Maryland Judicial Vacancies

Pool Candidates

The Judicial Nominating Commissions select and nominate to the Governor persons found by the Commission to be legally and most fully professionally qualified to fill a vacancy. The table includes all current vacancies. Once the close date to a vacancy passes, the names of all applicants will be listed. The public is encouraged to participate in the selection process by submitting written and signed comments concerning the qualifications of an applicant to The Judicial Nominating Commission, c/o The Administrative Office of the Courts, Human Resources, 187 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Fourth Floor, Annapolis, Maryland 21401. The comments must be received at least one week prior to the Commission meeting date shown in the table below.

The Nominating Commission meets to interview all candidates. Thereafter a voting session takes place and the names of nominees are reported to the Governor. When approval is granted by the Governor's Office, the names of the individuals nominated by the Commission will be listed in the table below.

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this table. Please recognize, however, that this list does not constitute official notification of individuals nominated for, or appointed to, a judicial vacancy. Rather, the official list of candidates for a vacancy is compiled by the Administrative Office of the Courts and sent to the Governor's Office. The Governor's Office officially notifies the appointed individual and releases an official notice to the public. When an appointment to a vacancy is announced by the Governor's Office, the name is highlighted in red.

NOTE: Please only submit applications for vacancies that have a closing date listed.
District Court for Harford County
Reason for Vacancy:

Retirement of the Honorable Susan H. Hazlett

Close Date @4:30pm:
12/19/2024
Applicants Pool **:

Jason Isaac Allen
Stefanie Lee Ann Burton-Bragg
Gavin Malachi Patashnick
Albert Joseph Peisinger
Schniqua Latae Roberts
Shawn Vinson
**Jessica Russo Bancroft 
**Angela Chong Diehl 
**Harrison Earl Greene, III 
**Lawrence Francis Kreis, Jr.         
**Donald Foster Walter, Jr. 

Comm. Mtg:
01-30-2025
Nominees Pool **:
Circuit Court for Talbot County
Reason for Vacancy:

Elevation of the Honorable Stephen H. Kehoe to the Appellate Court

Close Date @4:30pm:
08/28/2024
Applicants Pool **:

Peter Russell Cotter
Philip Thomas Cronan
Chelsea Clark Endzel
Magistrate Mary Elliott O'Donnell
Kisha T. Petticolas
Tamara Vaughn Whelan Stofa
Kristina Arriaga Sutley

Comm. Mtg:
10-02-2024
Nominees Pool **:

Peter Russell Cotter
Philip Thomas Cronan
Tamara Vaughn Whelan Stofa
 

Appointed (Date of Appointment):

Philip Thomas Cronan (12/20/2024)

District Court for Howard County
Reason for Vacancy:

Retirement of the Honorable Pamila J. Brown

Close Date @4:30pm:
Applicants Pool **:

**Claude de Vastey Jones 
**Ryan Joseph Dymek
**Mark Joseph Muffoletto 
**Frank Edward Turney 

Comm. Mtg:
Nominees Pool **:

**Claude de Vastey Jones 
**Ryan Joseph Dymek
**Mark Joseph Muffoletto 
**Frank Edward Turney 

Appointed (Date of Appointment):

**Claude de Vastey Jones (12/20/2024)

Circuit Court for Montgomery County

NOTE:  This vacancy is being re-advertised with a new closing date of January 31, 2025. 

Reason for Vacancy:

Retirement of the Honorable Joan E. Ryon

Close Date @4:30pm:
01/31/2025
Applicants Pool **:

David Edgar Booth, Jr.
James Joseph Dietrich
David Keith Felsen
Mary Ellen Flynn
Magistrate Robert Jay Goldman
Gerard Paul Griffin
Keith Joseph Rosa
David Mitchell Schoenfeld
Vincent Michael Wills
Carlotta Ann Woodward
Seth Bradley Zucker

Comm. Mtg:
Nominees Pool **:
District Court for Cecil County
Reason for Vacancy:

Retirement of the Honorable Bonnie G. Schneider

Close Date @4:30pm:
11/12/2024
Applicants Pool **:

Jobeth Rocky Bowers
Emily Louise Gillis
Michael James Halter
Justin Bryan Hill
Veronica Natasha Love
Melissa Anne Ricke
Robert Elliott Sentman
Robert Edmund Surmacz
Stuart Thomas Welch
Denise Winston

