Friday marked the final day of counting for mail-in and provisional ballots in Baltimore County. 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. 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. We cannot, however, pursue cases which cannot be proven. Violent crime, unquestionably, must be prioritized. She grew up in Ocean City. BALTIMORE -- Scott Shellenberger has garnered enough votes to maintain his position as Baltimore County state's attorney, according to election records. Printer Friendly Version. 'This is a big job': Leonard Takes on Shellenberger in Baltimore County State's Attorney Primary By Hannah Gaskill May 30, 2022 Getty Images. Not just paying your salary paying for your mistakes.. Theres a point at which you get out of the process. Assistant attorney general and then trial attorney who handled insurance defense work for the same agency under different names, the State Accident Fund, Injured Workers Insurance Fund, and currently Chesapeake Employers Insurance, from 1987-2006. Shellenberger has cruised to reelection for more than a decade. Now, for the first time in 12 years, Shellenberger faces a Republican opponent, Jim Haynes, an attorney and former Maryland assistant attorney general, on Election Day. 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. Leonard agreed that crime needs to be addressed and that residents feel unsafe. WYPF 88.1 FM Frederick Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policies | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell My Personal Information | Ad Choices. The woman disputed Shellenbergers suggestion that her story changed and said he told her last year he believed her allegation because she was consistent.. How crazy is that? he said. Election Day is Nov. 8. dylan.segelbaum@thebaltimorebanner.com Meet the candidates for Baltimore County state's attorney Scott Shellenberger Age: 63 Residence: Towson Political party: Democratic States attorney, he said, is not a position to learn on the job. Juris doctor from University of Baltimore of School of Law in 1984. I am absolutely committed to that. Hannah Gaskill received her masters of journalism degree in December 2019 from the University of Maryland. I really think this is all about experience, and knowing how this office works, Shellenberger said. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The 2021 audit also found more standardized documentation of prosecutors review of police cases. Some observers questioned the lackluster effort as Leonard rallied a grassroots progressive primary challenge to Shellenberger. In the lawsuit, a woman accuses Shellenberger of sending police to her home to tell her to stop trying to pursue criminal charges against the men she said assaulted her. He was ahead as votes started to be counted Tuesday night. If elected, he plans to partner with state and local agencies and nonprofits to get people help rather than introducing them to the criminal justice system. Baltimore, Maryland Area. Law Clerks are an essential part of the office. Gaskill has had bylines in The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post and The Chicago Tribune, among other publications. Throughout his career, Leonard said hes represented minors and adults and served on the public defenders government relations team, where he testified on bills in the legislature. He supports diverting low-level offenses out of the criminal justice system and wants to conduct a racial equity audit examining prosecutorial practices. Republican. During his tenure, Shellenberger has faced criticism for how his office has handled sex crimes and declined to charge some police officers who have used deadly force. Incumbent Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger, left, a Democrat, and Jim Haynes, right, a Republican, are running against each other. He said low-level offenses should be diverted out of the criminal justice system to preserve resources for violent crime, and vowed not to prosecute cases of marijuana possession for personal use. Shellenberger was not available for comment Tuesday night. With roughly 35,000 Baltimore County ballots yet to be counted, the Democratic primary for states attorney was extremely close Tuesday night, with hundreds of votes separating attorney and Maryland Democratic Party Secretary Robbie Leonard and longtime incumbent Scott Shellenberger. He is a graduate of Loch Raven High School, Loyola College and the University of Baltimore School of Law. Past experience: Law clerk from 1982-1985 in the Baltimore County States Attorneys Office, assistant states attorney from 1985-1993. Review of sentences is another issue. Additionally, it found three prosecutors were consulted on the most cases, of the 56 the audit examined that named a prosecutor. The Baltimore Banner may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Shellenberger received 44,962 votes or 51% compared to Leonard's 42,847 votes, 49%. Working immediately to get an innocent person freed who has been wrongly convicted is probably the most important thing a prosecutor should do. 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. Only Shellenberger and the Fraternal Order of Police appeared in opposition, according to Leonard. Were one of the only large counties to certify its elections today, said County Elections Director Ruie Lavoie. There is no statute of limitation on rape in the state of Maryland. But when counting of mail-in ballots started later that week, Shellenberger closed the gap and then gained ground. 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). His office issued a statement Thursday saying he plans to return the week after next, and is still in consistent contact with staff and making management decisions. According to a 2019 Baltimore Sun report, the Baltimore County Sexual Assault Investigations Task Force found that county police seldom tested evidence from sexual assault cases. Other controversies in Baltimore Countys sexual assault investigations and prosecutions have ranged from the lack of testing and destruction of rape kits to authorities reluctance to bring criminal charges unless theres evidence a victim physically resisted. Then there is the GOP Primary battle for Harford County State's Attorney. It is clear from the years I have been a prosecutor that the root of most crime is in drug addiction, alcohol abuse or mental health issues. Leonard said that incarceration for drug offenses and prostitution doesnt work. outside money that supported Leonards candidacy, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. As I have told you, I do not believe we can prove your case, he said. We came up short of victory but we started a real conversation for change, he said. He said Shellenberger is out of touch with Democratic primary voters. It appears incumbent Democratic Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger could lose his seat to well funded progressive challenger Robbie Leonard. Campaign website: www.scottshellenberger.com. In Baltimore County, registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by a more than 2-to-1 margin. She said she doesnt endorse either candidate in the race and doesnt live in Baltimore County. 