Evening star., 1954-04-25
!. ..MarbuY
:,
Fights Support
For Hammond
Bur Association
Resolution Fovoring
Nomination Is Hit

Nomination Is Hit
Backers of Circuit Judge
, Charles c. Marbury for seat
on Maryland's Court of Appeals
are fighting hard to block a
State Bar Association resolution
favoring nomination Of Justice
Hall Hammond in the June 28
! primaries.
. The resolution, adopted by the
Associations Executive Council
: and distributed to, some 1900
members. reads:
"It is the sense of the Execu-
, tive Council of the Maryland
State Bar Association that. in
I view of the demonstrated ability
on the Court of Appeals of
Maryland of Honorable Hall
Hammond, that he be reelected
. as a member of said court"
The resolution calls for secret
balloting up to May II, with
approval subject to majority
vote.
Marbury Not Mentioned.
Judge Marbury is not men
toned in the resolution which is
In error in regard to Justice
fIammond's "re-election." JUS
tice Hammond, a Democrat, was
Attorney General of the State,
an elective Office, when he was
appointed to the Appellate
Court by Gov. McKeldin about
q year ago. -..~-
In a counter move, a special
committee of the Prince
Georges County Bar Association
sent letters to attorneys
throughout the State attacking
the resolution as vicious, pre-
sumptive, unprecedented and
unfair to Judge Marbury." Judge
Marbury, a native Of Prince
Georges, has been a member of
the 7th Judicial Circuit bench
for IL years.
Nicholas Orem of Prince
Georges, a member of the Execu-
tive Council, predicted that the
resolution will split the Bar As
sociation wide open"
1.-THE fight" he declared. twill
be carried to the floor of the as
sociation's convention. set for a
week before the primaries and
might even result in mass reSig-
nations from the association by
7th Circuit members of the bar"
"It is not in accord with the
purposes of the association" the
Prince Georges letter said, "and
we hope, when it reaches you,
you will return it with your dis
approval. A non-voter will not
count as the result is to be de-
termined on the basis Of a ma
jority of the votes cast"
Neutrality Policy Urged.
Z Mr.. Orem has urged the State
association to adopt a policy of
strict neutrality.
Neither the executive council
nor the association" he said.
"has ever taken any part in any
judicial election, within the
memory of some of it's Oldest
members, nor do the reports of
the association for the last Is
years disclose any such action"
Dissension within the associa-
tion has aspects of a city county
struggle.
"The executive council, Mr..
Orem claimed, "is dominated by
Baltimore lawyers and Justice
Hammond has always been a
Baltimore lawyer Baltimore
County election records indicate
that Justice Hammond registered
there in 1888.
Judge Marbury and Justice
Hammond are contesting for the
Second Appellate Circuit seat on
the States Supreme Court. The
Second Appellate Circuit, Gre
ated under the Bond reorganiza-
tion plan, comprises the counties
Of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, CAL
vert. Charles. Hartford, St. Marys
and Prince Georges.
Voters of the circuit will have
their first opportunity in June
to ballot for an Appeals Court
judge. Before the reorganization,
the court had seven members,
one from each judicial circuit.
Under the old plan, each section
of the State was represented,
but under the new arrangement
there is risk that Southern
Maryland will have no repre-
Sentation.
Retirement Left Vacancy.
The present vacancy is caused
by retirement of Chief Justice
. Ogle Marbury OF Laurel.
Primary ballots will list the
names of both candidates on
Democratic and Republican tick
cts. in accordance with provi-
sions of the reorganization law.
If either wins nomination by
both parties, his election is GER
tain.
The Prince Georges letter
claims that the association is
under no obligation to support
Justice Hammond and that
there is no compelling reason
to retain the incumbent.
Indeed it might we'll be con-
sidered," the communication re-
cites, that while Judge Ham
f11ond is a member of the Court