Fills Vacancies on Anne Arundel County Circuit Court
Governor Larry Hogan today announced the appointments of Pamela Knoop Alban, Elizabeth Sheree Morris, and Robert Jeffrey Thompson to fill three vacancies on the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court. The seats became vacant following the recent retirements of Judge Paul F. Harris, Jr., Judge Paul Goetzke, and Judge Michele Jaklitsch. The governor made the appointments after interviewing nominees sent by the judicial nominating commission.
“The appointment of qualified individuals to serve across our state’s justice system is paramount to upholding our responsibilities to the people of Maryland and the rule of law,” said Governor Hogan. “I have confidence that Ms. Alban, Ms. Morris, and Mr. Thompson will all be strong advocates for the law and will serve the citizens of Anne Arundel County admirably.”
Pamela Alban has spent her entire legal career as a prosecutor in the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s office. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Alban served as the Division Chief for the Special Victims Unit and previously served as the Division Chief of the Sex Offense and Child Abuse Unit. She holds a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and obtained her B.A. from the University of Miami.
Prior to this appointment, Elizabeth Morris served as an attorney with the National Security Agency. She also spent eight years as an Assistant Attorney General where she served in the Contract Litigation Division and worked for the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation. Ms. Morris received her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law and her B.A. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Morris is the first African American female judge to be appointed to the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court.
Robert Thompson has been a solo practitioner with his own firm since 2011 and served as a volunteer lawyer with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Mr. Thompson holds a J.D. from the University of Baltimore Law School, an M.A. in Philosophy from St. John’s College, and a B.A. from Northwest Nazarene University.
The appointments are effective immediately.
