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. He also wants to examine the juvenile justice system. He was challenged by Tony Fugett, who was one of an unprecedented number of Black candidates across the county to run for council after the redistricting lawsuit. Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger has not had a Democratic primary challenger since he was first elected in 2006. Before pursuing journalism, she received her bachelors of fine art degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 2016. Leonard is the secretary of the Maryland Democratic Party. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policies | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell My Personal Information | Ad Choices. It is also crucial to examine policy outcomes to make them race-neutral.. Subscribers to Maryland Family Law Update can access the digital edition archive. 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. Baltimore County State's Attorney is challenged on prosecution . State's Attorney (Vote for One) This table may scroll left to right depending on the screen size of your device. In one meeting, according to the woman, who is Black, a prosecutor cited a past sexual assault case where the victim also was a Black woman. Shellenberger said he acted out of concern for the woman, because he believed the men might file criminal charges or a lawsuit against her. In Baltimore County, registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by a more than 2-to-1 margin. [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.]. Four incumbents faced primary challengers. Election Day is Nov. 8. His last Republican challenger in the general election was in 2010. Leonard, who is secretary of the Maryland Democratic Party, ran on a progressive platform with the motto, Its time for a change., After the final results were announced, Shellenberger did not respond to a request for comment, but issued a statement through his campaign. Republican. It noted there were continuing challenges for police and prosecutors interviewing victims with disabilities or mental health issues. Leonard agreed that crime needs to be addressed and that residents feel unsafe. He plans to hold a rally in Patriots Plaza in Towson at 2 p.m. WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore 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. He was also given the Gun Sense Candidate distinction from Moms Demand Action to End Gun Violence. Throughout the Democratic campaign, Leonard sought to bring scrutiny to Shellenbergers record in office. He described that practice as unprofessional, stating that its wrong to mix public service with considerations of political loyalty. For the first time in a decade, Baltimore County States Attorney Scott Shellenberger (D) will have a Republican opponent to campaign against if he can beat Robbie Leonard (D) in the 2022 primary election. County prosecutors treatment of assault victims is the topic of an ongoing federal lawsuit. Do voters want change? Attorney Robbie Leonard said Monday he will challenge Shellenberger in next Junes primary. The states attorney is elected to a four-year term and earns a salary of $216,749. Leonard has been a practicing attorney for 15 years and served as a public defender in Baltimore City. Incumbent Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger, left, a Democrat, and Jim Haynes, right, a Republican, are running against each other. Shellenbergers primary win comes as he takes time away from the office. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Longtime Baltimore County States Attorney Scott Shellenbergers record on handling sexual assault cases is in the spotlight as he seeks a fifth term as the countys top prosecutor. He fulfilled a lifelong dream when elected State's Attorney for Baltimore County in 2006, and was re-elected in 2010, 2014 and 2018. He took office in 2007. Subscribers to The Daily Record can access the digital edition archive. Baltimore County voters have made their selections in primary races for states attorney, the County Council and county executive ahead of the November general contest. This decision must also be balanced with a knowledge and judgement in prosecution which addresses the circumstances police officers are placed in while working to protect the community. McDonough faces a misdemeanor theft charge in connection with allegations he stole a Badillo campaign sign in Parkville. For those who are guilty and a Judge has decided the appropriate sentence, we cannot ignore and must be sensitive to the victims. Were one of the only large counties to certify its elections today, said County Elections Director Ruie Lavoie. Learn more about supporting local journalism. And its not OK for the states attorneys office to turn their back on their sworn oath.. I dont like smear campaigns, said Laurel Matey, a 49-year-old Catonsville resident, referring to the ads distributed by Leonard and his supporters that cast Shellenberger in a bad light. The race was marked by heavy outside spending by progressive political action committees that sought to unseat Shellenberger. In the race to be the countys top prosecutor, Baltimore County States Attorney Scott Shellenberger faced an aggressive primary challenge from Robbie Leonard as he sought a fifth term. State Del. As states attorney, Haynes said, hed scrutinize plea agreements and make sure that assistant states attorneys were not offering them because they were unprepared for trial or lacked resources. 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. Not just paying your salary paying for your mistakes.. Last Updated 12/02/2014 03:18:07 PM. No Republican has challenged Shellenberger in the general election since 2010. Law Clerks are assigned to work in one of the trial units. Why would we deny the fact that mail that told voters exactly what the differences between the candidates were the good things about me, the things the incumbent needed to improve upon, said Leonard. Incumbent Scott Shellenberger gained ground in the Democratic primary race for Baltimore County state's attorney as mail-in ballots are tallied, taking a narrow lead Friday over. While most attention Tuesday focused on the Republican and Democratic Gubernatorial races and the Baltimore City State's Attorney's race, others were heating up. 