Comm. Mtg:
12-09-2024
Nominees Pool **:

Justin Bryan Hill
Robert Elliott Sentman
Denise Winston

Circuit Court for Cecil County
Reason for Vacancy:

Retirement of the Honorable Keith A. Baynes

Close Date @4:30pm:
11/12/2024
Applicants Pool **:

Jobeth Rocky Bowers
Emily Louise Gillis
Michael James Halter
Justin Bryan Hill
Veronica Natasha Love
Melissa Anne Ricke
Robert Elliott Sentman
Stuart Thomas Welch
**Edwin Benjamin Fockler IV
**Charles Evan Rollins

Comm. Mtg:
12-09-2024
Nominees Pool **:

Robert Elliott Sentman
**Edwin Benjamin Fockler IV
**Charles Evan Rollins

Circuit Court for Baltimore City

NOTE:  Applications for this vacancy are not being accepted at this time.

Reason for Vacancy:

Retirement of the Honorable Videtta A. Brown

Close Date @4:30pm:
Applicants Pool **:

**Honorable Catherine Chen 
**James Burke Miller 
**Jocelyn Lang Williams 

Comm. Mtg:
Nominees Pool **:
District Court for Baltimore City
Reason for Vacancy:

Resignation of the Honorable Kevin M. Wilson

Close Date @4:30pm:
08/06/2024
Applicants Pool **:

Kristin Elizabeth Blumer
Marnell Allan Cooper
Jennifer Erin Keyser
James Burke Miller
Shomari Akil Taylor
Jocelyn Lang Williams
Rita Marie Wisthoff-Ito
**Piper Faith McKeithen 

Comm. Mtg:
08-30-2024
Nominees Pool **:

Kristin Elizabeth Blumer
Marnell Allan Cooper
James Burke Miller
**Piper Faith McKeithen (withdrew)

Appointed (Date of Appointment):

Marnell Allan Cooper (11/27/2024)

District Court for Prince George's County
Reason for Vacancy:

Elevation of the Honorable LaKeecia R. Allen to the Circuit Court
Elevation of the Honorable Ada E. Clark-Edwards to the Circuit Court

Close Date @4:30pm:
11/25/2024
Applicants Pool **:

Honorable Wendy Alise Cartwright
Jessica Lowell Garth
Kamilah Olisa House
Chanel Monique Jackson
Melissa Alesia Pryce
Sherrie Marie Waldrup
Stephen Jerome Williams
**Magistrate Bruce Dermion Edwards
**William Carl Isler, II
**Rhonda Alexis Wood

Comm. Mtg:
Nominees Pool **:
Circuit Court for Prince George's County
Reason for Vacancy:

Elevation of the Honorable Peter K. Killough to the Supreme Court of Maryland
Retirement of the Honorable Herman C. Dawson

Close Date @4:30pm:
11/25/2024
Applicants Pool **:

Honorable Donnaka Varner Lewis
Scott LaMarr Little
Angela Denise Minor
Sherrie Marie Waldrup
**Honorable Stacey Maria Cobb Smith
**Rhonda Alexis Wood
**William Carl Isler, II
 

Comm. Mtg:
Nominees Pool **:
Circuit Court for St. Mary's County

NOTE:  Applications for this vacancy are not being accepted at this time.

Reason for Vacancy:

Passing of the Honorable Michael J. Stamm

Close Date @4:30pm:
Applicants Pool **:
Comm. Mtg:
Nominees Pool **:
District Court for Worcester County

NOTE:  Applications for this vacancy are not being accepted at this time.

Reason for Vacancy:

Retirement of the Honorable Gerald V. Purnell

Close Date @4:30pm:
Applicants Pool **:

**Michael William Farlow 
**David Charles Gaskill
**Regan James Reno Smith 

Comm. Mtg:
Nominees Pool **:
Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County

NOTE:  Applications for these vacancies are not being accepted at this time.

Reason for Vacancy:

Retirement of the Honorable Alison L. Asti
Retirement of the Honorable J. Michael Wachs

Close Date @4:30pm:
Applicants Pool **:

**Honorable Jennifer Michelle Alexander
**Richard John Berwanger, Jr. 

Comm. Mtg:
Nominees Pool **:

**Individuals who were nominated for a judicial vacancy but who were not appointed by the Governor become part of a pool that will be considered automatically for each vacancy on the same court occurring within two years after submission of the initial list.