Return to Election Result Index . According to his most recent financial disclosure, he has around $22,000 in his campaign coffers. Im worth fighting for, she said in the interview. 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. all male county council, and men as state's attorney . State Del. Any questions or feedback can be sent to elections@baltsun.com, or read more about the questionnaire process here. Danielle E. Gaines contributed to this report. My priority in running for states attorney is having a fair, transparent and accountable criminal justice system in the States Attorneys Office things that we dont have here, Leonard said. Cox initially said he would offer some comment but left without speaking to reporters after the results were announced. Soros has funded progressive prosecutor candidates around the country. Baltimore County's four-term State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger usually runs for reelection uncontested every four years. Review of sentences is another issue. One plaintiff, Anna Borkowski, told the magazine that Shellenberger sent three members of the Baltimore County Police Department to her grandmothers house in Baltimore City, which is out of their jurisdiction, to tell her to stop attempting to file charges against her assailants. Shellenbergers tactic is to lean on the justice system. Specifically, Leonard criticized the states attorney for not prosecuting police officers involved in fatal shootings. Thats what I was trying to do, and Im sorry she took it to be anything other than what it was, Dever said. If re-elected, Shellenberger plans to prioritize prosecuting violent crime, which has been on the rise in Baltimore County. Leonard said his campaign that ended in a narrow defeat should be seen as a signal for change in the countys criminal justice system. 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. represented state employee retirees in a lawsuit, Progressive Groups Endorse Robbie Leonard for Baltimore County States Attorney, Reform Council Recommends Ending Policy of Automatically Charging Some Youth as Adults, Mireku-North Launches Challenge to Montgomery County States Attorney, Moore joins with dignitaries at wreath laying ceremony before inauguration as states first Black governor, Moore faces great expectations and the weight of history as he takes office, Ahead of Moores inauguration as first Black governor, another first reflects, As Moore is inaugurated, the Black leaders who backed him are as enthusiastic as ever, Dayvon Love: Lets kill the woke straw man argument, Biden speaks of redeeming Americas soul during visit to Martin Luther Kings hometown church, Political Notes: Four more for the Moore team, plus the roster of Black Caucus leaders and an MLK Day fair housing event, Former delegate pleads guilty to misconduct in office for misusing state funds to pay for Middle River cottage, Consultants tell work group cannabis sales in Maryland could reach $1B after its legal. McDonough faces a misdemeanor theft charge in connection with allegations he stole a Badillo campaign sign in Parkville. Printer Friendly Version. Subscribers to The Daily Record can access the digital edition archive. Shellenberger said he acted out of concern for the woman, because he believed the men might file criminal charges or a lawsuit against her. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, some scrutiny for his handling of police involved shooting incidents. 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). Leonard said arresting possible human trafficking victims preposterous. With the limits on resources with which I am provided, that is where my priorities will be. The political action committee spent hundreds of thousands on mailings and ads in support of Leonard. Of the cases where prosecutors brought charges, convictions were secured in 64% of the cases. It appears that this has been accomplished. Where do you see room for improvement in how sexual assault survivors are treated by law enforcement and prosecutors? Nonprofit. Were one of the only large counties to certify its elections today, said County Elections Director Ruie Lavoie. - University of Baltimore, School of Law, 1984 - Loyola College, 1981, - State's Attorney for Baltimore County since 2007 - Won election in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. Leonard is the secretary of the Maryland Democratic Party. His last Republican challenger in the general election was in 2010. Friday marked the final day of counting for mail-in and provisional ballots in Baltimore County. The Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City takes a holistic approach to fighting crime, keeping the community informed, investing in Baltimore's youth before they encounter the criminal justice system and providing second-chance opportunities to first-time nonviolent offenders. Only Shellenberger and the Fraternal Order of Police appeared in opposition, according to Leonard. Shellenberger, 63, has criticized Leonard