A judge from Prince George's County has been named the next chief judge of the state's District Court.
Judge John P. Morrissey, 49, who has served as an associate judge since 2005, will succeed District Court Chief Judge Ben C. Clyburn when Clyburn retires next month.
Morrissey, who was born in Washington, D.C. and has lived in P.G. County for more than 40 years, will oversee the court's 34 locations and nearly 2,000 employees, including 116 state judges. The court is typically the first point of contact for members of the public who interact with the state courts system. It has a budget of $165 million and processes more than 1.7 million cases per year.
In a statement, Mary Ellen Barbera, chief judge of Maryland's Court of Appeals who appointed Morrissey, praised his experience as a judge and an administrator and said she was pleased to welcome him as chief judge. She thanked Clyburn for his "tremendous legacy of fiscal responsibility, enhanced access to justice, and the integration of technology to streamline court processes."
"It is a great honor to be selected for this key leadership position, and I look forward to supporting the mission and vision for this branch of government," Morrissey said in a statement.
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