POLL: Best Candidate in 2014 County Executive Race

A few potential candidates have expressed interest in the 2014 race for Anne Arundel county executive, according to reports.

Leopold Opponents Appeased with Guilty Verdict

The Anne Arundel county executive was found guilty on two counts of misconduct in office on Tuesday.

When Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold was found guilty on two counts of misconduct in office, a number of his former employees and political opponents were watching. "I'm very happy about at least two out of the four counts," Joan Harris said. Harris is a former county employee who, along with Karla Hamner, has filed a discrimination lawsuit against Leopold in U.S. District Court. Judge Dennis Sweeney found Leopold guilty on two of the four counts of misconduct in office brought by the state prosecutor's office. Leopold was also found not guilty on the fifth—and most serious—charge of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary. That count carried a sentence of up to five years in prison. In his decision, Sweeney said Leopold …

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Advocacy Network Encourages Parents to Join Committees

The group discussed its future along with school start times, classroom sizes and the allocation of new teachers in the county.

The Parents Advocacy Network (PAN) of Anne Arundel County held its third-ever meeting Tuesday night at the Edgewater Library and discussed grading curriculum, high school start times and class sizes. Chairwoman Joanna Conti and vice chairman Brad Myers lead the discussion with nearly a dozen local parents, many from the Severna Park area. Earlier this year, Conti and others created the PAN, an independent group comprised of local parents working to improve Anne Arundel County public schools. “The bulk of the work we do will be done through the committees we form. If we’re really going to be effective, we need to form groups of people that are really devoted to meet outside these once-a-week meetings,” Conti said. While the crowd was small …

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Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.

2:25 pm on Wednesday, May 30, 2012

If anyone wants to know more about PAN's later high school start time subcommittee, or about the state and national efforts on this issue, please send me an email or check out our countywide Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/103019689744482/) or the national coalition that's based right here in Anne Arundel County (http://www.startschoollater.net/).   more ›

Experts: Leopold Charges Show Moral, If Not Criminal Lapses

Legal experts said the charges against the Anne Arundel County executive show weakness, but that prosecutors will have to work hard to convict.

The allegations outlined in an indictment against Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold are publicly embarrassing, legal experts said, but prosecutors could have trouble convincing a jury that he broke the law. Maryland State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt announced on Friday that an Anne Arundel County grand jury handed down a nine-page indictment alleging that Leopold stole and hid campaign signs from a political opponent and used county police officers to drive him to sexual dalliances in public parking lots in 2010. The indictment includes four counts of misconduct and another of fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail. The indictment alleges that Leopold: Lawyers involved in public corruption cases said most …

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County Executive Candidates, Trumbauer Speak at Forum

All the candidates try to convince the audience that they know how to 'fix' the county's budget.

The Democratic nominee for County Executive, Joanna Conti, hinted that personnel cuts might be a necessary evil next year with the county budget facing structural deficits — not to mention unfunded employee benefits that loom overhead. Conti made the remarks at a candidate forum held at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold on the evening of Oct. 19. The event featured candidates for all seven county council seats, including District 6, as well as the three candidates running for County Executive. The next legislative session will be of critical importance if the county is going to remain viable and prosperous, Conti said. If elected, the Democratic candidate said she would devote her first five months in office to "getting the fiscal …

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