Governor Moore Announces Judicial Appointments to Baltimore City Circuit Court and Montgomery County Circuit and District Courts

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced the appointments of Sean Richard Delaney, James Burke Miller and the Honorable Jocelyn Lang Williams to Baltimore City Circuit Court; Keith Joseph Rosa and Carlotta Ann Woodward to Montgomery County Circuit Court; and Jason Brian Abbott, Rolando Julio Aleman, Howard Ray Cheris and Seth Bradley Zucker to Montgomery County District Court.

“I am proud to appoint these nine accomplished legal practitioners to the bench in Montgomery County and Baltimore City,” said Gov. Moore. “As judges, I know that their expertise and experience will continue to be of great service to the people of Maryland in their new roles as judges. I am grateful to these attorneys for raising their hands to perform this valuable public service.”

Sean Richard Delaney

Sean Richard Delaney has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland in Baltimore for the past 12 years as a member of the office’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section. Previously, Delaney was a Trial Attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. During that time, he served on two details as a Special Assistant United State Attorney: first in the Eastern District of Virginia and later in the District of Massachusetts in the Economic Crimes Unit.

Delaney received his law degree from Boston College Law School.

James Burke Miller

Burke Miller currently serves as Chief of the Felony Trial Division in the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office and as lead attorney for the Archdiocese of Baltimore Abuse Workgroup. Miller was previously a prosecutor in the Homicide and Special Victims Units. He has also served in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Maryland Attorney General's Office and as a prosecutor in Prince George's County.  Miller began his career as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Christopher Panos in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.

Miller received his law degree from University of Baltimore School of Law.

Honorable Jocelyn Lang Williams

Jocelyn Lang Williams has been an administrative law judge at the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings for the past eight years. In addition to her duties as a judge, she serves as a mentor to new administrative law judges and is a certified mediator. Judge Williams is also a subject matter specialist in child abuse and neglect, involuntary admissions, not criminally responsible and forced medication hearings. Previously, Judge Williams worked as a staff attorney and supervising attorney in the Baltimore City office of Maryland Legal Aid, in the Child Advocacy Unit, focusing on Children in Need of Assistance and Termination of Parental Rights cases.

Judge Williams received her law degree from the Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law.

Keith Joseph Rosa

Keith Joseph Rosa is a partner and co-founder of the Bethesda-based law firm Goitein Rosa, LLC., with a practice focusing primarily on civil litigation, including family law. Previously, Rosa served as a special magistrate for the Montgomery County Circuit Court and as an associate, then partner at Abrams & West, P.C. Rosa served as a law clerk to the Honorable John W. Debelius III in the Montgomery County Circuit Court. Rosa has served as president of the Bar Association of Montgomery County and as president of the Bar Foundation of Montgomery County. 

Rosa received his law degree from Florida State University College of Law.

Carlotta Ann Woodward

Carlotta Ann Woodward has been a prosecutor in Montgomery County for the past fourteen years. She currently serves as the Chief of the Juvenile Division and primary prosecutor of animal cruelty cases. Woodward was previously an assistant state’s attorney and deputy chief of the Juvenile Division. She was an associate at Cordier Law Offices, LLC before opening her own practice. She served as a law clerk for the Honorable Ann S. Harrington, Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County.

Woodward received her law degree from University of Baltimore School of Law.

Jason Brian Abbott

Jason Brian Abbott currently serves as General Counsel for Public Safety and Homeland Security within the Office of the County Executive for Prince George’s County. Previously, Abbott served as Principal Deputy State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County and as Chief of the Strategic Investigations Unit within the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office. He also served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, where he led the state’s first-ever statewide Gang Prosecution Unit. Abbott began his legal career as a litigation law clerk with K&L Gates and later served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Montgomery County. 

Abbott received his law degree from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.

Rolando Julio Aleman

Rolando Julio Aleman is an associate attorney with Salvado, Salvado & Salvado, P.C. in Rockville, Maryland. Previously, Aleman was associate general counsel for the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission and was of counsel  to Salvado, Salvado & Salvado, PC. He was also an associate attorney at Jezic, Krum & Moyse, LLC. Aleman held two clerkships in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, first for the Honorable Kevin A. Hess and later for the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. Aleman began his legal career at the Law Office of Daniel J. Wright, where he worked as a law clerk and then as an associate attorney.

Aleman received his law degree from Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law.

Howard Ray Cheris

Howard Ray Cheris is an attorney with the Rockville based firm Armstrong, Cheris and Page, LLC. He is the lead partner and managing member of the firm. Cheris joined the firm after seventeen years as a private practitioner concentrating on civil and criminal litigation and has successfully argued cases in both District and Circuit Courts, as well as before the Maryland Supreme Court. He also worked as a contract attorney for the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office. 

Cheris received his law degree from the American University, Washington College of Law.

Seth Bradley Zucker

Seth Bradley Zucker has served as a prosecutor with the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for his entire legal career. He currently serves as Chief of both the Collateral Review Unit and the Conviction Integrity Unit and has also served on the Office Training and Education Committee. Additionally, he served on the State’s Attorney’s Office Prosecutorial Performance Indicators working group. Prior to being appointed Chief, he served on the Collateral Review Unit for ten years. Previously, he served as a trial prosecutor in the District, Juvenile, and Circuit Courts.

Zucker received his law degree from William and Mary Law School.

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