An Anne Arundel County judge scheduled a Dec. 23 trial on a drunk-driving charge for the director of the attorney general's civil rights office, but it is unknown which judge will hear the case.
Tuesday morning, three of the 12 Circuit Court judges recused themselves from the case against Carl O. Snowden, 57, of Annapolis, with Judge Paul A. Hackner noting that he has "known Mr. Snowden for a long time" due to Snowden's years of community activities.
After court, Snowden's lawyer, Alan H. Legum, said he did not know how many other judges might do the same.
Long active in civil rights and politics, Snowden is a former Annapolis alderman who made an unsuccessful run for Annapolis mayor, and was an aide for eight years to then-Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens before moving to his current job in 2007. He also serves as the head of the Annapolis Housing Authority, which is embroiled in a civil lawsuit involving its practice of banning tenants' visitors.
The county prosecutor's office brought in a Talbot County prosecutor for the drunk-driving case.
Snowden faces drunk-driving and related charges after a county police officer reported seeing his car drift in and out of southbound lanes of Interstate 97 near Farm Road in Crownsville. Snowden received probation before judgment in a prior drunken-driving case.