A panel of Circuit Court judges has unanimously selected a new top prosecutor for Howard County.
Dario Broccolino, 63, was appointed Friday as the Howard state?s attorney after taking over as interim state?s attorney when Timothy McCrone was appointed as a Circuit Court judge in December.
Broccolino said he spent his time as interim state?s attorney thinking up new programs that he plans to discuss with his staff before implementing.
“My efforts will be primarily to provide more services to victims in domestic violence,” Broccolino said.
“And I have great concern over drunk drivers and the menace that they?ve become.”
Broccolino, who applied last-minute for the job, served 17 years as a prosecutor in Baltimore City and nine years as Howard?s deputy state?s attorney under McCrone and State?s Attorney Marna McLendon.
“I?m feeling pretty good. This is the culmination of a long career in prosecution, and I?m honored to be selected,” he said.
“The office has been in very good shape, and there?s not a lot that has tobe changed.”
Judges Lenore Gelfman, Richard Bernhardt and Louis Becker considered seven applicants for the position before selecting Broccolino.
“He?s done extremely well as deputy state?s attorney under two administrations, and we felt continuity in the office would be a major point,” Gelfman said.
“And then let we?ll let the voters decide.”
Broccolino will serve the remainder of McCrone?s term, which expires in January 2011. He must run for election in November 2010 for the next four-year term.
McCrone was initially on the committee of judges to select his predecessor, but he recused himself after indicating his support for Lara Weathersbee, 39, who is head of the juvenile division and has 13 years experience in the office. Weathersbee?s father, Frank Weathersbee, is the Anne Arundel state?s attorney. Lara Weathersbee also was reportedly backed by Howard County Executive Ken Ulman.
She could not be reached for comment.
