43 6/Maryland Manual
TRIAL COURTS JUDICIAL
NOMINATING COMMISSIONS
First Judicial Circuit:
John R. Purnell, Chairperson
Lionel Bennett, Harland Cottman, Calvin S.
Dean, Harold B. Gordy, Jr., Charles E.
Hearne, Jr., Walter Jones, Richard M. Mat-
thews, Norman Polk, Vaughan E. Richardson,
Herman J. Stevens, Audrey Stewart, Henry P.
Walters.
Second Judicial Circuit:
Doris P. Scott, Chairperson
J. Howard Anthony, David C. Bryan, Robert E.
Bryson, Ernest S. Cookerly, L. dark Ewing,
Edwin B. Fockler III, Hugh M. Gordy, Ro-
land C. Kent, James 0. Pippin, Jr., Grace
McCool, Frank C. Sherrard, J. Willis Wells.
Third Judicial Circuit:
James H. Cook, Chairperson
Louis Akers, Thomas G. Bodie, Alfred L.
Brennan, Eddie C. Brown, Selena Gaskins,
Francis N. Iglehart, Jr., J. Earle Plumhoff,
Robert Plummer, Benedict A. Pokrywka, Rich-
ard A. Reid, Donald G. Smith, Sarah Whiting.
Fourth Judicial Circuit:
F. Perry Smith, Jr., Chairperson
Thomas N. Berry, W. Kennedy Boone III, Irving
M. Einbinder, Anne L. Gormer, William L.
Huff, Dorothy Lueba, Joseph H. McElwee,
Hugh A. McMullen, David H. Miller, M.D.,
W. Dwight Stover, Lillian Tumbusch, John H.
Urner.
Fifth Judicial Circuit:
Lewis Straughn Nippard, Chairperson
James K. Carmody, William B. Dulany, Thomas
A. Garland, Shirley Hager Hobbs, Martin B.
Lessans, Michael E. Loney, Walter E. Morgan,
George Pettigrew, Marion Satterthwaite, Ruth
Uhrig, John B. Wright, Thomas Yeager.
Sixth Judicial Circuit:
Joseph P. Burke, Chairperson
Albert D. Brault, Joseph P. Burke, William M.
Canby, Thomas L. Craven, Diane G.
Kirchenbauer, Virginia Lewis, Miriam S. Raff,
Donald B. Rice, Herbert L. Rollins, Roger W.
Titus, James T. Wharton, Charles P. Wilding.
Seventh Judicial Circuit:
James C. Chapin, Chairperson
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Judicial Units, Boards, and Commissions
Thomas Amenta, Paul J. Bailey, Warren E. Bar-
ley, Shirley E. Colleary, Annette Funn, Rev.
Andrew Johnson, Thomas F. Mudd, Ralph W.
Powers, Jr., Thomas L. Starkey, Richard H.
Sothoron, Jr., Benjamin R. Wolman, John F.
Wood, Jr.
Eighth Judicial Circuit:
Shale D. Stiller, Chairperson
Dr. Pearl Cole Brackett, John B. Ferron,
Kathleen O'Ferrall Friedman, Andrew Jay
Graham, Antonia Keane, L. Paige Marvel,
Theodore S. Miller, Leroy W. Preston, George
L. Russell, Jr., Walter Vickers, Jr., William H.
C. Wilson, Dr. M. Gordon Wolman.
Before 1971, Maryland governors exercised
their power to appoint judges subject only to
such advice as a particular governor might wish
to obtain from bar associations, legislators, law-
yers, politicians, or others. Because of dissatisfac-
tion with this process, as well as concern with
other aspects of judicial selection and retention
procedures in Maryland, the Maryland State Bar
Association for many years pressed for the adop-
tion of some form of what is generally known as
"merit selection" procedures.
These efforts bore fruit in 1970 when by execu-
tive order a statewide judicial nominating com-
mission was established to propose nominees for
appointment to the appellate courts, and eight re-
gional trial court nominating commissions were
instituted to perform the same function with re-
spect to vacancies on the trial courts. These nine
commissions began operation in 1971, and since
then each judicial vacancy filled pursuant to the
Governor's appointing power has been filled from
a list of nominees submitted by a nominating
commission.
As presently structured under an executive or-
der issued in 1982, each of the nine commissions
consists of six lawyer members elected by other
lawyers within designated geographical areas; six
lay members appointed by the Governor; and a
chairperson, who may be either a lawyer or a lay
person, appointed by the Governor. The Admin-
istrative Office of the Courts acts as secretariat to
all commissions and provides them with staff and
logistical support.
When a judicial vacancy occurs or is about to
occur, the Administrative Office of the Courts
notifies the appropriate commission and then so-
licits applications from interested persons through
announcements in the press and by contacting in-
terested bar associations. Applications received
are distributed to the commission members.
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