Governor Moore Announces Appointments to the Judicial Nominating Commission for Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's Counties

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Wes Moore today announced appointments to the District 2 Trial Courts Judicial Nominating Commission for Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's Counties. Kent County attorney Cynthia Lynn McCann will serve as chair.

“The Judicial Nominating Commission for Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's Counties plays a critical role in our justice system," said Gov. Moore. “These Marylanders will help us ensure that our state lives up to the full promise of equal justice under law and I thank each of our appointees for raising their hands to serve."

There are sixteen Trial Court Judicial Nominating Commissions established by executive order. The commissions advertise judicial vacancies; seek recommendations for judicial candidates from their own membership, bar associations, and members of the general public; set closing dates for the submission of judicial applications; and evaluate applicants based on a variety of factors including their integrity, temperament, legal knowledge, and professional experience.

Governor Moore's 13 appointees include: ?

Cynthia Lynn McCann, Chair
Cynthia Lynn McCann is an Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Natural Resources. Previously, she practiced in her own firm in Kent County for 11 years, after having practiced for 13 years as an associate and then partner with the firm now named Stevens Palmer, LLC in Queen Anne's County. McCann is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association's Judicial Appointments Committee, recently served as vice president of the Kent County Bar Association, and has served on the boards of Community Mediation Upper Shore, Mid Shore Pro Bono, and is currently a board member of Child Justice, Inc. She received her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Kaya Abukassis
Kaya Abukassis is an attorney with Stevens Palmer, LLC where she focuses on domestic, criminal and land use matters. Previously, Abukassis served as a law clerk for the Honorable Stephen H. Kehoe in the Circuit Court for Talbot County. After completing her clerkship, she worked as an associate attorney with the MacLeod Law Group, where she handled real estate matters and land use litigation. She is a certified mediator, a former notary public, and received her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Andrew Adkins
Andrew Adkins is a solo practitioner handling family law and criminal defense. Previously, Adkins worked as an associate attorney with Hollis, Cronan and Frank., P.A.; served as a law clerk to the Honorable Thomas G. Ross, Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County; and served as a high school teacher and the head of social studies at the Wye River Upper School. He received his J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law, *** laude.

Gary Atwell Brown III
Gary Brown has served as an Assistant Public Defender in Cecil County since 2019. Previously, Brown served as an associate attorney with the Law Office of William Riddle, where he handled civil and criminal litigation and appellate law. He has worked as a volunteer attorney with the West Virginia Innocence Project and served as a law clerk in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. Brown received his J.D. from the West Virginia University College of Law.

Leigh Catherine Dillon
Leigh Catherine Dillon served as an Assistant State's Attorney in Queen Anne's County for more than 11 years and has served as Deputy State's Attorney since 2022. Prior to public service, Dillon practiced family law as an associate for Kim DiGiovanni Aluisi, LLC and was a law clerk for the Honorable Thomas G. Ross in the Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County. She is a volunteer coach with Character Counts! of Queen Anne's County and is a member of the Rotary Club of Centreville. She received her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Pamela Duke
Pamela Duke is a family law and estates attorney with nearly a decade of courtroom and trial litigation experience. In addition to serving as principal for her firm, Duke is an attorney for the Chestertown Ethics Commission. Previously, she served as executive director of the Sassafras River Association and was a law clerk to the Honorable Paul M. Bowman in the Circuit Court for Kent County. She was also the chief fundraising and advancement officer for the Kent School in Chestertown. Duke is a certified mediator and received her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Patricia B. Fitzgerald
Patricia B. Fitzgerald is a trial lawyer with more than 28 years of experience handling civil and criminal injury trials, bench trials, mediation, and arbitration. Fitzgerald currently serves as Deputy State's Attorney for Cecil County. She previously served as an Assistant State's Attorney in Cecil and Harford Counties for more than 16 years, in addition to serving as counsel for the Law Office of Joseph M. Jagielski and as a law clerk for the Honorable Stephen M. Waldron in the Circuit Court for Harford County. She received her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law.?

John Morgan Hall, Jr.
John Morgan Hall, Jr. is the principal attorney and chief executive officer of The John Hall Law Group, a firm that specializes in workers' compensation law, primarily for law enforcement workers. Hall began his career as an Assistant State's Attorney in Prince George's County and later served as a partner with Serio, Tansey and Adams. Hall previously served as chair of the District 2 Judicial Nominating Commission for eight years. He received his J.D. from Regent University.

Nivek Johnson
Nivek Johnson has more than 14 years of experience in education, youth services, and business and nonprofit consultancy. Previously, Johnson served as vice chair of the Kent County Public Schools Board of Education, where he was the youngest elected member. He was born and raised in Chestertown and attended public schools in both Kent and Queen Anne's counties. He received his A.A. from Chesapeake College, his B.A. from Salisbury University, and his M.Ed. from Bowie State University.

Andrew Charles Meehan
Andrew Charles Meehan has worked as an attorney in Kent County for more than 23 years. Meehan is an attorney with the MacLeod Law Group, LLC with a practice concentrated on civil and commercial litigation. Previously, Meehan was a partner of Wright & Meehan and senior counsel with the Law Offices of Stephen Z. Meehan. Before moving to Maryland's Eastern Shore, he practiced law in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. He received his J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law.

Anthony (Tony) Rodriguez
Anthony (Tony) Rodriguez has been a public interest attorney since 1986. He retired from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2021 and joined the board of Shore Legal Access in 2022, where he began providing legal assistance to Eastern Shore residents on housing and consumer debt issues. Rodriguez previously served as an Assistant Attorney General for the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, where he worked on task forces for disability rights in public accommodations and housing discrimination. He is a member of the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association and previous president of the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys. He received his J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.

Dorotheann Sadusky
Dorotheann Sadusky retired in 2017 after serving as chief of staff to State Senator James N. Mathias, Jr. for 10 years. Sadusky previously served as an independent insurance broker, development coordinator, public relations director, and business management consultant. She has been active with the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, and the Kent Island Historical Society.

Doncella Wilson
Doncella Wilson is co-founder and executive director of Minary's Dream Alliance, which aims to transform the lives of youth, families and communities through education, resource development and community engagement. Wilson is an Eastern Shore native and was previously elected as a council member on the town council in Denton. Wilson serves on the board of Shore Legal Access and is a licensed master social worker with more than15 years of experience in human services. She received her A.A. from Chesapeake College and both her B.S.W. and M.S.W. from Salisbury University.