Karen H. Mason
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Karen H. Mason is a judge on the Seventh Circuit Court for Prince George's County in Maryland. She was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan (R) on January 29, 2016.[1]
Mason won election to her seat in the general election on November 8, 2016.[2] She advanced from the primary election on April 26, 2016. The candidates ran in both the Democratic and Republican primaries.
Mason was previously an associate judge for the Fifth District Court in Prince George's County, Maryland.[3] She was appointed to the court by Governor Martin O'Malley (D) on April 13, 2012, and assumed office on April 30, 2012.[4][5] She served in this position until her appointment to the circuit court.[6]
Education
Mason received her undergraduate degree in criminal justice from the University of Dayton in 1980 and her J.D. from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in 1992.[5]
Career
- 2016-Present Judge, Seventh Circuit Court, Prince George's County
- 2012-2016: Associate judge, Fifth District Court, Prince George's County
- 2007-2012: Master for Domestic Relations, Prince George's County Circuit Court
- 2000-2006: Assistant state's attorney, Prince George's County
- 1998-2000: Staff counsel, Allstate Insurance Company
- 1996-1998: Assistant state's attorney, Prince George's County
- 1995: Admitted to the Maryland Bar
- 1992-1994: Law clerk to Judge Robert H. Mason, Prince George's County Circuit Court[5]
Awards and associations
- 2005: Governor's Victim Assistance Award, State Board of Victim Services, Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention
- Member, Maryland State Bar Association
- Member, Prince George's County Bar Association
- Member, J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association
- Board of Directors, Community Legal Services of Prince George's County, Inc.
- Adjunct professor, Prince George's Community College[5]
Elections
2016
Maryland held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on April 26, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 3, 2016.[7] Ingrid Turner, incumbent Karen H. Mason, incumbent Dorothy Engel, and incumbent Herman C. Dawson defeated April Ademiluyi in the Maryland 7th Circuit Court general election for Prince George's County.[2]
| Maryland 7th Circuit Court (Prince George's County), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Ingrid Turner |
22.88% | 223,186 |
| Karen H. Mason Incumbent |
22.26% | 217,164 |
| Dorothy Engel Incumbent |
21.48% | 209,522 |
| Herman C. Dawson Incumbent |
19.40% | 189,284 |
| April Ademiluyi | 13.61% | 132,791 |
| Write-in votes | 0.37% | 3,625 |
| Total Votes | 975,572 | |
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "2016 General Election Official Results," accessed January 18, 2016 | ||
| Maryland 7th Circuit Court (Prince George's County), Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Karen H. Mason Incumbent |
20.77% | 89,542 |
| Ingrid Turner |
19.48% | 83,960 |
| Dorothy Engel Incumbent |
19.35% | 83,416 |
| Herman C. Dawson Incumbent |
16.58% | 71,472 |
| April Ademiluyi | 11.94% | 51,485 |
| Erik H. Nyce Incumbent | 11.88% | 51,193 |
| Total Votes | 431,068 | |
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2016 Presidential Primary Election results for Judge of the Circuit Court," May 31, 2016 | ||
| Maryland 7th Circuit Court (Prince George's County), Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Dorothy Engel Incumbent |
20.26% | 6,535 |
| Karen H. Mason Incumbent |
19.57% | 6,311 |
| Herman C. Dawson Incumbent |
17.43% | 5,621 |
| Erik H. Nyce Incumbent |
17.34% | 5,594 |
| Ingrid Turner | 15.57% | 5,022 |
| April Ademiluyi | 9.83% | 3,170 |
| Total Votes | 32,253 | |
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2016 Presidential Primary Election results for Judge of the Circuit Court," May 31, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Assisted appointment
The 152 judges of the eight Maryland circuits are chosen by the governor with help from a nominating commission. The judges of this court do not need to be confirmed by the Maryland State Senate.[8][9]
Circuit judges serve for one year, after which they must run in nonpartisan elections if they wish to continue serving.[10] If re-elected, they serve for 15 years.[8][9]
The chief judge of each circuit court is chosen by seniority.[8]
Qualifications
To join either of these courts, a judge must be:[8]
- a U.S. and state citizen;
- a registered state voter;
- a state resident for at least five years;
- a circuit resident for at least six months;
- a state bar member;
- at least 30 years old; and
- under the age of 70 (retirement at 70 is mandatory).
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Governor of Maryland, "Governor Larry Hogan Announces Judicial Appointments," January 29, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Maryland State Board of Elections, "2016 Candidate Listing: Judge of the Circuit Court," February 4, 2016
- ↑ Maryland Courts.gov: District Court Judges Directory
- ↑ The Office of Governor Martin O'Malley, "Governor O’Malley Appoints Judges to Baltimore City and Prince George’s County Courts," April 13, 2012
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Maryland State Archives: District 5, Karen Holliday Mason Biography
- ↑ Maryland State Archives: District 5, Prince George's County District Court
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Election Dates," accessed February 4, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Maryland," archived October 27, 2010
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 American Judicature Society, "Judicial Selection in the States: Maryland; Overview," archived October 26, 2010
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Judicial Elections," accessed January 19, 2015
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Maryland • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Maryland
State courts:
Maryland Supreme Court • Appellate Court of Maryland • Maryland District Courts • Maryland Circuit Courts • Maryland Orphans' Court
State resources:
Courts in Maryland • Maryland judicial elections • Judicial selection in Maryland