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. Assistant State's Attorney. The public deserves to know that the issues will be addressed with that promptness. The final unofficial votes were Shellenberger with 44,962 and Leonard with 42,847. He has also called for an audit to examine possible racial disparities in charging decisions. But Mohler and other Shellenberger supporters also point to the influence of outside money that supported Leonards candidacy. Tilghman said Shellenberger has not shown fairness to people of color, pointing to factors including his stance on state juvenile justice reform legislation. Some areas, though, recently saw an uptick in homicides at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shellenberger has cruised to reelection for more than a decade. Of the cases where prosecutors brought charges, convictions were secured in 64% of the cases. As precinct ballots were tallied, Leonard maintained the marginal lead of 860 votes over Shellenberger, who had gone unchallenged in the primary race for his seat since the tough on crime prosecutor was first elected in 2006. Leonard said arresting possible human trafficking victims preposterous. He noted that he hires new assistant states attorneys and frequently speaks with his elected counterparts through his involvement with the Maryland States Attorneys Association. All rights reserved. He said his office now requires more documentation about its decisions to approve or decline charges in similar cases. It is among dozens of groups pumping money into local races for head prosecutor across the U.S. and funded generously by New York billionaire George Soros and groups associated with him. 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. Tilghman, of Ames United Methodist Church in Bel Air, supported the state Child Interrogation Protection Act for kids taken into police custody. 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. WYPO 106.9 FM Ocean City, PublishedSeptember 20, 2021 at 10:22 PM EDT. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Baltimore County's four-term State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger usually runs for reelection uncontested every four years. Tagged with: Baltimore County Elections scott shellenberger. Leonard supporters said the candidates platform is what attracted voters. I have done that throughout my term as State's Attorney. Haynes led the primary Tuesday night. Scott Shellenberger won the Baltimore County States Attorney's race according to Baltimore Co Bd of Elections. Baltimore, Maryland Area. Shellenbergers re-election bid got off to a slow start. Last summer, he represented unemployed Marylanders who successfully challenged Republican Gov. In the state's attorney race, incumbent Scott Shellenberger has maintained a lead in recent days over challenger Robbie Leonard as mail-in votes are tallied. I think that we do that every day.. I have stressed that during my time as the State's Attorney to all who work for me. Campaign website: www.scottshellenberger.com. That in itself, I think, is horrific.. We need people with new ideas that are gonna change the status quo, which is not really working, Matey said after casting her vote at Catonsville High School Tuesday afternoon. With a larger staff, Haynes said, the office would be able to better cooperate with police in building cases and cut down on postponements. He later changed his position, saying he saw the value in testing all kits because doing so can link suspects to other sex offenses. Shellenberger said while he often testifies in opposition to the bills as drafted, he supports reasonable reforms. He harkened back to the 2015 Maryland Second Chance Act and the 2016 Justice Reinvestment Act, both of which he supported. In the lawsuit, a woman accuses Shellenberger of sending police to her home to tell her to stop trying to pursue criminal charges against the men she said assaulted her. 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.. People in the community, he said, want to be safe from violent crime. 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. Leonard said, Just in the past few years weve seen so many civilians who have been killed by the police, whether they were suffering a mental health crisis or just being Black.. She hopes to see more transparency in case data, such as publicly available information to examine any trends around victim demographics or the outcomes of prosecutors review, she said. On the other hand, Shellenberger pointed to his decision to prosecute Baltimore County Police Officer James Laboard on a charge of manslaughter in the death of Christopher Brown, 17, of Randallstown, though a jury came back with a not guilty verdict in 2013. Im happy to see that a billionaire couldnt buy an election, County Councilman Tom Quirk, an Oella Democrat who supported Shellenberger, said this week as Shellenberger was ahead during vote-counting. The political action committee spent hundreds of thousands on mailings and ads in support of Leonard. The State's Attorney needs to be actively involved in addressing these issues when we are dealing with lower level crimes. Shellenberger is of the mindset that all laws should be enforced. Leonard conceded about 2:30 p.m. Friday afternoon. Shellenberger, 63, has criticized Leonard for his lack of prosecutorial experience, his party politics and perspective on criminal justice reform. We will see with time if the appropriate balance has been reached. Some female voters told The Baltimore Sun during the campaign that issues related to sexual assault were why they supported Leonard. Leonard portrayed Shellenberger as out of step with todays Democrats, someone who hadnt changed with the times. Haynes was leading the race as ballots were starting to be counted Tuesday night. Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City. Nonpartisan. Haynes has called himself "a political. (AP Photo/Piper Blackburn). In response, Shellenberger noted that killings are down, with 22 in 2022 compared to 42 at this time in 2021. She also spoke in June at a virtual town hall hosted by 1199SEIU, a health care union that endorsed Leonard, in partnership with the a new group called Legal Justice Alliance of Baltimore County. 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