5 applicants for Washington County judgeship left vacant with Andrew Wilkinson's death

Julie E. Greene, The Herald-Mail
Updated ·3 min read

Editor's note: This story was updated at 9:40 a.m. on Jan. 30, 2024, to correct the length of term for the next elected Washington County Circuit Court judge.

Five people have applied for the Washington County Circuit Court judgeship left vacant with the recent death of Judge Andrew F. Wilkinson.

The governor is to appoint someone to the bench before the Feb. 9 candidacy deadline for the 2024 election.

The recently appointed Washington County Trial Court Judicial Nominating Commission will interview candidates, nominating finalists for the governor to consider.

One of those finalists will be Kirk Chalis Downey, who is the attorney for Washington County government.

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Downey automatically becomes a finalist because his name was forwarded to the governor as a candidate for the last open judgeship, Dave Harbin, president of the Washington County Bar Association, has said.

Local attorney Jason Morton also was a finalist for the last judgeship opening, but he has withdrawn his candidacy for this judgeship, according to the Maryland Courts website.

Who are the new candidates for the vacant Washington County judgeship?

The other applicants for the local Circuit Court judgeship:

  • Carter Phillip Ferrington, an associate attorney with Bar Adon & Vogel PLLC in Washington, D.C., according to his LinkedIn profile. The firm focuses on small businesses in Washington and Maryland, according to its website.

  • Amy Katherine Gibson, who practices family law in Hagerstown and is a former member of the Washington County Bar Association Board of Directors.

  • Travis William Poole, a Hagerstown attorney who has been an applicant twice before. He was nominated in 2019, and automatically added to the pool when another vacancy occurred in 2021.

  • Loren Rebecca Villa, a Hagerstown attorney who also was an applicant in 2021.

Whoever is appointed would need to stand for election in 2024 to keep the judgeship, Harbin has said.

Whoever wins that election will serve a 15-year term, according to the Maryland Judiciary's communications office.

Public may submit comments to judicial nominating commission

The public may submit written and signed comments about an applicant's qualifications. Those comments should be sent to The Judicial Nominating Commission, c/o The Administrative Office of the Courts, Human Resources, 187 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Fourth Floor, Annapolis MD 21401.

Comments must be received at least a week before the commission meets on Jan. 8.

With state holidays in the interim, Maryland Judiciary spokesman Bradley Tanner said that, ideally, written comments should be submitted by Jan. 4. Letters also may be emailed to debra.kaminski@mdcourts.gov in lieu of mailing hard copies.

The judgeship has been vacant since Oct. 19, when Wilkinson, 52, was found shot in the driveway of his home north of Hagerstown.

Authorities found the remains of the suspect in the attack, Pedro Argote, 49, of Frederick, Md., a week later on private property used for hunting, in an area near and east of the Pinesburg softball complex, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office. That area is northwest of Williamsport.

Local prosecutor finalist for Frederick County judgeship

Among the finalists for a vacant judgeship for Frederick County Circuit Court is Christine M. Remsburg, according to the state judiciary website. Remsburg is an assistant state's attorney with the Washington County State's Attorney Office.

That judgeship vacancy was created with the retirement of Judge Theresa M. Adams.

Staff writer Tamela Baker contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Washington County circuit judgeship post includes 5 applicants