Tilghman said Shellenberger has not shown fairness to people of color, pointing to factors including his stance on state juvenile justice reform legislation. The 16-year incumbent released a statement . Riley said hes seen firsthand how elected officials can become stale.. That in itself, I think, is horrific.. On election night, it looked like Shellenberger could be unseated after 15 years in office. Juris doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1981. HUNT VALLEY, Md. Education: Bachelors degree in political science from Loyola College in 1981. A federal judge blocked the county from using its initial map and later accepted a revised version. Theres a point at which you get out of the process. Baltimore Sun Media's voter guide allows candidates to provide their background, policy and platforms on issues, in their own words. Some though have been settled. Haynes, 72, of Rodgers Forge, is a retired administrative judge with the U.S. Department of Labor and a former state assistant attorney general. The district covering areas such as Overlea, Parkville, Rosedale and Towson drew five candidates, the most of any district. Last Updated 12/02/2014 03:18:07 PM. . 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. Rodriguez, who has been working as an advocate for the woman who confronted Shellenberger, said the reasoning for why prosecutors arent moving forward has been inconsistent. Rodriguez is a former prosecutor in Shellenbergers office and said she would have brought criminal charges against the womans attacker, based on the facts of the case. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 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. WYPF 88.1 FM Frederick
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. She said she doesnt endorse either candidate in the race and doesnt live in Baltimore County. Find us in a community near year. Alternate judge on Employees Compensation Appeals Board in the U.S. Department of Labor from 2006-2016. Billionaire philanthropist George Soros is listed as the only contributor to the committee in the latest state campaign finance report, donating $884,000. So often, with the way that these cases are handled, justice is not just denied, but they feel reassaulted by the criminal justice system. Haynes has called himself a political outsider.. WYPO 106.9 FM Ocean City, PublishedSeptember 20, 2021 at 10:22 PM EDT. He said it is worth prosecuting low-level crimes and that the court system is, at times, what gets someone help. Leonard has run unsuccessfully for public office twice before, including a close state senate race he lost in 2018 to Republican Chris West. The strength of Leonards candidacy, I think, suggests that the public has an appetite for criminal justice reform.. Shellenbergers primary win comes as he takes time away from the office. Apr 2013 - Sep 20141 year 6 months. Soros has funded campaigns around the country to elect progressive local prosecutors. BALTIMORE Although the Primary Election has come and gone, some races have yet to be called. Efforts at police reform are probably a never ending process. Robbie Leonard and Scott Shellenberger, candidates for Baltimore County States Attorney. 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. He said he believes that a comment that he made at a forum about the homicide rate being relatively stable has been misconstrued. We will see with time if the appropriate balance has been reached. Return to Election Result Index . Leonards and the PACs messaging focused heavily on Shellenbergers handling of sexual assault cases. Crime, he said, is regional. A woman confronted Shellenberger at a local Democratic club meeting in mid-May to ask why prosecutors did not bring criminal charges in her 2018 rape case. 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. Then there is the GOP Primary battle for Harford County State's Attorney. What's behind Baltimore County crime and how can the State's Attorney's office help to address those root causes? During his tenure, Shellenberger has faced criticism for how his office has handled sex crimes and declined to charge some police officers who have used deadly force. Law Clerks are an essential part of the office. Leonard has been a practicing attorney for 15 years and served as a public defender in Baltimore City. 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. 53,603 ballots were sent to Baltimore . Only Shellenberger and the Fraternal Order of Police appeared in opposition, according to Leonard. Their analysis of a random sampling of 2020 cases found positive steps on the police end of investigations: Fewer cases were being closed as unfounded and nearly all included the testing of rape kits. Leonard, 40, was the first Democrat to go up against Shellenberger, 63, since the incumbent was elected in 2006. Has Maryland gone too far, or far enough, when it comes to police reform? 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. State Del. The states attorney and others in his office are defendants in an ongoing federal lawsuit in which a woman who reported she was raped alleges they violated her constitutional rights. Our nonprofit news organization is made possible by, Select the type of alerts youd like to receive, Browsers such as Chrome, Safari, and Firefox, Get text messages from The Banner in urgent situations (message and data rates may apply). BALTIMORE -- Scott Shellenberger has garnered enough votes to maintain his position as Baltimore County state's attorney, according to election records. 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. Rogers Forge, Baltimore County. Some areas, though, recently saw an uptick in homicides at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, they see that theres no accountability in the police department, and theres no accountability in the States Attorneys Office, he said. The Baltimore County Board of Elections certified the county's results Friday, following a week of counting thousands of mail-in and provisional ballots. Leonard portrayed Shellenberger as out of step with todays Democrats, someone who hadnt changed with the times. Mail-in ballots wont begin to be canvassed until Thursday and it could take days or possibly weeks for winners to be declared. Leonard, 40, was boosted by super political action committee the Maryland Justice & Public Safety PAC, which quickly accrued more than half a million dollars in debt to a New York-based political consultant for advertising materials to promote his campaign. Gubernatorial Election years are 2022, 2026, 2030, etc. The state's attorney is elected to a four-year term and earns a salary of $216,749. . By: Bryan P. Sears Acie Spencer, 55, said he voted for Shellenberger and other incumbents who he says have run their offices effectively. an audit to examine possible racial disparities. Printer Friendly Version. He pointed to the murder of George Floyd, the Freddie Gray case and the Gun Trace Task Force scandal. The way that we can prevent it from happening again is to get good sentences, in the area of violent crime. But Haynes said the incumbent is not doing enough to address violent crime. Official 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election Results for Baltimore County. Incumbent Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger, left, a Democrat, and Jim Haynes, right, a Republican, are running against each other. Vote-counting stretched on for more than a week because of the large number of mail-in ballots cast in Marylands primary election. TurnAround, she said, is eager to work with the office on enhancing victim-centered and trauma-informed approaches to working with survivors. 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. The death of George Floyd opened many eyes to the need for significant change. Shellenberger was not available for comment Tuesday night. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Danielle E. Gaines contributed to this report. Baltimore County States Attorney Scott Shellenberger has not had a Democratic primary challenger since he was first elected in 2006. Black Lives Matter and issues related to mass incarceration have sort of gone mainstream as viable, relevant issues, Jaros said. He ran on a progressive platform and portrayed Shellenberger as out of step with todays Democrats on issues such as police reform. 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.. Some female voters told The Baltimore Sun during the campaign that issues related to sexual assault were why they supported Leonard. The Republican primary, meanwhile, attracted six candidates. But when counting of mail-in ballots started later that week, Shellenberger closed the gap and then gained ground. Shellenberger, meanwhile, emphasized his experience prosecuting crimes and said he has supported what he calls reasonable criminal justice reform. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. For decades, the crime rate has been decreasing in the United States. Tagged with: Baltimore County Elections scott shellenberger. Shellenberger said that when the county began collecting test kit evidence, they had to make priorities as to which kits would be tested. For example, kits went untested in cases where both parties knew each other because identification wasnt an issue, he explained. We established diversion programs for drug possession cases which seeks treatment rather than conviction. A civil trial is scheduled for September.