Moore appoints 5 as Prince George’s County Circuit Court judges

Gov. Wes Moore has appointed five individuals to the Prince George’s County Circuit Court, the governor’s office announced Thursday.

The five appointees are: Judge LaKeecia Renee Allen, Judge Scott Michael Carrington, Judge Ada Elizabeth Clark-Edwards, Magistrate Althea Rebecca Stewart-Jones and Magistrate Charles Todd Merryman Steuart.

The appointments were announced after a slew of changes at the Prince George’s County Circuit Court, including the retirement of Judge Nicholas E. Rattal, the elevation of Judge Peter K. Killough to the Maryland Supreme Court, the retirement of Judge Cathy H. Serrette, the removal of former Judge April T. Ademiluyi from the bench and a new judgeship that became effective on July 1 as part of the 2024 General Assembly session.

“Today, I am proud to appoint five exceptional public servants to the Prince George’s County Circuit Court, as they continue their service to our state in this new chapter,”
Moore said in a news release. “Their depth of experience and commitment to the rule of law will make our state more just and more fair for years to come.”

Allen has served as an associate judge for the Prince George’s County District Court since 2020 and previously worked as an assistant state’s attorney for the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s office. There, she advised the executive and legislative branches of government on legislative matters, drafted legislation, and issued legal opinions on statutory interpretation and constitutionality. She received her J.D. from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

Carrington has served as a judge for the Prince George’s County District Court since 2017 and has acted as the coordinating judge for adult drug court, where he transformed the court’s scope from a treatment-only program to a trauma-informed program. Previously, he worked as a prosecutor with the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s office from 2004 to 2017. He received his J.D. from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School and is currently a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.

Clark-Edwards has served as an associate judge for the District Court of Maryland for Prince George’s County since 2016. Previously, Clark-Edwards served as a prosecutor for the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s office, working as chief of the Special Victims and Family Violence Unit. She received her J.D. from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.

Stewart-Jones is a family division magistrate for the Prince George’s County Circuit Court, having held this position for the past 17 years. Previously, Stewart-Jones worked for 10 years in the Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts. She received her J.D. from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

Steuart is a foreclosure magistrate for the Prince George’s County Circuit Court, presiding over hearings related to the foreclosure process. Previously, Steuart spent the majority of his legal career as an assistant state’s attorney for Prince George’s County, where he served as chief of Case Management and Quality Control in the Grand Jury Unit and chief of the Gun Unit. He received his J.D. from the University of Baltimore, School of Law.