Dorothy Engel
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Dorothy Engel is a judge on the Seventh Circuit Court for Prince George's County in Maryland. She was appointed by Republican Governor Larry Hogan on January 29, 2016.[1] Engel won election to her seat in the general election on November 8, 2016.[2] She advanced from the primary election on April 26, 2016. The candidates ran in both the Democratic and Republican primaries.
Biography
Engel was born on May 11, 1974. She earned an associate degree from Prince George's Community College in 1995, a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1997, and a J.D. from the Catholic University School of Law in 2000. She worked as an assistant state's attorney for Prince George's County prior to her appointment as judge. From 2005 to 2008, Engel served as a captain JAGC in the United States Army Reserve.[1]
As of her 2016 candidacy, Engel was affiliated with the following groups:
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Women's Bar Association
- J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association
- Prince George's County Bar Association[3]
Campaign themes
2016
Engel participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of local judicial candidates. The following sections display her responses to the survey questions. When asked what non-judicial legal experience qualifies her to be a judge, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | My long-term experience as a widely respected Prince George’s County felony prosecutor, as well as her being a proud 28 year resident of Prince George’s County, provide her with an in-depth knowledge of the trial court process, and how this community relies upon fair and impartial judges. My entire career has been in public service fighting crime in the courtroom and standing up for victims and their families, including serving over 12 years prosecuting complex homicides, gang crimes, armed carjackings and robberies, and many other violent felonies as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County. I am widely recognized as a leader and expert in the use of DNA and digital forensic evidence in the courtroom.
Moreover, after 9/11, I was honored to serve our Country in the United States Army Reserve, along with my husband Mike (who deployed twice to Iraq and received the Bronze Star Medal). I was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and honorably discharged as a Captain in the US Army JAG Corps. I grew up in Riverdale, attending Parkdale High School, Prince George’s County Community College, and the University of Maryland College Park. My family lives in Hyattsville, where she is an active volunteer in the community, and the proud parent of two young children who attend Prince George’s County Public Schools. These combined experiences have provided me with understanding and insight into the fabric of our great County, and as a sitting Judge with vast experiences covering all aspects of the judicial process, I am devoted to a career of service as a Judge in our community.[3][4] |
” |
When asked why she was running for this particular court seat, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | I am running to retain my position as Judge with the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County because I want to continue my long career serving this wonderful and vibrant community. Previously, I served over 15 years in Prince George’s County’s Circuit Court, prosecuting homicides, armed carjackings, armed robberies, gang crimes as an Assistant State’s Attorney. I served over 5 years in the Homicide Division, and also as the Chief of the Special Investigations Unit. As a current sitting Judge on the Circuit Court, I have a broad set of experiences, including with civil and family law cases. My career also includes service from 2005 to 2008 in the United States Army Reserve’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
I have been a resident of Prince George’s County for over twenty-five years. I attended Parkdale High School in Riverdale, Maryland, which is a public school. I attended Prince George’s Community College, and completed my Bachelor of Arts at University of Maryland, College Park. I have a vested interest in Prince George’s County, both as a person who was raised here and as a parent raising my two children, who also both attend Prince George’s County public schools. I am fully committed to continuing my career working for the residents of this great county, and I respectfully ask our County to vote for the Sitting Judges on April 26th.[3][4] |
” |
When asked to identify one judge, past or present, who she admires, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Court of Appeal Judge Michele D. Hotten[3][4] | ” |
When asked about her primary concern regarding today's judicial system in her state, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Circuit Court Judges must have extensive trial experience and participated in the judicial commission vetting process to ensure fairness, integrity and impartiality. Every person who appears in Court must have confidence that disputes will be resolved in a fair and efficient manner by judges who have the experience, training, and knowledge of the Circuit Court's precedents, rules and procedures.[3][4] | ” |
Elections
2016
Maryland held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on April 26, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 3, 2016.[5] Ingrid Turner, incumbent Karen H. Mason, incumbent Dorothy Engel, and incumbent Herman C. Dawson defeated April Ademiluyi in the Maryland 7th Circuit Court general election for Prince George's County.[2]
| Maryland 7th Circuit Court (Prince George's County), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Ingrid Turner |
22.88% | 223,186 |
| Karen H. Mason Incumbent |
22.26% | 217,164 |
| Dorothy Engel Incumbent |
21.48% | 209,522 |
| Herman C. Dawson Incumbent |
19.40% | 189,284 |
| April Ademiluyi | 13.61% | 132,791 |
| Write-in votes | 0.37% | 3,625 |
| Total Votes | 975,572 | |
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "2016 General Election Official Results," accessed January 18, 2016 | ||
| Maryland 7th Circuit Court (Prince George's County), Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Karen H. Mason Incumbent |
20.77% | 89,542 |
| Ingrid Turner |
19.48% | 83,960 |
| Dorothy Engel Incumbent |
19.35% | 83,416 |
| Herman C. Dawson Incumbent |
16.58% | 71,472 |
| April Ademiluyi | 11.94% | 51,485 |
| Erik H. Nyce Incumbent | 11.88% | 51,193 |
| Total Votes | 431,068 | |
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2016 Presidential Primary Election results for Judge of the Circuit Court," May 31, 2016 | ||
| Maryland 7th Circuit Court (Prince George's County), Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Dorothy Engel Incumbent |
20.26% | 6,535 |
| Karen H. Mason Incumbent |
19.57% | 6,311 |
| Herman C. Dawson Incumbent |
17.43% | 5,621 |
| Erik H. Nyce Incumbent |
17.34% | 5,594 |
| Ingrid Turner | 15.57% | 5,022 |
| April Ademiluyi | 9.83% | 3,170 |
| Total Votes | 32,253 | |
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2016 Presidential Primary Election results for Judge of the Circuit Court," May 31, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Assisted appointment
The 152 judges of the eight Maryland circuits are chosen by the governor with help from a nominating commission. The judges of this court do not need to be confirmed by the Maryland State Senate.[6][7]
Circuit judges serve for one year, after which they must run in nonpartisan elections if they wish to continue serving.[8] If re-elected, they serve for 15 years.[6][7]
The chief judge of each circuit court is chosen by seniority.[6]
Qualifications
To join either of these courts, a judge must be:[6]
- a U.S. and state citizen;
- a registered state voter;
- a state resident for at least five years;
- a circuit resident for at least six months;
- a state bar member;
- at least 30 years old; and
- under the age of 70 (retirement at 70 is mandatory).
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Dorothy Engel Maryland judge. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
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Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Governor of Maryland, "Governor Larry Hogan Announces Judicial Appointments," January 29, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Maryland State Board of Elections, "2016 Candidate Listing: Judge of the Circuit Court," February 4, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Ballotpedia's local judicial candidate survey, 2016, "Dorothy Engel's Responses," April 8, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Election Dates," accessed February 4, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Maryland," archived October 27, 2010
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 American Judicature Society, "Judicial Selection in the States: Maryland; Overview," archived October 26, 2010
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Judicial Elections," accessed January 19, 2015
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Maryland • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Maryland
State courts:
Maryland Supreme Court • Appellate Court of Maryland • Maryland District Courts • Maryland Circuit Courts • Maryland Orphans' Court
State resources:
Courts in Maryland • Maryland judicial elections • Judicial selection in Maryland
