Shellenberger painted Leonard, who has never been a prosecutor, as unprepared for the office. 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. So often, with the way that these cases are handled, justice is not just denied, but they feel reassaulted by the criminal justice system. He ran on a progressive platform and portrayed Shellenberger as out of step with todays Democrats on issues such as police reform. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr.s attempt to end an enhanced federal benefit program early. This has to be balanced with our efforts to pursue the assertive prosecution of crimes of violence to assure the public knows they can feel safe to live in this County and that they will be protected. Leonard, a former public defender, wants to divert low-level offenses from the roughly 30,000 cases the states attorneys office says it handles annually, hold police officers accountable with a police integrity division if theyve committed misconduct, and create a unit to self-audit some prior convictions for proof of innocence. Then there is the GOP Primary battle for Harford County State's Attorney. Were not going to say, Well, its a stalemate. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. 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. The Baltimore County States Attorneys Office requested that law enforcement ask her not to seek charges against the men after prosecutors declined to proceed with a case. Nonpartisan. 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. Haynes has called himself a political outsider.. all male county council, and men as state's attorney . She said she doesnt endorse either candidate in the race and doesnt live in Baltimore County. The Baltimore Sun typically does not name people who say they are victims of sexual assault. The world has changed a lot in the last four years, Jaros said. 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. (A 2019 audit had found rape kits werent tested in 78% of cases.). One group, the Maryland Justice & Public Safety PAC, poured more than $780,000 into an effort to support Leonards candidacy with mailers, TV ads and other campaign spending. Both Shellenberger and Leonard have declined to discuss the changes in vote totals over the last week of counting. (Paul Newson) As he seeks a fifth term in office, Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger on Tuesday held a wide lead over his first challenger in the general election in 12 years, Jim Haynes. I want to raise the level of professionalism in the office.. Learn more about supporting local journalism. I accept that. 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. Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger is pictured in this portrait in his office on Oct. 25, 2022. [Live election results: Maryland Gubernatorial primary]. He said at the time that law enforcement has limited resources, and often a rape suspects identity is not in question because the victim and perpetrator know each other. He said Shellenberger is out of touch with Democratic primary voters. I have worked during my entire tenure as State's Attorney to run an office that applies the prosecution of crime even-handedly regardless of race or social position. 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). He wanted to engage with those directly impacted by the failings of the justice system, such as domestic violence victims and people returning home after incarceration. Efforts at police reform are probably a never ending process. . The articles title is a quote from Leonard about mishandled sexual assault cases in the county: We dont know how many women are out there like that.. He said crime and the fear of crime does not seem to be getting better. 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. Leonard said he got tired of the status quo following the killing of George Floyd last year in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer. On the final day of counting,. The Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City accepts applications on a rolling basis for membership into the Honors Law Clerk Program. Leonard said the incumbents opposition to local police reform policies mobilized him to challenge Shellenberger. Witnesses and victims of crime do not get paid to come to court, Haynes said. The prosecutors in this office have done a great job to be sensitive to all victims. I draw the line, however, when we address violent crime where innocent people are victimized. Leonard has been a practicing attorney for 15 years and served as a public defender in Baltimore City. And the voters of Baltimore County deserve that change.. These cookies do not store any personal information. The death of George Floyd opened many eyes to the need for significant change. The states attorney said he has supported what he considers reasonable criminal justice reform, and touted his long experience prosecuting crime and supervising dozens of attorneys. She said in the online meeting that was one of the reasons the prosecutor was concerned about moving forward in my case.. Published on: July 20, 2022 12:12 AM EDT|Updated on: July 22, 2022 6:28 PM EDT. 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. Shellenberger is of the mindset that all laws should be enforced. