Maryland Supreme Court elections, 2016

Maryland 2016 elections

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2016 State
Judicial Elections

Part 1: Overview
Part 2: Supreme Courts
Part 3: Partisanship
Part 4: Changes in 2016

Two seats on the Maryland Court of Appeals were up for retention elections on November 8, 2016. Judge Clayton Greene and Judge Michele D. Hotten, who was appointed to succeed Judge Glenn T. Harrell, Jr., faced retention elections.[1][2] If retained, a supreme court judge serves for 10 years prior to the next retention election.

HIGHLIGHTS

* Both judges were retained.

* The Maryland Court of Appeals is Maryland's highest court; the Maryland Court of Special Appeals is the state's intermediate appellate court.

* Judge Michele D. Hotten was a recent appointee standing for a full ten-year term on the high court.

* Judge Clayton Greene took the bench in 2004 and stood for his second ten-year term.

## Contents

* 1 Judges who faced retention
* 2 Election results
* 2.1 November 8 general election
* 3 Political composition
* 4 Selection
* 4.1 Qualifications
* 4.2 Chief judge
* 5 State profile
* 5.1 Presidential voting pattern
* 6 Recent news
* 7 See also
* 8 External links
* 9 Footnotes

## Judges who faced retention[edit]

■ Clayton Greene
■ Michele D. Hotten

## Election results[edit]

### November 8 general election[edit]

Clayton Greene was retained in the Maryland Court of Appeals, Greene's Seat election with 80.71% of the vote.

Maryland Court of Appeals, Greene's Seat, 2016

Name | Yes votes
Clayton Greene| 80.71%
Source: Maryland State Board of Elections

Michele D. Hotten was retained in the Maryland Court of Appeals, Hotten's Seat election with 87.18% of the vote.

Maryland Court of Appeals, Hotten's Seat, 2016

Name | Yes votes
Michele D. Hotten| 87.18%
Source: Maryland State Board of Elections

## Political composition[edit]

Judges on the Maryland Court of Appeals are nonpartisan and appointed to their seats. Judges Clayton Greene, Joseph Getty, and Michele D. Hotten were appointed by Republican governors. Judges Mary Ellen Barbera, Sally Adkins, Shirley Marie Watts, and Robert N. McDonald were appointed by Democratic governors.

■ Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera |  | Appointed by Martin O'Malley (D) in 2009

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■ Sally Adkins |  | Appointed by Martin O'Malley (D) in 2008
■ Joseph Getty |  | Appointed by Larry Hogan (R) in 2016
■ Clayton Greene |  | Appointed by Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. (R) in 2004
■ Michele D. Hotten |  | Appointed by Larry Hogan (R) in 2015
■ Robert N. McDonald |  | Appointed by Martin O'Malley (D) in 2011
■ Shirley Marie Watts |  | Appointed by Martin O'Malley (D) in 2013

## Selection[edit]

See also: Judicial selection in Maryland

Judges are appointed to serve 10-year terms by the governor of the state and must be confirmed by the Maryland Senate before taking office. At least one year after the appointment, the judge must stand for retention by voters. In a retention election, voters are asked if a judge should be kept in office for another term; if a majority of the vote is "yes," the judge is retained. If the judge is retained, he or she will serve another 10-year term. Maryland judges must retire upon reaching age 70.[3][4]

### Qualifications[edit]

Court of Appeals judges must be:

* citizens and qualified voters of Maryland;
* residents of the state for at least five years
* residents of the appellate judicial circuit to which they are appointed for at least the prior six months;
* 30 years of age at the time of appointment;
* admitted to practice law in Maryland; and
* "most distinguished for integrity, wisdom and sound legal knowledge."[5]

### Chief judge[edit]

The chief judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals is selected by the governor and serves as the administrative head of the state's judicial system, according to the Maryland Constitution.[3][6]

## State profile[edit]

Demographic data for Maryland

| Maryland| U.S.
Total population:| 5,994,983| 316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):| 9,707| 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:| 57.6%| 73.6%
Black/African American:| 29.5%| 12.6%
Asian:| 6%| 5.1%
Native American:| 0.3%| 0.8%
Pacific Islander:| 0%| 0.2%
Two or more:| 3%| 3%
Hispanic/Latino:| 9%| 17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:| 89.4%| 86.7%
College graduation rate:| 37.9%| 29.8%
Income
Median household income:| $74,551| $53,889
Persons below poverty level:| 10.7%| 11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Maryland.

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**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

### Presidential voting pattern[edit]

See also: Presidential voting trends in Maryland

Maryland voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

More Maryland coverage on Ballotpedia

* Elections in Maryland
* United States congressional delegations from Maryland
* Public policy in Maryland
* Endorsers in Maryland
* Maryland fact checks
* More...

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Maryland court elections' OR 'Maryland Supreme Court 2016' OR 'Maryland Supreme Court election'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Maryland Supreme Court elections, 2016 - Google News

## See also[edit]

Maryland | Judicial Selection | More Courts

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Courts in Maryland Maryland Supreme Court Maryland Court of Appeals |  Elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Maryland |  Federal courts State courts Local courts

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

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* Maryland Court of Appeals

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Maryland State Archives, "APPOINTMENTS BY GOVERNOR, 1996-2015," accessed August 18, 2015
2. ↑ The State Board of Elections, "2016 Presidential General Election State Candidates List," accessed August 9, 2016
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Court of Appeals, "Origin and Functions"
4. ↑ Maryland Manual, "Constitution of Maryland, Article IV, Judiciary Department, Sections 3 and 5," accessed April 21, 2015
5. ↑ Maryland Manual, "Constitution of Maryland, Article IV, Judiciary Department, Section 2" accessed April 21, 2015
6. ↑ Maryland Manual, "Constitution of Maryland, Article IV, Judiciary Department, Section 14," accessed April 21, 2015

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