ENDORSEMENT: Haven Shoemaker for Carroll County State's Attorney

State's Attorney is a full time position. It's needs a full time State's Attorney

One of the more contested races for State’s Attorney in Maryland this year is in Carroll County, where Delegate Haven Shoemaker and Attorney David Ellin are competing for an open seat race.

Usually, when it comes down to the race for State’s Attorney, it comes down to politics and what type of law the contestants practice. Haven Shoemaker has practiced criminal law for over 30 years. David Ellin is a former Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney before spending most of his law career as a personal injury attorney. That alone usually helps decide who is best prepared to serve as a State’s Attorney.

But in this instance, the real deciding factor is who will make the position of State’s Attorney their top priority. Haven Shoemaker plans on being a full-time State’s Attorney. David Ellin plans on being the State’s Attorney but also maintaining his private law practice in Baltimore County.

This became an issue back in November when Shoemaker announced that he was filing legislation during the 2022 General Assembly session that would prohibit the State’s Attorney from maintaining a private practice, which would bring Carroll County in line with 21 of Maryland’s 24 counties (counting Baltimore City).

Ellin responded by filing an ethics complaint. The bill passed anyway.

Ellin’s response to Shoemaker’s filing brings up one fundamental question; does Ellin plan to follow the law that has banned private practices were he to be elected? Ultimately, the voters will have to make that choice for themselves.

This also brings to light the fact that Ellin’s reaction was to file a legal complaint against Shoemaker. This is the same reaction that Ellin had in 2018 when he sued a PAC for sending a mailer against him that highlighted, among other things, Ellin’s history of campaign donations to left-wingers like Brian Frosh, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and Anthony Brown.

I’m not sure Carroll County needs a State’s Attorney who has shown a desire to file frivolous complaints for political reasons.

Haven Shoemaker, on the other hand, has a strong conservative record of working as an attorney in Carroll County and serving the people of Carroll County. And the voters of Carroll County can be sure that if elected the position of State’s Attorney will be Haven Shoemaker’s top priority.

The man also likes his McRib.

The choice for Carroll County voters is obvious. The Duckpin endorses Haven Shoemaker for Carroll County State’s Attorney.