Judge Halee F. Weinstein named District Administrative Judge for the District Court of Maryland in Baltimore City

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Baltimore City District Court Judge Halee F. Weinstein has been named administrative judge for District 1 (Baltimore City) of the District Court of Maryland. Judge Weinstein succeeds District Administrative Judge Barbara Baer Waxman, who will retire on March 1, 2021, after 30 years on the bench.

After consulting with and receiving the approval of Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera, District Court of Maryland Chief Judge John P. Morrissey named Judge Weinstein district administrative judge, effective January 25, 2021. Judge Waxman will remain on the bench through February 28, and will assist with the transition in leadership.

District administrative judges oversee the administration of the court, budget, and procurement functions. They also manage trial calendars to ensure the expeditious disposition of cases.

Judge Weinstein was appointed as an associate judge to the District Court in Baltimore City in 2002 by then-Governor Parris N. Glendening. She is the first openly LGBTQ person appointed as a judge in the state of Maryland. Judge Weinstein has served for the past six years as the judge-in-charge at the District Court of Maryland’s Eastside District courthouse. She is also a member of the Judicial Council’s Specialty Courts and Dockets Committee.

Judge Weinstein, a U.S. Army veteran, is the founding and presiding judge of the Baltimore City District Court Veterans Treatment Court (VTC), a comprehensive, court-supervised, and voluntary treatment-based program for veterans charged with misdemeanor and concurrent jurisdiction felonies in the District Court. Founded in 2015, the VTC serves veterans by integrating a coordinated treatment response for veterans with substance use disorders or mental health issues. Judge Weinstein also created Courting Art Baltimore in 2015, an art and scholarship program for Baltimore City Public High School students that connects the legal community to local communities through art. The students’ artwork is displayed at the Eastside District Court.

“On behalf of the Maryland Judiciary, I congratulate Judge Waxman on her distinguished judicial career, throughout which she served with integrity and diligence, to the benefit of the people of the City of Baltimore and Maryland,” said Chief Judge Barbera. “Judge Waxman’s contributions in the District Court for three decades are numerous and her commitment to providing justice has been constant. I know that the transition of the leadership role will be seamless as Judge Waxman passes the mantle to a fellow leader and judicial colleague, the Hon. Halee F. Weinstein.”

“Judge Weinstein is an exemplary jurist with nearly 20 years of service in the District Court in Baltimore City. Her extraordinary vision and leadership over the years has been a tremendous asset to the District Court and to the entire Judiciary,” said District Court of Maryland Chief Judge John P. Morrissey.

Prior to her appointment to the District Court of Maryland, Judge Weinstein served as Assistant
State's Attorney in Baltimore City from 1991-2002 and as Assistant Division Chief, Charging Division, from 2000-2002. She also served as a member of the Mayor's Coordinating Council on Criminal Justice.

“Being chosen as administrative judge is an honor and a privilege. I truly appreciate it, and I am humbled by Chief Judge Barbera and Chief Judge Morrissey’s support and confidence in me as I assume this new role,” said Judge Weinstein. “One of the highlights of my career is also the privilege of serving alongside Judge Waxman for nearly two decades. Her legacy is her leadership, and I will do my best to build upon it as we move into the next chapter.”

After graduating magna cum laude from Campbell University in 1984, Judge Weinstein served as a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army’s 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She earned a juris doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1989 and was admitted to the Maryland State Bar that same year. Judge Weinstein served as a law clerk to Judge Elsbeth L. Bothe, Baltimore City Circuit Court, from 1989-1990, and she served as a litigation associate at Kaplan, Heyman, Greenberg, Engelman, & Belgrad, P.A., from 1990-1991.

Judge Weinstein has received several awards for her successful leadership of the Baltimore City VTC, including the Annual Brigadier General Philip Sherman Award from the Veterans Affairs and Military Law Section of the Maryland State Bar Association; the HillVets’ top 100 most influential members of the military community in the Government Career Employees category; and the United Way of Central Maryland’s Frank Miller Spirit of Partnership Award. Judge Weinstein was also featured as one of Maryland's Top 100 Women by The Daily Record in 2019 and earned The Daily Record’s Leadership in Law Award in 2020. 

“I have known Judge Weinstein since 1991, when she was a domestic violence prosecutor. She has been an exemplary judge, committed to equality, justice, and fairness for all our citizens. I have complete confidence in her leadership abilities, and I know the court will flourish in her capable hands,” said Judge Waxman. “I thank Chief Judge Barbera and Chief Judge Morrissey for this well-deserved appointment. It has been a personal privilege to be a judge for the District Court of Maryland for almost 30 years, the last seven as administrative judge. We are the ‘People’s Court’ and I cherished every day of service to the citizens of Baltimore and the state of Maryland.”

###