), Voting stations are set up for the primary election at the Kentucky Exposition Center, Monday, June 22, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. With one polling place designated for Louisville on Tuesday, voters who didnt cast mail-in ballots could potentially face long lines in Kentuckys unprecedented primary election. For the first time in a decade, Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger (D) will have a Republican opponent to campaign against if he can beat Robbie Leonard (D) in the 2022 primary election. Amanda Rodriguez, the executive director of the nonpartisan advocacy group TurnAround Inc., said there absolutely has to be a change in how sexual assaults are prosecuted in Baltimore County, regardless of who wins the election. Leonards and the PACs messaging focused heavily on Shellenbergers handling of sexual assault cases. She said prosecutors she worked with in the years since her assaults made her feel worthless and like she wasnt human, including mocking and blaming her. Billionaire philanthropist George Soros is listed as the only contributor to the committee in the latest state campaign finance report, donating $884,000. HUNT VALLEY, Md. Haynes said he would neither solicit campaign donations from staff nor ask them to work the polls. Scott Shellenberger won the Baltimore County States Attorney's race according to Baltimore Co Bd of Elections. One local professor said he sees the closeness of the race as a sign county voters are more open to criminal justice reforms than some previously believed. Violent crime, unquestionably, must be prioritized. And the voters of Baltimore County deserve that change.. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. Hannah Gaskill received her masters of journalism degree in December 2019 from the University of Maryland. Currently, he is trailing Republican challenger Alison M. Healey by nearly 9,500 votes. There is no statute of limitation on rape in the state of Maryland. I had known for over a decade who Scott was and what he stood for, but it was at that moment that I realized how out of touch he is with the people that hes supposed to be representing and how out of touch he is in the pursuit of justice and fairness, he said. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Cox initially said he would offer some comment but left without speaking to reporters after the results were announced. Had we sent that mailer two weeks earlier, I probably would have walked away the victor. Baltimore County voters have made their selections in primary races for state's attorney, the County Council and county executive ahead of the November general contest. [A top prosecutor told the task force in 2021 the office had faith in our ability to pull on our experiences within the office as to how to handle any particular investigation, and said prosecutors have a significant amount of experience and knowledge in sex offense prosecution.]. County prosecutors treatment of assault victims is the topic of an ongoing federal lawsuit. Juris doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1981. The Legislature has decided that when the circumstances involve the death of an individual, that investigation will be by investigators attached to the Attorney General's Office. Imagine any other victim of a crime where we would say, in order to capture the real bad guy, we need to lock you up, put handcuffs on you and make you stand in front of a judge.. Now, for the first time in 12 years, Shellenberger faces a Republican opponent, Jim Haynes, an attorney and former Maryland assistant attorney general, on Election Day. His sole challenger was Adam Reuter, whose campaign focused on public schools and opposing government mandates related to COVID-19. He said the close primary made him realize that he needs to more frequently publicize some of the reforms that hes implemented including putting in place a marijuana diversion program and supporting the adoption of police body cameras. This is contrary to our ethical obligation and does a disservice to victims of sexual assault if the process loses its legitimacy by inappropriate prosecutions. Daily Record Government Reporter Together, we can, At a heated meeting Thursday, the Juvenile Justice Reform Council voted to recommend that the legislature abolish the practice of automatically charging minors in, Bernice Mireku-North (D), a Silver Spring attorney and criminal justice reformer, formally launched her bid to unseat Montgomery County States Attorney John J. McCarthy. From our perspective, we see the states attorney as a law-and-order candidate, Folderauer said And obviously, that is the oath that we have taken. Subscribers to The Daily Record can access the digital edition archive. David Collins (@dcollinsWBAL) July 29, 2022 Only hundreds of votes. Past experience: Law clerk from 1982-1985 in the Baltimore County States Attorneys Office, assistant states attorney from 1985-1993. BALTIMORE, MD -- 6/19/15 -- U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards speaks at the first Rural Maryland Democratic Summit in Frederick on Saturday. - University of Baltimore, School of Law, 1984 - Loyola College, 1981, - State's Attorney for Baltimore County since 2007 - Won election in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. Shellenberger, 63, of Towson, said his experience makes him the most qualified candidate. [Live election results: Baltimore County primary results]. Law Clerks are an essential part of the office. Both Shellenberger and Leonard have declined to discuss the changes in vote totals over the last week of counting. He has also called for an audit to examine possible racial disparities in charging decisions. Some voters, though, said they were discouraged from voting for Leonard after receiving a slew of mailers in the waning weeks of the primary from a super political action committee excoriating Shellenbergers reluctance to prosecute sexual assault crimes and charge police officers who fatally shoot civilians. