**Exhibit 31.1**

 

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERPURSUANT TOSECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT RULES 13a-1 AND 15d-14AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TOSECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Edwin F. Hale, Sr., certify that:

 

(1)                                  I have reviewed thisannual report on Form 10-K of First Mariner Bancorp;

 

(2)                                  Based on myknowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material factor omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statement made, in lightof the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading withrespect to the period covered by this report;

 

(3)                                  Based on myknowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information includedin this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition,results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, theperiods presented in this report;

 

(4)                                  The registrant’sother certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintainingdisclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange ActRules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

 

a.                                       Designed suchdisclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls andprocedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material informationrelating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is madeknown to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period inwhich this report is being prepared;

 

b.                                      Evaluated theeffectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures andpresented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of thedisclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by thisreport based on such evaluation; and

 

c.                                       Disclosed inthis report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financialreporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (theregistrant’s fourth quarter in the case of an annual report) that hasmaterially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, theregistrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

(5)                                  The registrant’sother certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recentevaluation of internal control over financial reporting to the registrant’sauditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or personsperforming the equivalent functions):

 

a.                                       All significantdeficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internalcontrol over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adverselyaffect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and reportfinancial information; and

 

b.                                      Any fraud,whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have asignificant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 
| Date: 3/16/05 | By:    | /s/ EDWIN F. HALE., SR.              |
|---------------|--------|--------------------------------------|
|          |   | Edwin F. Hale, Sr.                   |
|          |   | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |

 

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