Governor Larry Hogan today announced the appointment of Laura Sue Ripken to the Court of Special Appeals. The governor made the appointment after interviewing nominees submitted by the Appellate Courts 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 Laura Ripken will continue to be a strong advocate for the law and will serve the citizens of the State of Maryland admirably.”
Ripken is the administrative judge for the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County. Since January 2019, she has also served as the chair of the Conference of Circuit Court Judges. Prior to her appointment to the bench in 2010, Judge Ripken served 19 years as a county prosecutor and was also a former deputy state’s attorney. She served as a law clerk to the Honorable Bruce C. Williams, Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, from 1989 to 1991.
Judge Ripken obtained her B.A. from Lehigh University and her J.D. from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.
Ripken is currently the Judge assigned to the Jarrod Ramos case which will be reassigned to another judge to complete the trial. Ramos pleaded guilty to the killing of five employees in the Capital-Gazetter newsroom in June 2018. A trial is scheduled for the end of June (2021) to determine if he was criminally respnsible for the deaths. If found not criminally responsible, Ramos will be sentenced to a State hospital; if found criminally responsible, he will be sentenced to prison.