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. We are active participants in problem solving courts in appropriate cases where the primary focus is treatment rather than incarceration. Of the cases where prosecutors brought charges, convictions were secured in 64% of the cases. Find Maryland Election Campaign & Political lawyers, attorneys, law firms - MD Election Campaign & Political Lawyers Any questions or feedback can be sent to elections@baltsun.com, or read more about the questionnaire process here. The Maryland Justice and Public Safety PAC, funded by billionaire philanthropist George Soros, poured nearly $784,000 into the race over a month, flooding many county Democrats mailboxes and social media feeds with advertisements. We came up short of victory, but we started a real conversation for change, said Leonard, speaking to reporters at the county Board of Elections building. Some female voters told The Baltimore Sun during the campaign that issues related to sexual assault were why they supported Leonard. "The U.S. Attorney's Office will monitor the federal, state and local elections in Chicago and surrounding suburbs on Nov. 6, 2018. The voters of Baltimore County deserve that change. I really think this is all about experience, and knowing how this office works, Shellenberger said. There is no Democratic candidate running for State's Attorney in Harford County. Shellenberger was not available for comment Tuesday night. He said he feels that he has a greater diversity of experience than his opponent. Assistant State's Attorney. He was ahead as votes started to be counted Tuesday night. Learn more about supporting local journalism. The final unofficial votes were Shellenberger with 44,962 and Leonard with 42,847. Theres a growing awareness that the criminal justice system as usual is not acceptable, said David Jaros, faculty director of the Center for Criminal Justice Reform at the University of Baltimores law school. Published on: July 20, 2022 12:12 AM EDT|Updated on: July 22, 2022 6:28 PM EDT. News you can trust. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Some observers questioned the lackluster effort as Leonard rallied a grassroots progressive primary challenge to Shellenberger. Early numbers showed a very tight race, with the two separated by a fraction of a percentage point. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Haynes, 72, of Rodgers Forge, is a retired administrative judge with the U.S. Department of Labor and a former state assistant attorney general. Shellenberger, a Towson resident, will face Republican James A. Haynes in the November general election. No additional details on the reasons for declined criminal charges were provided. The statement came hours after The Daily Record reported that Shellenberger told his staff he needed time away from the office, citing exhaustion after the election. Attorney Robbie Leonard said Monday he will challenge Shellenberger in next Junes primary. She said in the online meeting that was one of the reasons the prosecutor was concerned about moving forward in my case.. Haynes said he wants to add six to 10 more assistant states attorneys and would serve as an advocate for the criminal justice system if it needed additional judges or police officers. In response, Shellenberger noted that killings are down, with 22 in 2022 compared to 42 at this time in 2021. Longtime Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger's record on handling sexual assault cases is in the spotlight as he seeks a fifth term as the county's top prosecutor.. In that case, a juror told the prosecutor another member of the jury had convinced the others that all Black women lie, according to the womans account. Past experience: Felony panel attorney with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender and U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, 1984-1987. Learn more about supporting local journalism. The woman who confronted Shellenberger about her case told The Sun in an interview she decided to come forward after years of pushing for criminal charges out of desperation and pain, both to get justice for herself and to try to protect other women. Lawyer, admitted to the Maryland bar. A county task force formed in 2019 to examine sexual assault investigations identified the topic as an issue for the office, which includes Shellenberger and prosecutors. