Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess announced the swearing-in of former St. Mary’s County Deputy State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling on Friday, October 16, 2020.
Ms. Sterling is a 13 year veteran prosecutor and will serve in the Circuit Court division prosecuting felony matters and act as a liaison to the Anne Arundel County Police Department’s fatal overdose investigators.
Ms. Sterling earned her law degree from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. After graduating in 2006, she served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Alexander Williams, Jr., of the United States District Court of Maryland. Ms. Sterling’s career in public service began in 2008 as a prosecutor in Frederick County. In 2011, she moved to the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office where she prosecuted an array of misdemeanor and felony cases in the District and Circuit Courts including assault, burglary, child abuse, domestic violence, distribution of drugs, drunk driving, firearm offense, homicide, robbery, sex offenses and theft cases. Ms. Sterling was cross-designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Greenbelt, Maryland, to prosecute cases in the Federal Courts.
She is an active member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association’s Legislative Committee. Ms. Sterling frequently testifies before the Maryland General Assembly advocating for victims’ rights. Ms. Sterling will bring her knowledge and expertise in prosecuting overdose fatality cases to Anne Arundel County. Her successful prosecution in numerous St. Mary’s County fatal overdose matters and her valuable assistance to the Office of the Attorney General in presenting the State’s appellate position in the matter of McCauley v. State has resulted in the Maryland Court of Appeals’ ruling that drug dealers can be prosecuted for knowingly providing fatal substances to overdose victims.
On Wednesday, September 30, 2020, Sterling submitted her resignation from the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office after uncovering questionable financial and personnel practices. Read her full statement here.