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. 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. . Official 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election Results for Baltimore County. If Leonard clinches the Democratic nomination, hell have ousted one of the most prominent voices on law enforcement and criminal justice in Annapolis. Reached by phone Tuesday night, Leonard said that he knew the election wouldnt be decided until mail-in ballots are counted. Shellenberger also refuted the notion that he is too close with the countys Fraternal Order of Police, saying he has a list of 18 police officers including the organizations past president that his office has prosecuted in the past few years. . WYPR - 88.1 FM Baltimore | Name Party Early Voting While most attention Tuesday focused on the Republican and Democratic Gubernatorial races and the Baltimore City State's Attorney's race, others were heating up. He said it is worth prosecuting low-level crimes and that the court system is, at times, what gets someone help. wont begin to be canvassed until Thursday, Live election results: Baltimore County primary results, Live election results: Maryland Gubernatorial primary, boosted by super political action committee, CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice. Crime, he said, is regional. Incumbent Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger remained ahead in the Democratic primary for his office after more than 12,000 more mail-in votes were added Sunday, extending his lead over progressive challenger Robbie Leonard to 2,150 votes in the latest accounting of mail-in ballots. The effort attracted the attention of outside organizations including groups connected to billionaire George Soros. Should certain crimes be prioritized and, if so, which? With a larger staff, Haynes said, the office would be able to better cooperate with police in building cases and cut down on postponements. The state's attorney is elected to a four-year term and earns a salary of $216,749. Appellate administrative judge on the Administrative Review Board in the U.S. Department of Labor, 2019-2021. Do voters want change? Were the law and order portion of the criminal justice system., We have seen their office be fair in how they prosecute cases and defer cases, if necessary, through community service versus a criminal prosecution, he added. With two longtime Democratic County Council members not seeking reelection, including the only woman on the seven-member body, this years primary attracted a slew of hopefuls. In other cases, such as the drug trade, its international. Critics have targeted Shellenberger over his handling of sexual assault cases and police involved shooting incidents. Had we sent that mailer two weeks earlier, I probably would have walked away the victor. This is a place where I was well prepared when I first came into office and am even more prepared to continue to lead the office now, he added. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Olszewski had a wide lead in initial returns. Attorney Robbie Leonard said Monday he will challenge Shellenberger in next June's primary. Sign up to get the Maryland Matters Memo in your inbox every morning. He was also given the Gun Sense Candidate distinction from Moms Demand Action to End Gun Violence. Tagged with: Baltimore County Elections scott shellenberger. But after researching the candidates platforms, she decided Leonards views on diverting some nonviolent, low-level offenses, like drug possession, from the criminal justice system aligned with her own. This is accomplished by a multifaceted approach to crime. Hes always opposing legislation being put in by Democrats.. They cannot be called upon to live the rest of their lives unable to move on from the horror they lived through in the loss of their loved one or the crime perpetrated on them. In all, Shellenberger finished with a more than 2,100 vote lead over Leonard. Now the Democratic incumbent will have a Republican challenger, and that's only if he can win the contested Democratic primary. Nonprofit. Apr 2013 - Sep 20141 year 6 months. Black Lives Matter and issues related to mass incarceration have sort of gone mainstream as viable, relevant issues, Jaros said. For the first time in a decade, Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger (D) will have a Republican opponent to campaign against if he can beat Robbie Leonard (D) in the 2022 primary election. 72. Baltimore Sun Media's voter guide allows candidates to provide their background, policy and platforms on issues, in their own words. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Elected officials such as Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., he noted, have endorsed his opponent. 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. I believe that my sense of independence will be much greater, said Haynes, who added that he would run the office in a nonpartisan manner. He unseated the two-term incumbent, Marilyn Mosby, in the Democratic primary and did not face a challenger in the general election. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. We have removed the defense that a person cannot be convicted of sexually assaulting a spouse. Visit the SUBSCRIBE page to sign up for our morning newsletter. Haynes described Baltimore County as sort of a regional firewall that can improve the safety of people in the city and surrounding counties if it arrests and convicts criminals. Leonard supporters said the candidates platform is what attracted voters. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Shellenberger, meanwhile, emphasized his experience prosecuting crimes and said he has supported what he calls reasonable criminal justice reform. The task forces original report found prosecutors declined to charge in 57% of the audits sampling of sexual assault cases reported from 2016 through 2018, and brought charges in 34%. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. I dont find that acceptable, but that is the reality, Shellenberger said. You can unsubscribe from these alerts at anytime. Riley said hes seen firsthand how elected officials can become stale.. We also need to continue our efforts to demonstrate to all citizens that the justice system must continue in our efforts to be race neutral and assure that all are treated fairly. Past experience: Felony panel attorney with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender and U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, 1984-1987. But he and his prosecutors have faced questions about their decision-making on charging perpetrators, particularly when the victim did not report an assault right away or was intoxicated when it happened. The PAC filed in mid-June and its spending, only related to Leonards campaign, far outmatched what either candidate raised throughout the primary. 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. 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