Defense lawyers challenge rulings by former Montgomery County Circuit Judge David Boynton
One sentencing in question includes the high-profile case of a Magruder High School student who shot and nearly killed another teen in a bathroom. In that hearing, Boynton ruled from the bench as McCarthy sat in the front row of the gallery.
Defense attorneys say the way Boynton and McCarthy handled the job switch contradicts Maryland rules designed to promote “public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary.”..
...On Dec. 22, Boynton took up the sentencing of Steven Alston Jr. Nearly a year earlier, the 18-year-old was charged with attempted murder after bringing an untraceable “ghost gun” to Magruder High School and shooting another teen in a boys’ bathroom. As the case progressed, Alston’s defense attorney, David Felsen, discussed with prosecutors a way for Alston to plead guilty and — recognizing his age, cognitive limitations and previously clean criminal record — be sent to a prison program for young offenders, according to court records and hearings. The program typically takes six to seven years to complete.
The attorneys met with Boynton to discuss their plea terms. He then emailed them saying he was willing to impose a sentence “sufficient to allow defendant to complete” the program while maintaining the discretion to sentence Alston to as many as 25 years. The final decision, Boynton wrote, would come after he presided over a sentencing hearing...
Md. judge quietly negotiated job with prosecutors while hearing cases - The Washington Post
Which takes multitasking into an uncharted territory.
ReplyDeleteSound like a judicial baseball game where the players get to switch base positions.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/KXZkot4WpJM
ReplyDeleteWhat are the Prosecutor's three Ps_?
1. Prosecute criminals.
2. Prevent crime.
3. Protect and support victims of crime.