for his lack of prosecutorial experience, his party politics and perspective on criminal justice reform. Longtime Baltimore County States Attorney Scott Shellenbergers record on handling sexual assault cases is in the spotlight as he seeks a fifth term as the countys top prosecutor. The strength of Leonards candidacy, I think, suggests that the public has an appetite for criminal justice reform.. It appears incumbent Democratic Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger could lose his seat to well funded progressive challenger Robbie Leonard. Crime, he said, is regional. WYPF 88.1 FM Frederick This concept that Im against everything and we have to throw everybody in jail I just think if people really dig into my record they would find that theres a lot there, he said. Riley said hes seen firsthand how elected officials can become stale.. We have succeeded over the years to get the Maryland Legislature to change many antiquated laws which allowed some sex offenders to get away with their crimes. Four incumbents faced primary challengers. He said crime and the fear of crime does not seem to be getting better. If you say youre going to ring the bell, ring the bell, said Haynes, whos also a retired federal appellate administrative law judge. an audit to examine possible racial disparities. Working immediately to get an innocent person freed who has been wrongly convicted is probably the most important thing a prosecutor should do. In this instance, Dever said, the juror was a Black woman who told other jurors the defendant reminded her of her son and indicated she believed all Black women lie. The defendant was found not guilty in the trial. Sure it helped, said Leonard. In the Democratic primary, Leonard has garnered an impressive list of endorsements so far, including from the Teachers Association of Baltimore County, Our Revolution, The Working Families Party, Progressive Maryland, CASA in Action and several labor unions. Attorney Robbie Leonard said Monday he will challenge Shellenberger in next Junes primary. The Maryland PAC is affiliated with the national Justice & Public Safety PAC, which has helped fund progressive prosecutor candidates in Virginia and Pennsylvania in recent years. This has to be balanced with our efforts to pursue the assertive prosecution of crimes of violence to assure the public knows they can feel safe to live in this County and that they will be protected. States attorney, he said, is not a position to learn on the job. The public deserves to know that the issues will be addressed with that promptness. 'This is a big job': Leonard Takes on Shellenberger in Baltimore County State's Attorney Primary By Hannah Gaskill May 30, 2022 Getty Images. 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. As states attorney, Shellenberger said, he constantly makes changes. 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. [Live election results: Baltimore County primary results]. Both Shellenberger and Leonard have declined to discuss the changes in vote totals over the last week of counting. Riley said he helped the Baltimore County Republican Central Committee recruit Haynes to run and agreed to serve as the chairperson of his campaign. Education: Bachelors degree in English from the University of Maryland in 1973. Pausing on her way to drop off a ballot at Stoneleigh Elementary School, West Towson resident Ilaina Clement, 62, said she voted for Leonard because she supports his positions on criminal justice reform. Baltimore County voters have made their selections in primary races for states attorney, the County Council and county executive ahead of the November general contest. Leonard is the secretary of the Maryland Democratic Party. Amanda Rodriguez, the executive director of the nonpartisan advocacy group TurnAround Inc., said there absolutely has to be a change in how sexual assaults are prosecuted in Baltimore County, regardless of who wins the election. The winner of the primary will go on to the general election to face Republican James A. Haynes, 72, a former federal labor department administrative judge who lives in Rodgers Forge, or Deborah Hill, 60, a private practice attorney who lives in Cockeysville. Haynes said he would neither solicit campaign donations from staff nor ask them to work the polls. 