In a spate of advertising that began last week, two of the three candidates for state's attorney have turned to blasting each other's records while lambasting the third's lack of criminal courtroom experience.
The opening shot in the barrage of negative newspaper ads came from Thomas E. Hickman, the incumbent who was defeated in the Republican primary and is waging a write-in campaign.
In one ad, a series of headlines asking "Did You Know?" is followed by shots at Democratic candidate Linda A. Holmes and Republican Jerry F. Barnes. At the top, Mr. Hickman's ad hints that Ms. Holmes doesn't even have the desire to be a prosecutor.
"Is Linda Holmes even interested in criminal cases?" the ad asks. To support the suggestion that she's not, Mr. Hickman runs a copy of her phone book listing, which shows her practice involves family law, wills, estates and divorce -- much the same type of law Mr. Hickman practiced until 1990 when he was forced by action of the legislature to devote full time to his office as state's attorney.
The rest of the advertisement criticizes Mr. Barnes, claiming he gives sweetheart deals to criminals and is in the pockets of criminal defense lawyers.
"Don't let the criminal defense lawyers laugh at you," the copy reads. "DON'T LET CRIMINALS WALK!!."
In an ad that began running this morning, Mr. Barnes slaps back at his former boss and mentor. "Tom Hickman will say anything to get your vote," the copy reads.
The ad goes on to say that Mr. Hickman has distorted his record on murder convictions and is misleading the public on Mr. Barnes' record.
"You have a right to a state's attorney with honesty and integrity," the ad says. Mr. Barnes finishes with a hit at Mr. Hickman and a subtle brush at Ms. Holmes: "Write-off Hickman. A write-in vote only helps the candidate with no experience."
In another ad that began running today, Mr. Barnes implies that Ms. Holmes doesn't understand the seriousness or complexity of being a prosecutor.
To Ms. Holmes -- whose advertisements feature excerpts from her newspaper endorsements and an argument that criminal experience isn't the most important part of the job -- the ads are desperate attempts by her opponents to revive their campaigns.
She said she plans no retorts.
"What I'm going to do is continue to point out that management of the office is the thing," she said Friday. "I have the endorsements of the two major newspapers and, if experience is what matters, why did I get the endorsements when they have 36 years of prosecutorial experience between them?"
The Baltimore Sun and the Carroll County Times endorsed Ms. Holmes.
Mr. Hickman said he decided to run the attack ads because he knew of no other way to show the "truth" about Mr. Barnes' record.
"If the media had done their jobs, we wouldn't have to do this," he said Friday. "The press has never said one word about Jerry's record, the press has hasn't done its job. That's why we were forced to buy advertising to get the truth out."
Part of what Mr. Hickman wants to tell the public comes in the form of an ad asking, "Which Jerry Barnes do you believe?"
In the advertisement, Mr. Hickman says Mr. Barnes, an assistant prosecutor in Frederick County, plea-bargains drug cases. The ad gives "proof" of how the Carroll County Narcotics Task Force "outperformed" the Frederick task force: The Carroll squad had more arrests than the Frederick one which was headed by Mr. Barnes.
What the ad doesn't mention is that most of the Carroll task force's cases are resolved in plea bargains, according to court records.
The head of the county's Republican Party sees Mr. Hickman's strategy as a last-minute gasp.
"I think Jerry is putting forth his record of accomplishment, and it's a great record," said Thomas W. Bowen, chairman of the Republican Central Committee. "It doesn't surprise me that a candidate is trying to take potshots at somebody when they're losing. I think Jerry's a winner."
Mr. Barnes said he decided that Mr. Hickman's attacks on his record were too serious to go unanswered.
"We tried to run a positive campaign for the last four months, because that's what the voters deserve," Mr. Barnes said.
"Certainly, the negative attacks on me and my past performance merely reflect the desperation the write-in candidate is operating under at this time."