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. It appears incumbent Democratic Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger could lose his seat to well funded progressive challenger Robbie Leonard. BALTIMORE -- Scott Shellenberger has garnered enough votes to maintain his position as Baltimore County state's attorney, according to election records. I think that we do that every day.. Shellenberger, 63, has criticized Leonard for his lack of prosecutorial experience, his party politics and perspective on criminal justice reform. Soros has funded campaigns around the country to elect progressive local prosecutors. Leonard said he wants to take most of the blame away from the police department in regard to how it handles rape allegations because theyre really just following the directions of Mr. Shellenberger.. Has Maryland gone too far, or far enough, when it comes to police reform? -- Two big races played out on Election Day in Baltimore County in 2022. Marlon Tilghman, a pastor and county resident, said this week. Recently, Peisinger has also come under some scrutiny for his handling of police involved shooting incidents. Name Party Early Voting Baltimore County's four-term State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger usually runs for reelection uncontested every four years. For those who are guilty and a Judge has decided the appropriate sentence, we cannot ignore and must be sensitive to the victims. By signing up for alerts, I agree to The Baltimore Banner's Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy and to receive news alerts and other communications from The Baltimore Banner. Were the law and order portion of the criminal justice system., We have seen their office be fair in how they prosecute cases and defer cases, if necessary, through community service versus a criminal prosecution, he added. Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City. The public then expects a decision by their State's Attorney to pursue prosecution when appropriate. Leonard said that transparency and accountability mean prosecuting violent crimes where theres actual victims not quality of life offenses, like charges that stem from poverty or drug use. Gaskill has had bylines in The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post and The Chicago Tribune, among other publications. I accept that. The prosecutor, Lisa Dever, told The Sun her intent was to explain you cant know jurors past experiences or what theyll bring to a case. The Maryland PAC is affiliated with the national Justice & Public Safety PAC, which has helped fund progressive prosecutor candidates in Virginia and Pennsylvania in recent years. On Tuesday, Bates, 54, of Locust Point, was elected as the next Baltimore state's attorney. 72. Haynes, 72, of Towson, said he has practiced in circuit courts throughout the state as well as briefed and argued cases before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals and the Maryland Court of Appeals. Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger is pictured in this portrait in his office on Oct. 25, 2022. The world has changed a lot in the last four years, Jaros said. Before pursuing journalism, she received her bachelors of fine art degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 2016. The Baltimore County Board of Elections certified the county's results Friday, following a week of counting thousands of mail-in and provisional ballots. Shellenberger: 30,449 Leonard: 29,531 There remains 28,000 more mail-in ballots to process that Baltimore. Deputy States Attorney John Cox, who represented his boss, and Leonard were both present in the final hour of counting. State's Attorney County Courts Building 401 Bosley Avenue, Room 511 Towson, Maryland 21204 Reception Office Room 329 Hours Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Email statesattorney@baltimorecountymd.gov Phone 410-887-6600 TTY: 410-887-2799 State's Attorney Scott D. Shellenberger Ten days after Election Day, Shellenberger officially prevailed Friday in the Democratic contest between him and Robbie Leonard, a former public defender who is now an attorney in private practice. Tilghman said Shellenberger has not shown fairness to people of color, pointing to factors including his stance on state juvenile justice reform legislation. Haynes has called himself a political outsider.. Shellenberger wins Baltimore County states attorney primary race, Video Series: Off the Record with Sloane Brown, Baltimore City - vs. Jose Francisco Zacarias Perez, YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS/PRIVACY POLICY, Fed official: Rate hikes have begun to quell inflation, Ripken, Cooperstown baseball merge under deal with 76ers, Devils owners, Off the Record with Sloane Brown: Rene Hutchins, University of Maryland Carey School of Law. He said his office now requires more documentation about its decisions to approve or decline charges in similar cases. They deserve some finality. So what we learned in this campaignwe just have to start earlier in making that contrast between the candidates. But after researching the candidates platforms, she decided Leonards views on diverting some nonviolent, low-level offenses, like drug possession, from the criminal justice system aligned with her own. Occupation: Baltimore County states attorney, 2007-present. David Folderauer, president of the Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 4, which has endorsed Shellenberger, said its members have worked with him for years and are impressed with how he runs his office. (WBFF) Incumbent Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger has won the Democratic primary after facing a strong challenge from progressive defense. wont begin to be canvassed until Thursday, Live election results: Baltimore County primary results, Live election results: Maryland Gubernatorial primary, boosted by super political action committee, CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice. Our job is to strive to always do the right thing. I have done that throughout my term as State's Attorney. 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