latimes.com

The field of applicants from which Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley will fill a vacancy on the Washington County Circuit Court has been narrowed to five.

The state Judicial Nominating Commission on Wednesday announced it had nominated District Judge Dana Moylan Wright, Family Law Master G. Clair Baker Jr., and attorneys Edward L. Kuczynski, Mary Anne Day and Margaret Lynn Williams from the original field of 11 applicants.

O’Malley will select one of the five to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge W. Kennedy Boone III, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 in March. Boone has continued to serve on the bench pending the selection of his replacement.

The other applicants for the position were Deputy State’s Attorney Joseph Michael, Assistant Public Defender Loren R. Villa, Roland David Pembroke, Michael Ellsworth Nehring, Scott Lee Schubel and Andrew Fisher Wilkinson.

 All 11 applicants were interviewed by the nominating commission, Maryland Judiciary spokeswoman Terri Bolling said Thursday.

The person selected as circuit court judge must stand for election in the first general election that occurs at least one year after being appointed to fill a vacancy on the bench, according to the Maryland Constitution.

The judge may be opposed formally by one or more qualified members of the bar, the website said.

The successful candidate is elected to a 15-year term, the website said. At the expiration of the term, the judge may run again.

The position of circuit court judge pays $140,352 a year, according to the judiciary website.

“We don’t know when the governor will make the appointment,” Bolling said.

The announcement will be made by the governor’s office, she said.

The other four members of the county circuit court are Administrative Judge M. Kenneth Long R., and judges John H. McDowell, Daniel P. Dwyer and Donald E. Beachley.