Judge Mayer

ELEVATION OF THE HONORABLE STACY A. MAYER TO THE CIRCUIT COURT By Thomas Wray McCurdy

The Circuit Court for Baltimore County’s gain was the District Court for Baltimore County’s loss when Governor Hogan elevated the Honorable Stacy A. Mayer on February 1, 2021. Judge Mayer took the oath on a snow day by way of a zoom call in order to hit the ground running, leaving her District Court colleagues, staff, litigants, (even defendants!) saddened to see her go. Essex is left in crisis without her but will survive, as crisis is the norm on occasion in 21221, and Essex will always have a special place in Judge Mayer’s heart. As some don’t remember, or may not have been around during her time in the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, she was a part of what may have been the best District Court era of Assistant State’s Attorneys. The Honorable Rachel Skolnik, Al Webster, Brian Thompson, Garrett Glennon, Dan Trimble, Bill Bickel, Mark Wolfe, Sam Draddy, Mark Zayon, Mike Vecera, Thomas Brooks, Sean Malone, Adam Lippe, Dilip Paliath and Judge Mayer all rode the Beltway as young attorneys in Baltimore County. Judge Mayer eventually wanted to be closer to her home while starting a family so circumstances dictated that she leave Baltimore County to fulfill that request. She was then a prosecutor in Howard County for a decade before joining Governor O’Malley’s staff in Annapolis, initially as Deputy Legislative Officer then Chief Legislative officer, for five years. When she was appointed to the District Court in 2013, in her first application for the position, some who had not interacted with her previously asked, “Who is she?” Once they appeared before her they quickly found out exactly who she is. Judge Mayer was raised in Howard County, as she puts it "grew up a Landolt" before straying east and attending McDonogh, where she met her husband of 25 years, Greg. They have three boys: Reese, 20, a sophomore at University of Notre Dame; Jake, 19, graduating from McDonogh and attending Loyola University Maryland in the fall; and Bryant, 16, who is a sophomore at McDonogh. In true Judge Mayer fashion, she is pleased to have enjoyed an investiture with family and friends on one occasion, unfortunately just not this one. She stoically held her iPhone at the appropriate distance and became a circuit judge, pandemic style. Judge Mayer was a pleasure to appear in front of in the District Court. She displayed a temperament that can only be the product of wisdom and a quiet tenacity and empathy that can only be the product of a genuine heart. Most run from the difficult times and the chaos but a select few are drawn to it, out of a desire to help those caught inside the turmoil. Judge Mayer is one of those few individuals. We are truly fortunate to have Judge Mayer on the Circuit Bench and on behalf of the BCBA, welcome!