Government

Leopold's Trial Set for Sept. 4

Retired Howard County Judge Dennis Sweeney issued the date for the county executive's trial.

By D. Frank Smith
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July 10, 2012

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County Executive John R. Leopold was indicted in March, charged with four counts of misconduct in office and one count of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary.

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County Executive John R. Leopold was indicted in March, charged with four counts of misconduct in office and one count of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary.

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The trial for County Executive John R. Leopold will begin in September.

Retired Howard County Judge Dennis Sweeney issued the date for trial on Sept. 4 this week, according to WBAL-TV. The judge also struck down an attempt by Leopold's attorney to dismiss the case, according to The Capital.

Leopold was indicted on five counts by a state grand jury in March, including four counts of misconduct in office and one count of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary.

The investigation into Leopold's activities has made headlines throughout the year.

Police Chief James Teare Sr. was subpoenaed before the Anne Arundel County Council in March, but did not answer most questions posed to him about his alleged involvement in the charges against Leopold. Instead, in a follow-up meeting, Deputy Police Chief Lt. Col. Emerson Davis criticized the department as dysfunctional.

The ACLU became interested in the case, and filed public information requests to gather its own information. In June, the agency issued a release stating that county employees working under Leopold illegally used state and federal databases to gather information for dossiers on three county residents, so-called political enemies of Leopold.

The County Council has also taken actions to change the rules that govern public officials in the county. A proposed change to the charter would provide grounds for ouster from office if the executive were convicted of a felony or crime of moral turpitude, or malfeasance in office.

Related Topics: ACLU, Anne Arundel County Council, County Executive John Leopold, and James Teare

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Ethel

8:37 am on Wednesday, July 11, 2012

He is the best County Exec. we have had in a very long time...and they are railroading him for doing the same things that other County Exec and Governors have done....do you think that Gov Shaffer didn't have the State Police run little jobs or John Gary or Janet Owen....how about checking on what they did and how they used their police guards....

Brutus Henry

9:58 pm on Wednesday, July 11, 2012

King John and his administrators violate the County Charter, the MD Constitution, and the US Constitution on a daily basis. People in this county have voted for the lesser of two evils (the Republicans) and are not better off for it. Just as NY merchants could not differentiate between a Gambino or Genovese mobster extorting their hard earned wages, neither can an Anne Arundel County citizen discern a Republican from a Democrat - they are all organized criminals colluding with the developers to plunder our wealth. King John is the one to thank for the putrid, maggot-filled trash bins smelling up our neighborhoods with the brilliant once a week trash collection. RISE UP PEOPLE!!!

Amy Leahy

10:12 am on Thursday, July 12, 2012

Illegal actions are not and should not ever be a partisan issue. The fact that in the past couple of years we've had two local politicians indicted (and one already convicted) representing BOTH parties should speak to the actions of the individuals, and not partisanship politics. I say shame on the individuals who misused their fiduciary responsibility and public trust.