District Court Biographies

MARY ANN STEPLER. District Court, District 11,
1980—. Born in York, Pennsylvania, November 7,
1942. Attended American University, B.A., 1967; Uni-
versity of Baltimore Law School, LL.D., cum laude,
1974. Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1974. Member,
American, Maryland State, and Frederick County Bar
Associations; Maryland Trial Lawyers Association;
American Trial Lawyers Association; Maryland State's
Attorney's Association. Member, Heuisler Honor Soci-
ety, University of Baltimore Law School. Assistant
State's attorney for Frederick County, 1975-1980. Mar-
ried; 1 child.

WILLIAM 0. E. STERLING. District Court, District
4, 1971—. Born in Leonardtown, March 2, 1916. At-
tended St. Mary's Academy and Leonard Hall; Colum-
bus University School of Law, LL.B., 1938, LL.M.,
1939. Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1938. Served in
the LI S Army Member, Maryland State and St. Mary's
County Bar Associations. Former attorney for the
County Commissioners, St. Mary's County; attorney for
the Commissioners of Leonardtown; state's attorney, St.
Mary's County; assistant state's attorney, St. Mary's
County; attorney for the St. Mary's County Planning
and Zoning Commission; attorney, St. Mary's County
Liquor Board. Member, Lions Club; Knights of Colum-
bus; Order of the Alhambra; American Legion; VFW;
St. Mary's County Farm Bureau. Married; 4 children.

HENRY W. STICHEL, JR. District Court, District 1,
1971—. Born in Baltimore City, August 26, 1930.
Attended Patterson Park High School; University of
Maryland; University of Maryland School of Law, J.D.,
1952. Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1952. Member,
American, Maryland State, and Baltimore City Bar As-
sociations. Assistant city solicitor, 1955-1959; traffic
magistrate, 1959-1961; chairman. Board of Supervisors
of Elections, Baltimore City, 1963-1966. Associate
judge, Municipal Court, 1966-1971. Phi Eta Sigma;
Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity Honor Key. Member,
Boumi Temple A.A.O.N.M.S.; Highlandtown Exchange
Club. Married; 2 children.

GEORGE M. TAYLOR. District Court, District 7,
1964—. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, September
26, 1920. Attended various schools in Pennsylvania and
Binghamton North High School, Binghamion, New
York; University of Baltimore, A.A., 1951, LL.B., 1953.
Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1954. Served in the
U.S. Army. Member, North American Judges Associa-
tion. Assistant attorney, Anne Arundel County Sanitary
Commission, 1961-1964. Married; 3 children.

JOHN CHARLES TRACEY. District Court, District
6, 1970—. Born in Silver Spring, February 27, 1932.
Attended Capitol Page School; University of Maryland,
B.A., 1957; University of Maryland School of Law,
LL.B., 1958, J.D., 1969. Admitted to the Maryland
Bar, 1958. Served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Member,
Maryland State and Montgomery County Bar Associa-
tions; American Judicature Society; National Council of
Juvenile Court Judges; former member. Executive Com-
mittee, Bar Association of Montgomery County. Master
for Juvenile Causes, Montgomery County, 1966-1967.
Member, Hiram Lodge #10; Mithras Lodge of Perfec-

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tion, A.A.S.R.; Almas Temple Shrine; founder, Mont-
gomery County Boys and Girls Home; founder. Drug
Action Coalition of Montgomery County; life member,
Order of Demolay; former director. Silver Spring
YMCA; former director, Boy Scouts of America; for-
mer director, Community Psychiatric Clinic. Lecturer
on the Juvenile Justice System; member. Section Coun-
cil, Juvenile and Family Law Committee, Maryland
State Bar Association. Member, Ager Road United
Methodist Church. Married; 5 children.

BLANCHE G. WAHL. District Court, District 1,
1977—. Born on Staten Island, New York, September
19, 1917. Attended New York public schools; Brooklyn
College of the City University of New York; Brooklyn
Law School of St. Lawrence University, LL.B., 1938.
Admitted to the New York Bar, 1939; Maryland Bar,
1952. Member, American, Maryland State, and Balti-
more City Bar Associations. Assistant city solicitor and
chief city solicitor, Baltimore City Solicitor's Office,
1957-1977. Married; 3 children.

FRED E. WALDROP. District Court, District 8,
1971—. Born in Greenville, South Carolina, June 7,
1927. Attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute;
Towson State, A.A., 1948; University of Baltimore,
LL.B., J.D., 1955. Admitted to the Maryland Bar,
1956. Served in the U.S. Navy. Trial magistrate,
Baltimore County, 1962-1971. Former chairman,
American Cancer Society Crusade. Married; 2 children.

JAMES J. WELSH. District Court, District 1, 1974—.
Born in Baltimore City, January 20, 1927. Attended
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute; University of Balti-
more, A.A., 1957; University of Baltimore Law School,
LL.B., 1959. Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1960.
Served in the U.S. Army. Maryland House of Dele-
gates, 1950-1954; City Council of Baltimore, 1955-
1959. Former chief assistant state's attorney, Balti-
more City. Married; 2 children.

KENNETH A. WILCOX. District Court, District 3,
1973—; Administrative Judge. Juvenile Court Judge,
Cecil County. Born in Eden, New York, August 16,
1927. Attended New York, Pennsylvania, and Mary-
land public schools; University of Maryland, B S , 1950;
University of Baltimore, J.D., 1962. Admitted to the
Maryland Bar, 1962. Served in the U.S. Navy. Member,
Maryland State Bar Association; Cecil County Bar and
Law Library Association; Susquehana Law Club. Trial
Magistrate, 1967; Mayor, Town of Elkton, 1967-1971;
Assistant State's Attorney for Cecil County, 1971-
1973; Court Auditor for the Circuit Court of Cecil
County; Substitute Chairman, Property Review Board
for Cecil County. Former member, Elkton Kiwanis
Club; Elkton Optomist Club; district chairman, Boy
Scouts of America; Board of Directors, Upper Chesa-
peake Water Shed Association; past director, Cecil
County YMCA; past member, Executive Steering Com-
mittee, Big Elk Creek Water Shed Committee; past di-
rector, Executive Council, Maryland Municipal League;
past president, Sons of the American Revolution; Cecil
County Historical Society; active in other charitable or-
ganizations. Married; 3 daughters.