Challengers for judgeships across the Baltimore metropolitan area have largely rejected a set of campaign dignity standards they say favor incumbent judges.
“The standards come from a committee that has been set up to protect incumbent judges,” said attorney William R. Buie, who is running for a Baltimore County Circuit Court seat. “The committee is not acting impartially.”
Buie and fellow challenger Arthur M. Frank have refused to sign the standards in Baltimore County. Attorneys Nicholas J. Del Pizzo and Emanuel Brown have not signed the standards in their Baltimore City runs.
Likewise, Carroll County challenger Kevin D. Wise, Harford County challenger Steven Sheinin and Howard County challenger David Titman have not signed the standards.
The Maryland Judicial Campaign Conduct Committee has asked judicial candidates across the state to sign a set of seven standards designed to promote “civil and dignified conduct” in judicial elections.
“The frankly partisan, occasionally bare-knuckles, conduct that we have come to tolerate in campaigns for legislative and executive office are inconsistent with the dignity we rightly count on in those who hold judicial office,” the committee writes on its Web site.
Area incumbents, who have signed the standards, question why anyone would want to clash with the committee.
“I don?t see what?s wrong with adhering to honest and ethical standards in a political campaign,” said Anne Arundel County Judge William C. Mulford, who is unchallenged for his seat. “It said to me, ?Be honest, be truthful and be accurate.? ”
But challengers said the standards ? and the committee ? are designed to keep incumbents in power.
Howard County challenger David Titman said he will not sign the standards, because they are not tough enough on campaign contributions from attorneys, which undermines the judges? impartiality.
Baltimore County challenger Arthur M. Frank, who has been cited by the committee for violations of the standards, said the committee is nothing more than a Political Action Committee designed to promote sitting judges.
“I don?t agree with the committee, because I feel it?s anti-free speech,” he said. “I think everybody should have ethical elections. Why create a separate committee just for judges?”
But Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Robert E. Cahill said the challengers in his county will not sign the standards because they want to misrepresent themselves as already being judges in their ads.
