Democrat
1) What is your understanding of the racial disparities in Maryland’s criminal justice system? To the extent your office could make a difference, how would you address these disparities?
Maryland prosecutes more juveniles and young offenders in adult court than anywhere in the country. And over 80% of those people are black. Baltimore County needs to conduct an audit of how our State’s Attorney’s Office has decided to charge, prosecute, and recommend sentences for black and brown people as opposed to white defendants. I plan to create a Sentencing and Conviction Integrity Unit to look back at how we have handled past cases and to make things right.
2) Would you support a statewide survey of all Md. State’s Attorneys’ offices to identify any racial / ethnic fairness disparities in charging and plea-bargain policies?
As stated in the previous answer, absolutely. Montgomery County has taken this step and will have results of its audit within the next two years. We need this in Baltimore County too.
3) In your opinion, is there a difference between being “tough on crime” and “smart on crime”? Please give examples of what you might do in office in this regard.
There is definitely a difference between being tough on crime and smart on crime. The incumbent’s campaign slogan is “tough on crime” yet we are still seeing increases in murders in Baltimore County every year. Only focusing on increasing maximum sentences has not been effective for criminal justice. We need to tackle root causes of crime while also prioritizing the most serious cases. Instead of overloading our prosecutors with 60 cases per day (the current caseload), we need to divert many lower-level cases out of the criminal justice system so prosecutors can focus on cases involving victims – like sexual assault.
4) Does Maryland need to expand access to criminal records’ expungement for formerly incarcerated citizens who successfully complete their terms and remain law-abiding? Are the current statutes effective to ensure public safety and provide equitable access to employment?
I would advocate for expanding access to expungement. When I worked government relations for the Office of the Public Defender, I wrote the bill ten years ago that allowed juveniles to expunge their adult record if their case was transferred back to juvenile court. I have been endorsed by almost every union because I understand the economic impact having a record has on an individual.
5) Do you support reform of our juvenile justice system (4 parts) to: a) seek less incarceration for lower level offenses and more diversion to treatment? b) prevent police from lying to juveniles to induce confessions? c) create a presumption of restorative justice remedies or school discipline for non-felony offenses occurring on school grounds? d) support treatment of juveniles who have been sex-trafficked as victims, not offenders?
I support juvenile justice reform and was an outspoken advocate for the package passed last legislative session. I learned a lot from my time representing juveniles at the OPD. Yes to less incarceration for lower level offenses. I stated that in this interview with Fox45 – https://foxbaltimore.com/newsletter-daily/robbie-leonard-challenges-shellenberger-in-race-for-baltimore-county-states-attorney I supported the bill last session to require police to notify parents before questioning juveniles and to give juveniles the right to counsel before questioning. I am endorsed by the Teachers Association of Baltimore County because of my support for Restorative Practices in schools. In this recent article in Maryland Matters, I say that it is “insane” to prosecute victims of sex trafficking. I pledge to work with Amanda Rodriguez of Turnaround to assist these victims. https://www.marylandmatters.org/2022/05/30/this-is-a-big-job-leonard-takes-on-shellenberger-in-baltimore-county-states-attorney-primary/
6) In conclusion, what else would you like to tell voters about your criminal justice plans?
I pledge to partner with the Conflict Resolution Center of Baltimore County to identify cases that can be resolved through mediation and not the court system. This will free up time for our office to handle the most serious cases. My administration will restaff and retrain the sexual assault unit so that we are prosecuting more serious cases that have actual victims rather than focusing on “quality of life” crimes.
