Judge Angela M. Eaves sworn in to Maryland Court of Appeals, is first Hispanic to serve on state’s highest court

Gov. Larry Hogan swore in Judge Angela M. Eaves on Tuesday in Annapolis to serve on the Maryland Court of Appeals. Eaves is the first Hispanic to serve on the state’s highest court.

Eaves is also the first Harford County resident appointed to the Court of Appeals in more than 100 years, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

“Judge Eaves is a distinguished jurist who brings to the Court of Appeals a proven track record of fairness and impartiality, as well as a passionate commitment to public service,” Hogan said in the release. “This is [a] historic day as we swear in the first Hispanic to serve on our highest court, and I want to congratulate Judge Eaves and her family.”

Eaves succeeds Judge Robert N. McDonald, who reached his mandatory retirement in February.

Since 2007, Eaves has served on the Harford County Circuit Court, most recently serving as administrative judge. Before her appointment to the Circuit Court, she served for seven years as an associate judge at the District Court for Harford County. She was the first African American and the second woman appointed to the bench in Harford County at the time, according to the Maryland State Archives.

Eaves, whose mother is Panamanian and father is African American, is the first Hispanic appointed to Maryland’s appellate courts.

Before her judicial service, Eaves was an assistant attorney general with the Office of the Attorney General, where she handled cases in the Correctional Litigation Division and on behalf of the Department of Human Resources. She was also a staff attorney at the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau.

Earlier in her career, she was an assistant city attorney for the city of Dallas. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public affairs, and a law degree, all from the University of Texas.