Governor O'Malley Swears In The Honorable Sally D. Adkins to Court of Appeals
ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 25, 2008) – Governor Martin O’Malley today swore in the Honorable Sally D. Adkins to the Court of Appeals of Maryland, the State’s highest court. Judge Adkins, who will represent the First Appellate Circuit (Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico & Worcester Counties,) will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Dale R. Cathell. Governor O’Malley swore in Judge Adkins today at a ceremony attended by Chief Judge Robert Bell of the Court of Appeals, Chief Judge Peter Krauser of the Court of Special Appeals, House Speaker Michael Busch, fellow Judges, elected officials, family and friends.
“It is an honor to swear in Judge Adkins as a member of the Court of Appeals,” said Governor O’Malley. “Her career has been defined by fairness and integrity, and is a testament to her abilities to serve the people of Maryland. She will be an asset to the State’s highest court.”
“I am grateful to Governor O’Malley for the opportunity to represent the Eastern Shore on the Court of Appeals and continue my service to the citizens of Maryland. The journey from University of Maryland School of Law to private practice, to Circuit Court for Wicomico County, to the Court of Special Appeals, and now to the Court of Appeals, has been immensely satisfying,” said Judge Adkins. “I know that cases are about people, whose individual lives will be impacted by our decision. This fact always reminds me of the importance of what we are asked to do. I welcome the challenge of living up to the Court’s long tradition of fairness, scholarship, and judicial excellence.”
Judge Adkins has served on the Court of Special Appeals -- the State’s intermediate appellate court -- since 1998, during which time she has written over 140 published opinions and approximately 750 unpublished opinions. From 1999 to 2006, in addition to serving on the Court of Special Appeals, Judge Adkins was the Chair of the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities. From 1996 to 1998, she was an Associate Judge for the Circuit Court for Wicomico County, where she initiated and developed a child custody mediation program.
Judge Adkins is a recipient of several awards, including the Dorothy Beatty Memorial Award from the Women’s Law Center of Maryland, Inc. and the Rita C. Davidson Award from the Women’s Bar Association of Maryland, Inc. Judge Adkins was named a Woman of the Year by the Salisbury Business and Professional Women in 1998 and has received a certificate of recognition from the Wicomico County Commission for Women. She was also recognized by the Mid-Delmarva Family Y.M.C.A. for her extraordinary service and leadership as its legal counsel from 1985-1989.
Judge Adkins received her undergraduate degree from Lawrence University in 1972 and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1975
