On January 3, 2023, Attorney General-Elect Brown was sworn in at 12:00 p.m.
Acknowledgements
Good afternoon and welcome
First, let me thank my family, my wife Karmen, our children, and my mother, for your love and support through the years and the challenges of public life. My family and I thank each of you for attending today’s ceremony, and for the support and encouragement that so many of you have provided us throughout the years.
To the rostrum participants, thank you, Governor Hogan, Speaker Jones, and President Ferguson, thank you for your leadership and service to our State. General Frosh, you have an impressive record of accomplishment as our Attorney General, and with your twenty-eight extraordinary years of service both in THIS chamber and the Maryland Senate, you’ve set a tremendously high bar for me and future Attorneys General. Thank you.
Governor-elect Moore, your election is historic for our State and our nation, and I’m looking forward to serving with you as we dismantle the barriers to opportunity for all Marylanders. And to the members of the General Assembly, the Judiciary (Chief Justice Fader), and the legal community (U.S. Attorney Barron), thank you for your presence today, and for the contributions that you make to the people of Maryland. Finally, to my transition team, led by the Honorable Donna Hill Staton and former dean Donald Tobin, thank you for your advice and counsel.
Historic Moment
Friends, it’s impossible to express the full extent of my gratitude to the people of Maryland. To serve as the 47th Attorney General. It’s not lost on me, that I’m the first African American to hold this office, and to assume this awesome responsibility. And I do so at SUCH a critical moment in our nation’s history—a moment when extremist views are challenging our democracy and curtailing fundamental rights, and our economy is failing some while rewarding others. A time when distrust and division are present, if not pervasive in our politics, our public discourse, and civil society.
Justice Marshall, a Maryland native son, talked about the dangers of division in society. He once observed, “I see not a Nation of unity but of division.” He said, “We cannot play ostrich. Democracy just cannot flourish amid fear. Liberty cannot bloom amid hate. Justice cannot take root amid rage. America must get to work.” America must get to work. WE must get to work because much of what Justice Marshall saw then still exists today. So, it is at this moment that I proudly take the oath and accept the responsibilities of Attorney General, ready to get to work, and pledge that central to our mission will be the defense of democracy, the protection of rights, and the pursuit of justice.
The People’s Lawyer
As most of you know, the Attorney General represents the State, but works for the people. As the Attorney General, I’m the People’s Lawyer. And I walk in the footsteps of notable jurists who’ve viewed the role of People’s Lawyer much as I do today. Steve Sachs, my mentor, who reminded us that the Attorney General must emphasize preventative lawyering, not merely carrying out our clients’ wishes under the cover of law. But instead, asking questions of our clients, helping maximize the public good, and upholding the rule of law. Joe Curran, who like me served as Lieutenant Governor, used the Office of Attorney General not only to defend laws, but also to promote legislation to improve the everyday lives of Marylanders.
The lawyers and legal professionals in the Office of the Attorney General are second to none, they are the best, and could work anywhere. But each of them has made the choice to serve and represent the State, as well as to work for the people of Maryland. Together, we are the People’s Lawyer. So, I thank every one of them and commit today to bring my “A game” to leading you while we do the important work for the people of this great state.
Building On Our Success
We’ll build on success.
In recent years, the Attorney General’s office has successfully taken on e-cigarette manufacturers, predatory lenders, big tech’s misuse of privacy data, opioid manufacturers and distributors, slumlords, environmental polluters, exploiters of workers and vulnerable adults, and organized crime rings. They’ve also done the hard, day-to-day work of helping State agencies carry out their mission to govern and serve the people of Maryland. As I said, they’re the best in the State.
But if we’re going to continue tackling these hard issues, it’s imperative that the Office continue attracting and retaining the best and the brightest. It’s not enough to just commend them for their work. We need to offer competitive salaries and provide them with superior resources to do their jobs. And that’s why this month I’ll be asking the Governor and the General Assembly for increased salaries and more resources for investigations, enforcement, training, and support
Civil Rights Agenda
Make no mistake, my agenda is ambitious. First, I’ll seek civil rights enforcement authority.
Maryland is America in miniature. Not just the geography of the land, but us as a people. We are the fourth most diverse state in the nation, THE most diverse East of the Mississippi. We speak 117 languages, and the percentage of foreign-born residents is higher than the national average and our neighboring states. Maryland reflects where America is going.
