A Baltimore County judge is weighing whether to bring in an outside special prosecutor after a woman who says she was raped in 2018 pushed for charges that county prosecutors declined to pursue for years. The woman, identified publicly only by her middle name, Shukura, says a former housemate raped her three times in the summer of 2018 and that she has spent nearly eight years asking the county to act. Her attorney is asking the court to disqualify the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office and hand the case to a prosecutor from outside the county.
Judge sets a tight briefing schedule
District Court Judge Leo Ryan Jr. told Shukura’s lawyer to research whether a victim has legal standing to ask for a special prosecutor and to file a brief within two weeks. Deputy State’s Attorney John Cox will then have two weeks to respond. Ryan said he will issue a written opinion after the briefing, and if he declines to appoint outside counsel, Shukura can appeal his decision to the Circuit Court, as reported by The Baltimore Banner.
How the allegations reached court
In testimony submitted to state lawmakers, Shukura says the assaults occurred on June 19, June 21 and July 3, 2018, and that she reported the incidents to Baltimore County police on July 22, 2018. The filing states that a District Court commissioner later reopened the matter and issued three counts of second-degree rape and two counts of second-degree assault, which led to a warrant for the accused man’s arrest, according to the Maryland General Assembly.
Prosecutors asked to dismiss after grand jury declined
Multiple prosecutors in the State’s Attorney’s Office initially declined to charge the man, and Shukura says she was told a jury would not believe her. Two years later, the office’s Child Abuse and Sex Offense Division presented the case to a grand jury in July 2024. The grand jury declined to indict, and county prosecutors then asked a court to dismiss the arrest warrant, according to The Baltimore Banner.
Attorney alleges racial bias and points to past disputes
Shukura’s attorney, Robbie Leonard, argues that the State’s Attorney’s Office has engaged in unconstitutional discrimination and points to comments by Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa Dever, who said in earlier reporting that she once had a case where a juror convinced others that “all Black women lie,” as described in testimony to the Maryland General Assembly. Leonard and advocates also cite previous litigation over Baltimore County’s handling of sexual assault complaints, including the Borkowski federal lawsuit. Records in CaseMine show that the lawsuit has been a major point of contention in recent years.
What’s next in court
Judge Ryan has called the request for a special prosecutor “complicated and unprecedented” and said he will issue a written ruling after reviewing the legal briefs. If he denies the petition, Shukura can appeal to the Circuit Court. If he grants it, an outside prosecutor would be authorized to re-examine the case and decide whether to file criminal charges. The Maryland Courts public list confirms Ryan’s position on the Baltimore County bench.
Why this matters
Advocates say the case throws a spotlight on how prosecutorial discretion, juror bias and office culture can determine whether a sexual assault allegation is ever tested in court. Civil rights groups and legal observers are watching the judge’s decision as a signal of how Baltimore County handles race and gender in prosecutorial decisions.
