JUDGE of the CIRCUIT COURT
SALARY: $140,352 annual base as of 7/01/08
TERM: Fifteen years, no term limit
HOW ELECTED: When there is a vacancy, the Governor appoints a qualified person to fill the office. Each newly appointed Circuit Court judge then must stand for election at the first election that occurs at least one year later. The judge may be opposed formally by one or more qualified members of the bar. All candidates run on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. Independents vote only in general election.
DUTIES: Judges preside in the Circuit Court, which is a trial court of general jurisdiction covering major civil cases and more serious criminal matters. Circuit Courts also may decide appeals from the District Court and certain administrative agencies.
THE ISSUES
BACKGROUND: What are your qualifications for this office?
JUDICIAL SYSTEM NEEDS: What is the area of greatest need in the Maryland judicial system?
LEGAL ACCESS: What can be done to provide individuals with wider and better access to legal help and the legal system?
(Vote for no more than two judges)
BACKGROUND: I graduated from Wheaton High School, Washington College, and the University of Baltimore School of Law. I was a Montgomery County Assistant State’s Attorney, and also an attorney in private practice for nearly 25 years before being appointed to the Circuit Court bench two years ago by Governor Ehrlich.
JUSTICE SYSTEM NEEDS: We need to continue our efforts at finding alternative means to resolve disputes. Court dockets are already overcrowded, and our physical facilities limited. Many cases both civil and criminal can be effectively settled without judicial intervention, through trained mediators and facilitators.
LEGAL ACCESS: Montgomery County lawyers already provide legal representation to the indigent, through the Public Defender’s Office (criminal cases), the Legal Aid Bureau (civil cases), and our county bar association’s pro bono program. More government funding would ensure continued access, by all citizens, to these vital services.
BACKGROUND: I have been a judge since 1997 and have worked in the legal field for 32 years. Before becoming a judge, I practiced in civil and criminal law, as a partner in a law firm and in the Public Defender’s Office; also as law clerk for a Circuit Court judge....
JUSTICE SYSTEM NEEDS: Developing more cost-effective ways of resolving disputes. Due to the increasing costs of litigation, many people decide to represent themselves in matters where they would be better served by having an attorney.
LEGAL ACCESS: The Maryland courts have worked very hard to provide access to the legal system. There is a tremendous amount of on-line assistance, particularly for District Court cases. The Court continues to train its personnel, including judges, to guide the self represented litigant, while still remaining impartial.
SALARY: $149,552 as of 7/01/08
TERM: 10 years, no term limit
HOW ELECTED:
The Governor appoints judges to the Court of Special Appeals. The
State Senate must confirm these appointments. At the end of a
ten-year term, these judges’ names must appear on the ballot.
Voters vote “yes” for retention, or “no” to
remove from office. Judges may not be opposed by other candidates in
retention elections. Maryland is divided into 7 Appellate Judicial
Circuits. One judge is appointed from each of these circuits and six
members are appointed from the state at large. There are a total of
13 judges in the Court of Special Appeals.
DUTIES:
Judges preside over The Maryland Court of Special Appeals, which is
the intermediate appellate court for Maryland. It was created in 1966
in response to the rapidly growing caseload in the Maryland Court of
Appeals. The Court of Special Appeals originally could hear only
criminal cases. However, its jurisdiction has expanded so it now
considers any reviewable action of the circuit court, unless
otherwise provided by law. Judges sitting on the Court of Special
Appeals generally hear and decide cases in panels of three.
THE ISSUES
BACKGROUND: What are your qualifications for this office?
JUDICIAL SYSTEM NEEDS: What is the area of greatest need in the Maryland judicial system?
LEGAL ACCESS: What can be done to provide individuals with wider and better access to legal help and the legal system?
(Vote “yes” for continuance in office or “no” for removal)
DEBORAH EYLER
BACKGROUND: In 11 years of service as a judge on the
Court of Special Appeals, I have authored more than 1,000 case
opinions. From that experience, I have gained in-depth knowledge of
all aspects of Maryland law and have become skilled at producing case
opinions that are thorough, fair, and timely.
JUDICIAL SYSTEM
NEEDS: In the criminal justice system, additional "drug
court" diversion programs because the vast majority of crimes in
Maryland are rooted in the distribution and use of illegal drugs. In
the civil justice system, affordable legal representation, especially
for parents and children in contested custody cases.
LEGAL
ACCESS: More outreach by courts and the judiciary's local
pro-bono committees, which exist in each county, to link up, early in
a case, a party who cannot afford representation with a pro bono
lawyer who can handle the matter for free or at a substantially
reduced rate.
ROBERT A. ZARNOCH 
BACKGROUND:
Before my appointment, I served 30 sessions as the Attorney General's
Counsel to the General Assembly. I reviewed 20,000 bills and authored
thousands of advice letters. I argued in the Supreme Court and
participated in 39 cases in the State's highest court, including one
making the Camden Yards stadiums possible.
JUDICIAL SYSTEM
NEEDS: A 2008 Harris Poll discloses that only 16% of the public
has a great deal of confidence in the courts and the justice system.
Such numbers will never be reversed until judges demonstrate by
performance that the system is accessible, deals fairly with all, and
reaches just results.
LEGAL ACCESS: Studies note that a
citizen is more likely to go to court than be hospitalized. Greater
support for legal aid and pro bono lawyering is needed. Promotion of
pre-paid legal plans and self-help, expanding small claims courts and
streamlining legal procedures would also help citizens obtain
affordable legal assistance.