So, what deeply troubles me is the racial and ethnic disparities and inequities that still exist in Maryland, motivated by bias and even overt discrimination, in housing, in the marketplace and workplace, and in opportunities. Elijah Cummings would often admonish us by saying, “We’re better than that!” While I commend the work of the Maryland Commission for Civil Rights, that for 53 years has protected the civil rights of Marylanders, I firmly believe that we can do more.
To ensure that no entity or individual in Maryland deprive any person of their rights, regardless of faith or race, ethnicity or geography, identification, or orientation, and that all residents enjoy the privileges of living in Maryland, I’ll ask the Governor and General Assembly for the statutory authority and the necessary resources to enforce federal and state civil rights laws
Public Safety Agenda
Second, I’ll focus on public safety.
This past year, I participated in countless community meetings across the State, and the number one issue raised was the need for Marylanders to feel safe in their homes, in their places of worship and work, and in their communities. There are no simple solutions.
For starters, I’ll build on important partnerships with our State’s Attorneys and the US Attorney, to leverage all our federal, state, and local assets. I’m also requesting a doubling of the investigators and prosecutors in the Organized Crime Unit.
I recognize that increasing the number of investigations and prosecutions is part of the solution, but I also believe that prosecutions alone will not be enough. A public safety strategy involves more than that. So, I’ll be a partner in reducing recidivism, addressing the over-incarceration of young Black and Brown men, combatting hate crimes, enhancing gun safety laws, and reforming our criminal and juvenile justice systems
Police Reform Agenda
Third, we’ll continue the effort around police reform.
The history of race and policing in the United States is filled with tragedy and conflict. And at this moment, a clarion call has been sound demanding the reduction of bad outcomes in the interactions between law enforcement and the community. I fundamentally reject the idea that keeping our communities safe and pursuing ethical policing are somehow mutually exclusive. We can and we will do both.
Maryland has been a leader when it comes to police reform and accountability. The General Assembly recently directed my Office to independently investigate all police-involved deaths, and we welcomed that authority and responsibility. The next logical step is to consider independent prosecutorial authority. I look forward to working with the General Assembly, starting next week, to expand the authority pertaining to law enforcement accountability.
To that end, I’ll also be asking the General Assembly for more tools to work WITH local law enforcement, by authorizing my Office to conduct pattern or practice investigations of police misconduct. The goal of these investigations is to support law enforcement agencies, and, to foster community confidence by promoting best policing practices. We can and we should do this work in Maryland, and not rely solely on the DOJ when the need for these investigations arises.
My agenda is ambitious.
Equity Agenda
I’ll conclude my remarks with one last point: the pursuit of equity.
The attorneys and legal professionals in my Office are held to the highest ethical standards. We hold a position of trust with the public. The trust that all Marylanders will be treated fairly and justly. We take seriously our duty to offer independent professional judgment and to give candid advice, not just about the law or purely legal questions, but also about moral, economic, social, and political factors, and the critical issues that have profound and far-reaching effects on the lives of all Marylanders. It’s the intersection of law and policy. We stand at that intersection, and we stand for the pursuit of fairness and justice… of equity.
So, as the State implements the Educational Blueprint for Maryland’s future, we’ll do it equitably. As we enforce environmental standards, we won’t lose sight of environmental justice issues. As we protect the rights of workers, we’ll also focus on consistent and fair treatment of State employees. As we enhance access to justice, we’ll bridge the digital divide and work to ensure our poorest neighbors have legal representation when their rights are threatened. As we adopt a framework for the lawful adult use of cannabis, we’ll remedy past injustices by making expungements easier and seek to ensure equitable participation in licensing.
Last month, I announced my senior leadership team. My chief deputy Candace McLaren Lanham, my deputy Carolyn Quattrocki, and my Chief of the newly created Office of Equity, Policy, and Engagement Zenita Hurley. These three seasoned lawyers are dynamic, talented, and committed to the work ahead, and they’ll assist me in the pursuit of equity and justice. The pursuit of equity and justice is where we in the Office of Attorney General stand every day. And it’s where I’ll stand until my last day as your Attorney General.
Thank you.