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Unofficial results from the Maryland State Board of Elections showed a tight race from the votes garnered during the state's early voting period, with the candidates just 64 votes apart. Haynes was leading the race as ballots were starting to be counted Tuesday night. Past experience: Law clerk from 1982-1985 in the Baltimore County States Attorneys Office, assistant states attorney from 1985-1993. This concept that Im against everything and we have to throw everybody in jail I just think if people really dig into my record they would find that theres a lot there, he said. When youre trying to explain to someone the reasons why you cant go forward, you have to give real-life experiences as to what happens in other cases to give it context. The state's attorney is elected to a four-year term and earns a salary of $216,749. While some dismissed Leonard as a long-shot candidate and were stunned by the initial results, other observers believed the contest would be close, especially toward the end of the campaign. And I think he has the experience and the background to be a good states attorney., He said he supports term limits and believes that a change in leadership in these offices is necessary to bring in new ideas and perspectives. Patoka had a large lead in early returns, as did other council members who faced primary challengers: Republicans Todd Crandell of Dundalk, Wade Kach of Cockesyville, and David Marks of Perry Hall. Mail-in ballots wont begin to be canvassed until Thursday and it could take days or possibly weeks for winners to be declared. It is also crucial to examine policy outcomes to make them race-neutral.. The Sun obtained a recording of the May 16 exchange from Leonard, who also spoke in the event. Shellenberger said he intended to help the woman and did not want the men to sue her for claims such as false arrest. 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. The democratic primary race for Baltimore County State's Attorney relies on thousands of outstanding mail-in ballots before a winner can be declared. . Prosecutors had declined to take the case, but the woman tried to pursue charges on her own through the court commissioner. That in itself, I think, is horrific.. In the Democratic primary, Leonard has garnered an impressive list of endorsements so far, including from the Teachers Association of Baltimore County, Our Revolution, The Working Families Party, Progressive Maryland, CASA in Action and several labor unions. Shellenberger said his office doesnt collect data on outcomes or demographics due to current staffing levels and the difficulties in tracking cases court outcomes, such as if someone charged with a sex crime was ultimately convicted of a lesser or different type of crime. Leonard is the secretary of the Maryland Democratic Party. Most of the time, Baltimore County States Attorney Scott Shellenberger does not even draw a general election challenger. He said he believes that a comment that he made at a forum about the homicide rate being relatively stable has been misconstrued. Shellenberger has a close relationship with the Baltimore County Police Department, which has been questioned in the past. Shellenberger was not available for comment Tuesday night. Had we sent that mailer two weeks earlier, I probably would have walked away the victor. I think that we do that every day.. (Ex: Low-level drug offenses vs. violent crimes with victims, etc.). Working immediately to get an innocent person freed who has been wrongly convicted is probably the most important thing a prosecutor should do. He plans to hold a rally in Patriots Plaza in Towson at 2 p.m. WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore County Executive . Appellate administrative judge on the Administrative Review Board in the U.S. Department of Labor, 2019-2021. 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 has said the office doesnt collect data around the number of criminal prosecutions, convictions or victim and perpetrator demographics making it challenging for observers to analyze outcomes. Baltimore County State's Attorney is challenged on prosecution . At the May online meeting of the Southwest Baltimore County Democratic Club, Shellenberger confirmed hed met with the woman and didnt believe prosecutors could prove her case. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Some areas, though, recently saw an uptick in homicides at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that 52 Baltimore County residents testified in favor of the legislation at a public hearing. Robbie Leonard continued to hold a narrow lead Wednesday of 860 votes over 15-year incumbent Scott Shellenberger for the Democratic nomination for Baltimore County State's Attorney. Where do you see room for improvement in how sexual assault survivors are treated by law enforcement and prosecutors? The county police and fire unions backed Shellenberger, while Leonard won endorsements from local Democratic clubs, progressive groups and other labor organizations, including the county teachers union. Baltimore Countys top prosecutor faces a progressive challenger in his first primary fight in 16 years. 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. The results ahead of Monday's. Subscribers to Maryland Family Law Update can access the digital edition archive. Week of counting and served as a public hearing # x27 ; s Attorney challenged..., haynes said line, however, when we address violent crime where innocent people are.! With todays Democrats on issues such as false arrest for claims such as false arrest at baltimore county state's attorney election reform mobilized! And earns a salary of $ 216,749 victims, etc. ) violent. In vote totals over the last four years, Jaros said access the digital edition.. Where innocent people are victimized public hearing are probably a never ending process the fear crime. 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