Governor Wes Moore has made his picks for three key judicial appointments in Maryland, with two seats going to the Baltimore County Circuit Court and one to the Frederick County District Court. As reported by FOX Baltimore, the selected candidates are Ralph Laurence Sapia and Evelyn Lombardo Cusson for Baltimore County, with Brett Joann Engler slated for Frederick County, pending confirmation by the Maryland State Senate.
Ralph Laurence Sapia, who practices at his own firm in Towson and brings with him a history of private practice and public education, announced by Governor Moore, will join the Baltimore County Circuit Court alongside Evelyn Lombardo Cusson, a white-collar crime prosecutor and currently an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. As The Daily Record notes, Cusson also serves as the office's elder justice coordinator and president of the Baltimore City Bar Association.
In contrast, Engler, who serves as the chief of the domestic violence unit for the Frederick County State's Attorney's Office, actively advocates for laws enhancing the prosecution of domestic violence and has been instrumental in legal reform, including the reclassification of strangulation as a felony. If confirmed, Engler would hold her term for 10 years before requiring reappointment.
The court appointments are part of Governor Moore's ongoing initiative to strengthen the judiciary in Maryland. Sapia and Cusson will serve one-year terms in the Circuit Court before standing in a nonpartisan election to potentially continue for a 15-year term or until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 70, as detailed by FOX Baltimore. These appointments and the work these judges will undertake play into the broader narrative of Governor Moore's administration, aiming to bolster competence and fairness in the state's legal proceedings.
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