Governor O'Malley Appoints Two District Court Judges
Distinguished Candidates Selected to Serve the Baltimore City District Court
ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 7, 2008) – Governor Martin O’Malley today appointed Videtta A. Brown and Leon R. Cooper to serve on the Baltimore City District Court.
“I am pleased to appoint these highly qualified attorneys to serve on the bench in Baltimore City,” said Governor O’Malley. “Ms. Brown and Mr. Cooper have led distinguished careers in public service, and I am confident that they will uphold the important mission of the District Court – providing equal and exact justice to all persons who come before the court.”
Ms. Brown has been a prosecutor in the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office since 1989. Currently, she serves as the Division Chief of the Domestic Violence Unit, where she supervises prosecutors and oversees domestic violence cases, in addition to trying her own docket of cases. During her tenure at the State’s Attorney’s Office, she has prosecuted a wide variety of cases, including felony narcotics and juvenile matters.
Ms. Brown is an adjunct instructor at the University of Maryland School of Law, where she teaches a Domestic Violence and the Law Seminar. She also has taught courses on criminal law and procedure. In 2001, she received the Lieutenant Governor’s Women in Service Award. In 1999, she received a Certificate of Merit from the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Mr. Cooper has practiced law for over 20 years in Baltimore City. Since 1999, he has been an Assistant Public Defender for the State of Maryland. He has handled numerous felony and misdemeanor cases, including cases on burglary, armed carjacking, and murder charges. Currently, he serves as the Attorney Trainer for the Office of the Public Defender. In this capacity, he is responsible for training approximately 500 attorneys, as well as the social workers and investigators of the Office.
From 1987 to 1996, Mr. Cooper was an Assistant State’s Attorney for Baltimore City. In that role, he prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases, including robbery, murder, and felony narcotics cases. He also worked in private practice for several years, handling civil and criminal matters before state and federal courts. Mr. Cooper has received a number of awards for his public service, including a Distinguished Service Award in 2003 from the Maryland State Bar Association and the Citizenship Related Education Program for the Schools of Maryland. In 2000, he was recognized as an Outstanding Assistant Public Defender of the Year.
Prior to selecting the appointees, Governor O’Malley interviewed numerous candidates who were recommended to him by the trial court judicial nominating commission for Baltimore City. More information on the judicial nominating commissions can be found at http://www.gov.state.md.us/executiveorders/01.01.2008.04eo.pdf.
