I have 34 years of courtroom experience, 12 years more than my opponent. I’ve tried cases at the trial and the appellate level. I have represented people from all walks of life, in many areas of the law. I was honored to receive the Leader in Law Award, Pro Bono Award for Maryland, named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women and named one of the state’s top 25 Family Law Attorneys. My experience, sense of fairness and integrity have prepare me for the judgeship.

I plan to implement a Juvenile Recovery Program to create a path away from jail and toward treatment. This approach provides treatment with court oversight to juveniles with substance abuse and mental health issues. It will reduce the number of imprisoned juveniles, and also reduce recidivism. Give young people help now and prevent serious offenses later.

Diversion programs can prevent incarceration and recidivism, especially when the underlying causes of the offenses are mental health or substance abuse issues. I plan to implement Juvenile Recovery Program and Veterans Court in St. Mary’s County (12,000 veterans live here). These programs provide first time offenders with a path forward through court-supervised treatment instead of incarceration.

One significant challenge is the increasing number of repeat violent offenders. Diversion programs are a great solution for first time offenders, but the community must be kept safe from repeat violent offenders. Appropriate sentences should punish the wrongdoing, deter crime, and provide for rehabilitation through treatment during incarceration and after release through supervised probation.

As a current St. Mary’s County Circuit Court Judge, I have spent my legal career preparing for this enormous responsibility. I was appointed by Governor Hogan in 2022, after an intensive vetting process. Before that, I was a lawyer for 20 years, serving as a criminal prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, civil litigator, family law attorney, appellate attorney, and counsel to small businesses. I have tried thousands of jury and non-jury cases. My breadth of experience is an asset to the bench.

As a sitting judge, and consistent with the Maryland Code of Judicial Conduct, I am unable to specifically respond to this question. I will say that as a Circuit Court Judge it is imperative that you have someone who is well versed on juvenile and criminal law and understands that most cases that come before a Circuit Court Judge are criminal cases. As an attorney, I regularly accepted pro bono appointments to represent juveniles and was Chair of the Juvenile Drug Court Steering Committee.

A judge should be fair but firm, which includes listening to and evaluating all possible options for punishment, deterrence, and rehabilitation. There are times when the appropriate response to behavioral problems and substance abuse is punishment through incarceration and there are times when an appropriate diversion program meets the needs of the individual and society. The objective to both being to protect public safety and to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice.

Ensuring the timely administration of justice can be a challenge. There are times when justice delayed can mean justice denied. I will continue to address this concern by being prepared when taking the bench, working hard, being versed in the wide variety of cases that come before the Circuit Court, and using my experience to ensure that cases continue to move through the judicial system as efficiently and fairly as possible.