Michelle M. Martz

Daily Record Staff//November 27, 2024//

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Senior attorney
Michelle M. Martz, P.A.

A native of Frederick County and actively involved in her community, Michelle M. Martz, president and senior attorney, was privileged to be the first woman counsel to the Frederick County Agricultural Society, a position where she served for more than a decade and remains a Life Member.

She taught criminal law in the criminal justice program at Frederick Community College for many years and is most proud to have been involved in the release of several people who have been wrongfully convicted.

What’s the most important thing you do in your job?

At all levels, criminal defense attorneys play a crucial role in ensuring that the justice of our legal system is fair. If we stay focused on advocating for constitutional guarantees for our clients, it will by extension also help others who we may never meet. In equal measure, we stand up for, speak for, and fight for those who need steadfast, committed and sometimes long-suffering advocacy.

What is one aspect of your profession you would like to change?

I would search for some way to level the playing field that is our criminal justice system. The imbalance, especially at the trial level, is not perceived, but very real. How much is tied to financial resources or other factors, I leave to the professional researchers. But, because the trial level is the guilt or innocence stage, the only way to have a justice system that is fair to all, is to have one that provides equal resources to all; the scales must balance.

This profile is part of The Daily Record's Criminal Law Power List for 2024. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. See the full list at thedailyrecord.com.