Maryland, My Maryland

 From the Annapolis Cap Gaz, Ex-Maryland Senate aide sentenced for stealing $20,000 in scholarships

Esther Dikongue-Bayighomog (L)

A former Maryland State Senate legislative aide who pleaded guilty in March to stealing $20,000 allocated for legislative scholarships received her sentence.

Esther Dikongue-Bayighomog — who was a legislative aide for state Sen. William C. Smith Jr. during most of the time prosecutors say she stole scholarship money — will have to serve four consecutive weekends of incarceration, according to a Wednesday news release from the Office of the State Prosecutor.

Following those four weekends, Dikongue-Bayighomog will receive probation before judgment and will be on supervised probation for two years.

Probation before judgment means the court has deferred a formal judgment and conviction while the defendant serves probation.

Four whole weekends of jail!