Judges who get kicked off the bench in Maryland might soon be barred from ever staging a comeback campaign for their old jobs.
Lawmakers in Annapolis are weighing a bill that would prevent judges who have been expelled or forced to retire for serious misconduct from running again for the very seats they lost. Supporters told the House Judiciary Committee yesterday that the proposal would close a legal loophole that currently lets ousted judges ask voters to put them right back on the bench. The measure focuses on state circuit court judges who face contested elections and would require a change to the Maryland Constitution, meaning voters would have the final say at the next general election.
Backers of the bill stressed that the state’s judicial watchdogs only recommend removal when lesser sanctions are not enough and reserve expulsion for the worst conduct, including criminal acts, bribery, working while intoxicated, and sexual or racial misconduct. The proposal was submitted at the request of the Maryland Judicial Conference, according to The Daily Record.
Who Would Be Barred
Supporters did not have to look far for a real-world example. Former Prince George’s County Circuit Judge April T. Ademiluyi was removed by the Maryland Supreme Court in 2024 after the court found what it called “egregious” misconduct. Court records and the high court’s docket detail the May 2024 proceedings that ended in her removal, a step that is rarely taken against a sitting judge in Maryland.
If the constitutional amendment passes the General Assembly and is approved by voters, Ademiluyi would not be allowed to run to reclaim her previous judicial seat, according to Maryland Courts.
Other Judges Under Scrutiny
The debate in Annapolis is unfolding as other judges face intense scrutiny. In Anne Arundel County, investigative counsel for the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities recommended late last year that Orphans’ Court Judge Marc Knapp be removed and has also sought discipline for Judge Vickie Gipson, according to The Baltimore Banner.
Knapp’s situation escalated further when he was criminally indicted on accusations that he secretly recorded judicial deliberations without consent, the Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor announced. That combination of disciplinary proceedings and criminal charges is part of what supporters cited as a reason to permanently block expelled judges from circling back to the same elected posts.
What Comes Next
The bill, brought at the request of the Maryland Judicial Conference led by Maryland Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Fader, must first clear both chambers of the General Assembly. Only then would it land on the statewide ballot as a constitutional amendment for voters to approve or reject.
Maryland Appellate Court Judge Anne Albright, who chairs the Commission on Judicial Disabilities, told the House Judiciary Committee that removal and forced retirement are “the most serious sanctions that we can recommend” and explained that current law leaves a gap by allowing removed judges to run again. Supporters also pointed out that about 25 states already bar ousted judges from returning to the bench, an argument they say makes it reasonable to ask Maryland voters to lock the ban into the state constitution, according to The Daily Record.