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. Prosecutors had declined to take the case, but the woman tried to pursue charges on her own through the court commissioner. Shellenberger told The Sun he spoke with Dever and said it was a wrong thing to say to a victim.. He fulfilled a lifelong dream when elected State's Attorney for Baltimore County in 2006, and was re-elected in 2010, 2014 and 2018. In the state's attorney race, incumbent Scott Shellenberger has maintained a lead in recent days over challenger Robbie Leonard as mail-in votes are tallied. His office has adopted some of the groups recommendations, such as documenting when prosecutors review police investigations, but has disagreed with others. Leonards and the PACs messaging focused heavily on Shellenbergers handling of sexual assault cases. Baltimore County State's Attorney is challenged on prosecution . Additionally, it found three prosecutors were consulted on the most cases, of the 56 the audit examined that named a prosecutor. He plans to hold a rally in Patriots Plaza in Towson at 2 p.m. WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore Shellenberger received 44,962 votes or 51% compared to Leonard's 42,847 votes, 49%. Rodriguez, who has been working as an advocate for the woman who confronted Shellenberger, said the reasoning for why prosecutors arent moving forward has been inconsistent. Rodriguez is a former prosecutor in Shellenbergers office and said she would have brought criminal charges against the womans attacker, based on the facts of the case. He was challenged by Tony Fugett, who was one of an unprecedented number of Black candidates across the county to run for council after the redistricting lawsuit. We just work cooperatively toward that goal.. www.thebaltimorebanner.com 2022 The Baltimore Banner. Leonard conceded about 2:30 p.m. Friday afternoon. Leonard said he wants to take most of the blame away from the police department in regard to how it handles rape allegations because theyre really just following the directions of Mr. Shellenberger.. This is accomplished by the existence of a thorough and impartial investigation. NR: not reported: Denotes Winner of the Election. Official 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election Results for Baltimore County. Campaign website: www.haynesforbaltimorecounty.com, www.thebaltimorebanner.com 2022 The Baltimore Banner. Tilghman, of Ames United Methodist Church in Bel Air, supported the state Child Interrogation Protection Act for kids taken into police custody. I worked to remove a requirement of "resistance" by victims of a sexual assault. . He said the close primary made him realize that he needs to more frequently publicize some of the reforms that hes implemented including putting in place a marijuana diversion program and supporting the adoption of police body cameras. Were going to lose if we play defense, Haynes said. He said he wouldnt discuss details because I dont think its fair to her, but alluded to what she told police and the timing of the report. 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. John Lee is a reporter for WYPR covering Baltimore County. A former public defender who is now in private practice, Leonard is secretary of the Maryland Democratic Party. She said in the online meeting that was one of the reasons the prosecutor was concerned about moving forward in my case.. The Republican primary, meanwhile, attracted six candidates. Mail-in ballots wont begin to be canvassed until Thursday and it could take days or possibly weeks for winners to be declared. The Baltimore Sun typically does not name people who say they are victims of sexual assault. Published on: July 20, 2022 12:12 AM EDT|Updated on: July 22, 2022 6:28 PM EDT. Were not going to say, Well, its a stalemate. He said he feels that he has a greater diversity of experience than his opponent. 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. But Mohler and other Shellenberger supporters also point to the influence of outside money that supported Leonards candidacy. 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%. What's behind Baltimore County crime and how can the State's Attorney's office help to address those root causes? Do voters want change? I do not believe the facts that you revealed the first time to the police amount to a crime in the state of Maryland.. You certainly have to be impressed with the energy and campaign that Robbie ran to challenge an incumbent, former County Executive Don Mohler, a Democrat who backed Shellenberger, said last week after Leonards strong showing on election night. McDonough denies he stole the sign and a trial is scheduled for Aug. 29. In 2017, Shellenberger opposed mandatory testing of every rape kit. Shellenberger reported having over $13,000 on hand, while Haynes detailed having more than $1,500 available, according to campaign finance disclosure reports that covered July 4-Aug. 23. Civil rights groups sued the county after last years redistricting process, alleging the plan unlawfully diluted Black residents votes. Whoever pulls it out, looks to be headed for a General Election match-up with Republican James A. Haynes who seems to have edged out Deborah Hill. TurnAround, she said, is eager to work with the office on enhancing victim-centered and trauma-informed approaches to working with survivors. Patoka had a large lead in early returns, as did other council members who faced primary challengers: Republicans Todd Crandell of Dundalk, Wade Kach of Cockesyville, and David Marks of Perry Hall. Mohler and other Shellenberger supporters also point to the Daily Record can access the digital edition archive here! 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