. 5, Wagner was re-elected by a large margin.