ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced the appointments of Ralph Laurence Sapia and Evelyn Lombardo Cusson to the Baltimore County Circuit Court, and Brett Joann Engler to the Frederick County District Court.
“The Baltimore County Circuit and Frederick County District Courts are gaining three dedicated servants of the law,” said Gov. Moore. “Throughout their careers, Ralph Laurence Sapia, Evelyn Lombardo Cusson, and Brett Joann Engler have demonstrated a commitment to fairness and justice that will serve our people well. I am grateful that they raised their hands to serve.”
Ralph Laurence Sapia
Ralph Laurence Sapia is a solo practitioner in Towson operating under the Law Office of Ralph L. Sapia, P.A. Prior to opening his firm, Sapia was a partner at Tillman Sapia, P.A. and taught history and social studies at Baltimore County Public Schools—where he currently serves on the ethics review panel. He also serves as the chair of the St. Agnes Hospital Foundation board of directors, and is a founding member of the Sisters Academy of Baltimore board of directors.
Sapia received his law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
Evelyn Lombardo Cusson
Evelyn Lombardo Cusson serves as an assistant U.S. attorney in the office of the U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, where she has prosecuted white collar crimes and handled a broad range of litigation in both the civil and criminal divisions. Evelyn also serves as the office’s elder justice coordinator, working to raise awareness of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults. She previously practiced at Gordon Feinblatt, LLC, and Anderson, Coe & King, LLP, and clerked for the Honorable Lynne A. Battaglia on the Maryland Court of Appeals—now the Supreme Court of Maryland. Cusson also serves as the president of the Baltimore City Bar Association.
Cusson earned her law degree from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.
Brett Joann Engler
Brett Joann Engler is the chief of the domestic violence unit at the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office. As assistant state’s attorney, Engler has worked for more than a decade to improve the county’s prosecution of domestic violence cases and strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration between criminal justice and community stakeholders. Engler has also helped advocate for several legal advances, including a 2020 Maryland law that categorized strangulation as a felony. Engler currently chairs the Frederick County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council and Frederick County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team, in addition to serving on state and national committees related to domestic violence response.
Engler earned her law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
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