Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Ronald Silkworth is set to decide whether Democratic attorney general candidate Douglas Gansler is qualified to be the state?s top lawyer.
“Hopefully [the decision] will be in the next day or two,” Silkworth said.
At issue is whether Gansler meets Maryland?s constitutional requirement of having practiced law in Maryland for 10 years to be eligible to run for attorney general.
Gansler testified Wednesday that his 17 years as a Maryland bar member and his work within the state of Maryland as an assistant U.S. Attorney qualify him for the job.
Nikos Stanford Liddy, of Bowie, filed a motion last week in an attempt to eliminate Montgomery County State?s Attorney Gansler from the Nov. 7 election.
Gansler has been a member of the Maryland Bar since 1989, but Libby said Gansler only has practiced law in Maryland for eight years. Gansler was employed in Washington as an assistant U.S. Attorney from 1992 to 1998, the year he was elected to the Montgomery County State?s Attorney?s Office.
During a televised debate on Maryland Public Television on Tuesday night, Gansler criticized the suit as a political attack by his Republican opponent.
“The fact that he has filed, through his campaign manager, a frivolous, silly, desperate lawsuit, only because he?s behind by 30 points in the polls and has not been endorsed by any statewide groups, it?s sad and it?s unfortunate,” Gansler said.
But Rolle, who denied any connection to the suit, said it raised legitimate questions.
“It?s very important for Maryland to know that their attorney general is constitutionally qualified,” Rolle said.
