PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. – Rick Piereck has made his mark in Calvert County.
Piereck is a U.S. Army Veteran, a Commissioner with the Calvert County Housing Authority, a board member of the Calvert County Bar Association and the Calvert Affordable Housing Alliance (CAHA). Additionally, Piereck is a member of the Calvert County Branch of the NAACP and the American Legion.
Now, the 40-year-old attorney and owner of Piereck Law is looking to add State’s Attorney of Calvert County to his resume.
“I decided to run for Calvert County State’s Attorney after opening my private practice and seeing how things had fallen by the wayside at the State’s Attorney’s Office (“SAO”),” Piereck told TheBayNet.com. “The relationship with law enforcement was deteriorating, SAO staff and attorneys were leaving the office in greater numbers than before, and the cases weren’t being properly prosecuted.”
Piereck believes his experience and education would make him the best choice for State’s Attorney of Calvert County.
“My bachelor’s degree is in Public Administration, this has prepared me for the management and budgeting aspects of this position. My time in the Army taught me how to lead others and how to make difficult decisions quickly,” says Piereck. “As a former Calvert County prosecutor and Prince George’s County major crimes prosecutor, I have tried hundreds of cases and prosecuted everything from payable traffic citations to attempted murder. I have extensive training to include the Top Gun: Undercover Drug Investigation course, the National Computer Forensics Institute Computer Forensics in Court for Prosecutors Program, and the University of Maryland DUI institute for Prosecutors among others. I have worked as a line prosecutor in just about every facet of the State’s Attorney’s office – Juvenile Court, District Court, Circuit Court — this insight will help me to make the appropriate adjustments to the office to maximize performance. I have the stamina and vigor necessary to do this job at a very high level.”
Piereck believes that the two most important issues facing Calvert County are the rise in violent crime and the ongoing opioid epidemic.
“This year alone, Calvert has had three homicides, a number that is higher than normal for Calvert County. It seems like every day the news has stories of the instances of attempted murder, first-degree assault, or other violent offenses like robbery occurring within Calvert County. We must stem this tide before things get even worse,” says Piereck. “We must do more to address the opioid epidemic. Opioids continue to be a problem that is killing people in Calvert County. My Smart-on-Crime plan would seek to help drug users by providing them with opportunities to get treatment. On the other hand, under my administration, the State’s Attorney’s Office would take a more aggressive stance in prosecuting dealers of opioids like fentanyl and carfentanyl. Gone will be the days of sweetheart plea deals for drug dealers.”
If elected, Piereck would try to improve training for attorneys and staff. Piereck would also try to improve relations with law enforcement and make communications between all three agencies more effective.
Piereck also plans to introduce a Veteran’s Treatment Court (VTC) in Calvert County.
“Adult recovery court (Drug Court) and the District Court’s Mental Health Docket are both great programs that have a positive impact in Calvert County criminal justice. However, neither of these programs incorporates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and therefore, are not a good fit for our veteran population,” Piereck explained. “The involvement of the VA is vital to ensure that veterans get connected to the appropriate services through the VA. Furthermore, the VTC model is a much more structured program than either Drug Court or the Mental Health Docket are designed to be. With veterans, this is a vital piece of the strategy, as the structure of the program helps bring stability, and therefore helps the veteran to prosper.”
Piereck lives by the motto “lead, follow, or get out of the way,” and believes that not only his knowledge and experience but his leadership makes him the best choice for Calvert County’s State’s Attorney.
“Voters should vote for me because no one will work as hard for the people of Calvert County as I will. I bring a stamina and vigor that cannot be matched. My ethics and integrity are always top of mind for me and will be for the prosecutors working for me,” says Piereck. “A vote for me is a vote for fairness, integrity, and transparency. A vote for me will ensure that the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office moves into the future on the leading edge of training and technology. A vote for me is a vote for holding accountable those who would seek to commit violent crimes or distribute opioids in our County… As your State’s Attorney, I intend to remain active and to continue handling cases at both the circuit and district courts.”
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com
please consider when voting for SA: how many cases has the SA dropped, or decided not to prosecute? Responsibly dropping a case doesn’t happen in court, it happens 1-2 months before court so that the suspect doesn’t even have to retain an attorney. not all cases need to be prosecuted, sometimes an arrest is enough. Please consider this when voting for SA.
I just voted him yesterday, I hope he is elected
Can we take a vote on that tie?