Letter To The Editor: Objective Assessment – Judge Amy Is The Right Choice

The following opinion piece was submitted by Matthew Burgan.

I’ve never really put much thought or concern into who sits on the Circuit Court bench, I suppose I always took the position that a Judge is a Judge, who cares who it is. But as an individual who was born and raised in St. Mary’s and has continued to witness our once peaceful community diluted by growing crime rates, it seemed like the right time to actually educate myself on the position and the way it impacts our County. 

Turns out the Circuit Court Judge position has a MAJOR impact on the safety of our community. I’ve personally sat in murder trials and spoken with friends/family who have served as jurors during criminal cases. The Circuit Court Judge is solely responsible for not only ensuring a fair trial but educating the jurors on how to properly execute their duties and responsibilities as well as establishing fair sentences when/if the defendant is found guilty. That’s a huge responsibility with a huge impact on the safety and security of our community.

So, when comparing the two candidates it was important to assess who was the most qualified for the position before randomly clicking a box at the poles. Initially I didn’t know either Judge Amy or Ms. Armitage but the more I actually researched the more the disparity in qualification between the two became evident. 

Let’s take an objective look at the qualifications and experience of Ms. Armitage. At a recent candidate’s forum she was asked how many jury trials she has handled, she failed to reply stating “It’s not the quantity it’s the quality”. I would genuinely like to know, Ms. Armitage, how many, if any, jury trials have you handled? The practical application of the position you’re running for is incredibly important. Theoretical knowledge just isn’t enough.

When asked if she’s tried any criminal jury trials, Ms. Armitage admitted that she has NEVER had a criminal jury trial. Yes, you read that correctly, Ms. Armitage has NEVER had a criminal jury trial, and yet criminal jury trials are a significant portion of what a Circuit Court Judge handles.

Let’s take that one step further, in a recent review of the Maryland Judiciary Case Search it was found that Ms. Armitage has only handled TWO criminal cases in her entire career, both of which were in the District Court in the early 1990s and in both cases, her clients plead guilty and never went to trial. So, Sue Ann Armitage would like to be a judge but has NEVER participated in a criminal jury trial. Further, Ms. Armitage refused to answer even how many civil jury trials she has had but stated, “Criminal and civil jury trials are the same and the rules of evidence are the same.” I invite EVERY attorney in our county to respond and let us know if criminal and civil jury trials and rules of evidence are the same.  

As stated earlier, without a single criminal trial under her belt, and essentially no jury trial experience, Ms. Armitage is NOT qualified to be a Circuit Court Judge. Yes, Ms. Armitage “knows her way around a courtroom” and she is a master negotiator, (ask anyone she has opposed in court) but just as I wouldn’t let an ophthalmologist perform open heart surgery on myself or a loved one, we cannot allow a candidate with objectively ZERO criminal trial experience take the bench, failing to properly apply the rules of evidence and thereby allow criminals to be set free while she learns the ropes, at the expense and safety of our county.

To make sure the voters of our county are clear about this judicial race, we have an accomplished family lawyer (Sue Ann Armitage) who applied for the position of Magistrate (which handles 80% of the family law cases filed in Circuit Court) in 2020 and did not get the position because our current Magistrate, Kevin Hill, was determined to be the more qualified candidate, even though Family Law is Ms. Armitage’s specialty. 

A year later, in the fall of 2021, having been passed over for the position of Magistrate, Ms. Armitage applied for the position of Circuit Court Judge.  After a very thorough vetting process and countless interviews, it was determined that our current Judge, Amy Lorenzini, was the most experienced and qualified candidate. It’s easy for me to admit I am no expert when it comes to proficiently appointing a judge, so thus it’s easy to take the position that the experts know what they’re doing, and if they chose Judge Lorenzini of Ms Armitage, there has to be a reason… 

As I continued to do research, Judge Lorenzini’s selection was not a surprise considering her depth of diverse experience, including service as a criminal prosecutor, decades as a criminal defense attorney and civil litigator in every area of the law such as corporate, contracts, employment, real property, land use and all types of family law matters. Despite having now been passed over for two judicial positions in less than two years, Ms. Armitage has paid her $50 (as any Maryland attorney who lives in St. Mary’s County can do) and she is trying now to win by popular vote.  

Ms. Armitage’s campaign is based upon her claims that she’s more qualified than Judge Amy Lorenzini because St. Mary’s is “HER county” and because she is “from the county”.  When I heard that at the forum I’ll admit that really irked me. Ours is a military community with new families coming in every year. To take the position that their contribution to our County is diluted by the fact they aren’t “from the county” is downright offensive. In all reality, last I checked, St. Mary’s is OUR county, one in which I feel privileged to live.  You only need to watch the first six minutes of the recent Candidate’s Forum to see what I’m talking about and to get a pretty good idea of the judicial temperament of each candidate.  Here is a weblink – https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=pYC8lDlW24dCcKXq&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2LSbO44PxHC3GdLaNRSqIv-4-WV1VsZK4_2oy8Hn4LJbx6B-ZJjN6Zsxk_aem_Adl5KCmbmM8M3a2WUZ8AQVpKfL7CSk1WeTvPgUorrkZ_nYmlFmrGR8cmTzs9e8u3y4XxQz8NisSiyhDe6TECrDAz&v=j9c0LmYKQ-o&feature=youtu.be 

Over the past two years, Judge Amy Lorenzini has been an effective and efficient Judge.  She has handled hundreds of cases and dozens of jury trials. Judge Lorenzini has proven to be the type of Judge that St. Mary’s County needs to keep our community safe.  Despite what Ms. Armitage would like you to believe, every sentence handed down by Judge Lorenzini has been appropriate and reflective of the circumstances and the associated crime(s). Check her record, many of the sentences handed down by Judge Lorenzini go beyond the state’s sentencing guidelines; some have been challenged but none have been overturned, confirming her own statement that she is the “Fair but Firm” jurist that St. Mary’s County needs to keep as our Circuit Court Judge.

At the end of the day, Ms. Armitage is an amazing family law attorney and Judge Lorenzini is an amazing Circuit Court Judge, that’s what should be reflected when we go to the polls in the next two weeks.