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Archives of Maryland
Historical List Maryland Court of Appeals Clerks, 1781- |
The position of Clerk of the Court of Appeals was authorized in 1780
(Chapter
23, Acts of March Session 1780). The Clerk was appointed by the
judges of the Court. Under the several acts reorganizing the judiciary
of Maryland in 1806, the Court of Appeals held separate terms for the Western
Shore and the Eastern Shore, and a clerk was appointed for each shore (Chapter
55, Acts of 1804; Chapters 16
and 65,
Acts of 1805). Since the adoption of the Constitution of 1851, the
Court of Appeals has held its sessions only at Annapolis and has had only
one Clerk of the Court. Beginning in 1851, the clerk held office
for six years and could be reappointed (Const.
1851, Art. 4, sec. 3). In 1867, the Clerk's office became an
elected position (Const.
1867, Art. 4, sec. 17), and they were chosen by the qualified voters
of the State. In 1939, the office again became an appointed one,
and without a specified term length (Chapter
40, Acts of 1939).1 The clerk maintains the docket,
receives briefs and transcripts of cases filed with the Court, and maintains
official custody of Court decisions, Acts of the General Assembly, and
other records required to be filed with the Court (Const.,
Art. IV, sec. 17).2
David Bradford, 1781-1784
Thomas D. Merrick, 1784-1794
Burton Whetcroft, 1795-1805
James Earle, Jr., Eastern Shore, 1806-1814
James Parrott, Eastern Shore, 1814-1835
Thomas C. Nicols, Eastern Shore, 1836-1842
H.E. Bateman, Eastern Shore, 1842-1851
Thomas Harris, Jr., Western Shore, 1806-1829
John Johnson, Western Shore, 1829-1836
Richard W. Gill, Western Shore, 1836-1851
Richard W. Gill, 1851-1852
William A. Spencer, 1852-1863
George Earle, 1863-1867
James S. Franklin, 1867-1879
Spencer C. Jones, 1879-1891
John Frank Ford, 1891-1897
Allan D. Rutherford, 1897-1900
John Frank Ford, 1900-1901*
J. Frank Turner, 1901
Thomas Parran, 1901-1907
Caleb C. Magruder, 1907-1923
Luther H. Gadd, 1923
James A. Young, 1923-1942
Maurice Ogle, 1942-1957
J. Lloyd Young, 1957-1971
James H. Norris, Jr., 1971-1983
Alexander L. Cummings, 1983-2008
Bessie M. Decker, 2008-2018
Suzanne C. Johnson, 2018-present
1Georgory
A. Stiverson, ed. Maryland Manual, 1985-1986. Annapolis, MD: State
Archives of the State of Maryland, 1985: 642.
2Maryland
Manual On-Line
* John Frank Ford died February 26, 1901, however, his term did not expire until 1904. He was appointed to finish the term of Allan D. Rutherford, who died April 28, 1900.
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