ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced the appointments of the Honorable Sidney A. Butcher to the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, and Otis Freeman, Elizabeth López, and Noelle W. Newman to the Baltimore City District Court.
“The Anne Arundel County Circuit Court and Baltimore City District Court are gaining four exceptional legal minds who have dedicated their careers to upholding the law,” said Gov. Moore. “Their collective experience—from public defense to prosecution and federal service—has prepared them well for the bench. Their shared commitment to the people of Maryland will be a tremendous asset, and I am truly grateful they have raised their hands to serve.”
The Honorable Sidney A. Butcher
The Honorable Sidney A. Butcher has served as a judge for the Anne Arundel County District Court since his appointment in 2019. Prior to joining the bench, he worked as an assistant attorney general in the Office of the Attorney General, where he was assigned to the Medicaid Fraud Unit. Before joining the Office of the Attorney General, Judge Butcher served as counsel in the white-collar litigation group at Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP following a decade as a prosecutor in the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office. Judge Butcher also served as a former member of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education, and has held numerous leadership positions with the Maryland State Bar Association. Additionally, he is a member of the Anne Arundel Bar Association Executive Council, is a past president of the Monumental City Bar Association, and is the previous chair of the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section.
Judge Butcher earned his law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law.
Elizabeth López
Elizabeth López has spent her entire legal career as a public defender, with 15 years practicing public defense at the state level and the last four and a half years practicing on the federal level. She currently serves as a felony attorney supervisor for the Office of the Federal Public Defender, where she supervises four felony attorneys and manages a complex felony caseload. In her previous role at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, López served as a supervising attorney, and later, as the emerging adult litigation specialist, where she was responsible for creating a statewide model for the defense of children charged as adults. Earlier in her career, she represented juvenile and adult clients in criminal and civil commitment proceedings as an attorney with the Defender Association in Seattle, Washington.
López earned her law degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
Noelle W. Newman
Noelle W. Newman has served as counsel for Pessin Katz Law’s General Litigation Group since 2022. Her current practice spans domestic relations matters, civil, and state and federal criminal defense. Previously, she spent 15 years at the Baltimore City State's Attorney’s Office, where she was appointed deputy state’s attorney in 2021 and oversaw multiple trial units. From 2006 to 2021, she served as an assistant state’s attorney in district, juvenile, and circuit courts, handling cases ranging from misdemeanors to complex felonies including sexual child abuse and homicides. Newman also testified for and championed key public safety and criminal justice reforms, and is a past president of the Monumental City Bar Association.
Newman earned her law degree from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.
Otis W. Freeman
Otis Freeman has served as an assistant chief counsel in the Baltimore Office of the Principal Legal Advisor within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security since 2022. Prior to joining the federal agency, Freeman spent four years as an assistant attorney general with the Maryland Office of the Attorney General representing the Uninsured Employers' Fund. In this role, he represented the Uninsured Employers' Fund in workers’ compensation hearings and advised in various civil and criminal areas of law. Freeman held the position of assistant state’s attorney in the Baltimore City State's Attorney’s Office for seven years, serving as the lead prosecutor in many jury and bench trials including attempted murder, extortion, and robbery cases. Prior to serving as assistant state’s attorney, Freeman began his legal career as a law clerk for the homicide unit within the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office.
Freeman earned his law degree from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.
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