Bel Air Town Commissioner David Carey Appointed District Court Judge; Curtin Named to Circuit Court

Bel Air Town Commissioner David Carey will be the Harford County District Court’s newest judge, following his appointment to the post this week.

Carey, who has served on the town Board of Commissioners for the last 16 years, said he was contacted by Governor Martin O’Malley with the news on Wednesday. He has been an attorney with Bel Air firm Brown, Brown & Young since 1990, and became a principal there in 2006, according to an online biography.

Carey replaces Judge John L. Dunnigan, who retired in February. Carey said he will be sworn in sometime in mid-November.

After four terms as Town Commissioner, Carey said his decision not to run for re-election this year was not connected to the possibility of his being named to the bench.

“I didn’t know this was going to happen,” he said. “My thinking was, if I don’t get appointed, do I want to spend four more years on the town board, and the answer was no. My thought process was to assume I wouldn’t be appointed.”

Carey said he will strive to deliver fair decisions in cases that come before him.

“I’ll try to have a pleasant demeanor, and decide each case based on its merits,” he said.

Also on Wednesday, O’Malley appointed former Harford County Assistant State’s Attorney Yolanda Curtin to the county’s Circuit Court, replacing the retired Judge Emory Plitt Jr.

From the office of Governor Martin O’Malley:

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor O’Malley announced today the appointments of Yolanda Lauranzon Curtin to the Circuit Court for Harford County and David Earl Carey to the District Court for Harford County. These appointees bring a diverse array of legal experiences to their new jobs. They also represent the ethnic and gender diversity of our great state.

The newly appointed judges were recommended to Governor O’Malley by the Harford County judicial nominating commission.

“I am pleased to appoint such an accomplished and diverse group of candidates,” said Governor O’Malley. “These appointees will bring to the bench a broad range of legal expertise and a true commitment to public service.”

Yolanda Lauranzon Curtin has served as an Administrative Law Judge for Maryland’s Office of Administrative Hearings since 2004. Previously she spent 10 years as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Harford County, where her duties included supervising cases investigated by the county’s Narcotics Task Force. Ms. Curtin is an active member of the Hispanic Bar Association, and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law for the past 11 years. Ms. Curtin received a Master in Laws in securities regulation from Georgetown University Law Center, a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University.

David Earl Carey is a partner in the Bel Air-based firm Brown, Brown, and Young, where he concentrates on civil and business litigation, criminal defense, personal injury matters and appeals. Previously he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert J. Karwacki on the Court of Special Appeals. Mr. Carey is a member of the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission and a past president of the Maryland Municipal League. He received a Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from The College of Wooster (Ohio).