Maryland Court of Appeals justice vacancy (February 2022)
| Maryland Supreme Court |
|---|
 |
| McDonald vacancy |
| Date: February 23, 2022 |
| Status: Seat filled |
| Nomination |
| Nominee: Angela M. Eaves |
| Date: February 17, 2022 |
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) appointed Angela M. Eaves to the Maryland Court of Appeals on February 17, 2022. The Maryland State Senate confirmed Eaves on March 15, 2022.[1] Eaves succeeded Justice Robert N. McDonald, who retired on February 23, 2022, upon reaching the state court's mandatory retirement age of 70 years.[2][3] Eaves was Gov. Hogan's sixth nominee to the seven-member court.
At the time of the vacancy under Maryland law, judges of the Maryland Court of Appeals were selected through the assisted appointment method. The Maryland Judicial Nominating Commission screened candidates and submitted a shortlist to the governor. The governor would appoint a judge from the list and the appointee had to be confirmed by the Maryland State Senate.[4][5]
Ballotpedia has compiled the following resources on the process to fill the Maryland Court of Appeals vacancy:
- An overview of the appointee.
- A list of finalists recommended to the governor.
- A list of candidates who applied to the vacancy.
- An overview of the selection process.
- An overview of the court following the vacancy.
- An overview of the justice who left office.
- A list of other state supreme court appointments in 2022.
The appointee
- See also: Angela M. Eaves
At the time of her nomination, Angela M. Eaves was an administrative judge of the Third Circuit Court for Harford County. She has served as a judge on the court since December 28, 2007. Prior to joining the circuit court, Eaves was an associate judge of the Ninth District Court in Harford County.
Prior to her judicial service, Eaves was an assistant attorney general, a staff attorney with the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau, and an assistant city attorney for the City of Dallas in Texas.[3]
Eaves earned a bachelor's degree, a master's degree in public affairs, and a J.D. from the University of Texas.[3]
Appointee candidates and nominations
Finalists
The Maryland Judicial Nominating Commission announced the following finalists for the supreme court position:[6]
- Circuit Court Judge Yolanda Lauranzon Curtin
- Circuit Court Judge Angela Michelle Eaves
- Court of Special Appeals Judge Daniel Alan Friedman
- Attorney Jason Daniel Medinger
- Court of Special Appeals Judge Douglas Richard Miller Nazarian
- Circuit Court Judge Dennis Michael Robinson, Jr.
Applicants
The Maryland Judicial Nominating Commission announced the following applicants for the supreme court position:[7]
- Trial lawyer Robert Scott Brennen
- Circuit Court Judge Yolanda Lauranzon Curtin
- Circuit Court Judge Angela Michelle Eaves
- Court of Special Appeals Judge Daniel Alan Friedman
- Circuit Court Judge Paul W. Ishak
- Attorney Irwin Raphael Kramer
- Deputy County Attorney Glenn Todd Marrow
- Attorney Jason Daniel Medinger
- Court of Special Appeals Judge Douglas Richard Miller Nazarian
- Lawyer Morenike Olaore Euba Oyenusi
- Attorney At Law Julie Marie Reamy — withdrew
- Circuit Court Judge Dennis Michael Robinson, Jr.
The selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Maryland
At the time of the vacancy, the seven judges of the Maryland Court of Appeals were selected through the assisted appointment method. The Maryland Judicial Nominating Commission would screen candidates and submit a shortlist to the governor. The governor had to appoint a judge from the list and the appointee had to then be confirmed by the Maryland State Senate.[4][5]
After serving for one year, judges would stand for retention in the next general election if they wished to remain on the court. If retained, a judge would win a full ten-year term.[4]
Makeup of the court
- See also: Maryland Court of Appeals
Justices
Following McDonald's retirement, the Maryland Court of Appeals included the following members:
| ■ Brynja McDivitt Booth | Appointed by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in 2019 | |
| ■ Joseph Getty | Appointed by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in 2016 | |
| ■ Michele D. Hotten | Appointed by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in 2015 | |
| ■ Jonathan Biran | Appointed by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in 2019 | |
| ■ Shirley Marie Watts | Appointed by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) in 2013 | |
| ■ Steven Gould | Appointed by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in 2021 |
About the court
The Appellate Court of Maryland is the intermediate appellate court in Maryland. The court was established in 1966 to assist the Maryland Supreme Court with the appellate caseload. It is located in the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building in Annapolis, Md. Unless the law states otherwise, the Court of Appeals considers any reviewable judgment, decree, order or other action of the circuit and orphans' courts.[8]
The Maryland Court of Special Appeals became the Appellate Court of Maryland, following a 2022 constitutional amendment that changed the court's name. Prior to 2022, the Maryland Supreme Court was known as the Maryland Court of Appeals.[9]
The Appellate Court of Maryland has exclusive initial appellate jurisdiction to review judgments and orders issued by any of the state's circuit or orphans' courts. The lone exception is cases involving the death penalty; those go straight to the Maryland Supreme Court.[10]
About Justice McDonald
- See also: Robert N. McDonald
Justice Robert N. McDonald joined the Maryland Court of Appeals in 2012. He was appointed to the court by Governor Martin O'Malley (D).
Before serving on the state supreme court, McDonald served as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1980 to 1983 and executive assistant U.S. attorney from 1983 to 1988, after which he joined the Maryland Office of the Attorney General where he would work until 2012.[11]
McDonald earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard College in 1974. He earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1977.[11]
Other state supreme court appointments in 2022
- See also: State supreme court vacancies, 2022
The following table lists vacancies on state supreme courts that opened in 2022. Click the link under the Court column for a particular vacancy for more information on that vacancy.
Click here for vacancies that opened in 2021.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Senate of Maryland, "Special Order: Executive Nominations Committee Report No. 5," March 15, 2022
- ↑ Maryland.gov, "Governor Hogan Announces Judicial Appointments," September 3, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Office of Governor Larry Hogan, "Governor Hogan Announces Nine Judicial Appointments, Historic Nominees For Maryland’s Appellate Courts," February 17, 2022
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Maryland," accessed August 16, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Maryland Manual Online, APPELLATE COURTS JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION," February 28, 2020
- ↑ Maryland Courts, "Maryland Judicial Vacancies," accessed January 14, 2022
- ↑ Maryland Courts, "Court of Appeals (Second Appellate Judicial Circuit)," accessed November 23, 2021
- ↑ Maryland Manual, "Maryland Court of Special Appeals," accessed April 21, 2015
- ↑ CBS News, "The Court of Appeals of Maryland is now the Supreme Court of Maryland," December 14, 2022
- ↑ Maryland Manual, "Court of Special Appeals: Origins and Functions," accessed April 21, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Maryland Manual Online, "Robert N. McDonald," accessed September 28, 2021
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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
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