Governor Moore Announces Inaugural Meeting, Chair, and Members of the Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Wes Moore today announced the inaugural meeting of the Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform and Emerging Best Practices. The commission, which is charged with reviewing and reporting on all juvenile services, facilities, and programs in Maryland, will hold its first meeting on Nov. 6 with Judge Andre M. Davis serving as chair.

"This administration is committed to ensuring accountability both for young people who break the law and those responsible for their rehabilitation," said Gov. Moore. "In partnership with the General Assembly, we will continue to prioritize public safety and provide our children with the supports they need to get their lives on track. I have full confidence that Judge Davis and this commission will help us do exactly that, as we continue our work to make Maryland safer."

Authorized by the passage of HB814, which was signed into law by Governor Moore on May 16, the commission reflects the Moore-Miller Administration’s commitment to making Maryland safer by both holding accountable and providing comprehensive rehabilitative support for youth who are justice-involved.

In addition to review and reporting on juvenile services and facilities, the commission is also charged with reviewing programs to divert children from the juvenile justice system. The commission will also review and report on a number of high-priority juvenile justice policies, including the treatment and programming of females in the juvenile justice system; the use of child-in-need-of-supervision petitions; the number of petitions authorized or denied by jurisdiction; and wait times for placement of children in facilities.

Judge Andre M. Davis is an experienced jurist whose nearly 50 year career has been dedicated to serving Marylanders.

Upon graduation from law school, Judge Davis served as law clerk to Judge Frank A. Kaufman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and Judge Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Judge Davis also served in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division as an appellate attorney. 

From 1984 to 1987, Judge Davis was an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Law, where he continued to teach as an adjunct faculty member until 2014. In 1987, Judge Davis was appointed as associate judge of the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore City, where he remained until 1990. He was then appointed as associate judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. President Obama nominated Judge Davis to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2009.

In September 2017 Judge Davis retired from service as a judge to serve as the Baltimore City Solicitor. Davis represented Baltimore City in all civil legal matters. He also played a central role in the city’s implementation of the federal court consent decree following widespread civil unrest in Baltimore in April 2015. Judge Davis retired from his role as Baltimore City Solicitor in 2020.

In retirement, Judge Davis continues to advance the cause of equal justice and community uplift as vice chair of the Attorney General’s Access to Justice Task Force; a trustee of the Walters Art Museum; membership on the advisory board of Harvard’s Center for Law, Behavior, and the Brain; and membership on the board of the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia.

Judge Davis received a B.A. in American History from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D., *** laude, from the University of Maryland School of Law where he was also a recipient of the prestigious Roger Howell Award.

"I am honored to be asked to lead this important effort. We will focus our efforts on improving public safety and the lives of justice-involved youth by putting forth proposals that are based on evidence and are aligned with the prevailing research on adolescent neurodevelopment," said Judge Andre M. Davis. "The diverse experiences and perspectives represented on this commission will ensure that the policies we ultimately recommend will be thoughtful, data driven, and responsive to the concerns of all stakeholders."

Twenty-six appointed members constitute the commission, with twenty-two members appointed by the governor, two by the Maryland Senate President Ferguson, and two by Maryland House Speaker Jones. The commission also includes representation from justice-involved youth.

Members of the Commission on Juvenile Justice and Emerging Best Practices include:

- The Honorable Andre M. Davis, Chair
- Sen. Nick Charles
- Sen. Will Smith
- J. Sandy Bartlett, Esq.
- N. Scott Phillips, Esq.
- Maryland Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Vinny Schiraldi
- Maryland Department of Human Services Secretary Rafael Lopez
- Aubrey Edwards-Luce
- Dr. Sean Aaron Betsinger
- Susan Leviton
- Eric N. Ford
- Tanya Schwartz
- Nathaniel Balis 
- Dr. Elizabeth Park 
- Judge Lara Weathersbee
- Carlotta Woodward
- Alycia Capozello
- Russell Hammill
- Donald L. Baker, Jr.
- Dr. Donna L. Christy
- Terry Diggs
- Reuben Alvarez
- Rhondalyne Reed
- Elizabeth Davis
- Arntrice Crowder
- Denise Henderson