A union that represents Anne Arundel County police officers says the Police Department’s relationship with the county prosecutor’s office is broken under the leadership of State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #70 said in a social media post that police officers and detectives are reporting “strong cases” ending in acquittals, “serious charges” pleaded down to lesser offenses and “cases dismissed in other ways that allow repeat offenders back into our communities.”

Union President O’Brien Atkinson said in a statement that the trend compelled the union to endorse a former longtime county prosecutor who is challenging Leitess, who is seeking a third consecutive term.

“It is time to restore accountability, professionalism, and results to the Office of the State’s Attorney,” Atkinson said of the union’s endorsement of Carolynn Grammas. “Our officers deserve a partner in prosecution — not an obstacle.”

Grammas and Leitess are vying in a Democratic primary in June. With no Republican candidate, the primary winner will likely prevail.

Leitess disputed the union’s claims in a statement Tuesday and raised questions about the motivation for its endorsement of her opponent.

“Despite their claim that this endorsement is unusual, the FOP has endorsed Republican candidates for State’s Attorney in every contested election for this position since 2014,” Leitess said. “It’s not a surprise that in this election, they’re endorsing a candidate who was a Republican for decades and only recently changed parties. I ask that voters bear that in mind when evaluating the accuracy of the rest of the FOP’s statement.”

A lifelong Republican, Grammas previously told The Banner that she switched to the Democratic Party because of her dismay over what was happening at the “federal level” under President Donald Trump.

Grammas, who has been working as a prosecutor in St. Mary’s County since her resignation in October from the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office after two decades working there, said in a statement released by her campaign that she was “honored” to have the support of the county’s rank-and-file police “who risk their lives every day to protect our community.”

“When the State’s Attorney fails to meet ethical standards, cases fall apart and public trust is broken,” Grammas added. “That’s unacceptable. I’m running to restore integrity to this office, rebuild partnerships with law enforcement, put violent offenders behind bars, be a voice for victims, and keep our communities safe.”

Grammas is hoping she can seize on a few public stumbles by Leitess in high-profile cases.

Last year, Leitess was thrown off a murder case after a judge found she withheld evidence from the defense, a decision recently upheld by Maryland’s highest court. A judge in 2024 declared a mistrial in a mass shooting case, finding Leitess culpable for “several transgressions” while questioning the defendant.

Grammas appears to have growing support in Anne Arundel’s criminal defense bar, as several of the county’s best-known defense lawyers have been fundraising for her.

She still faces an uphill battle in unseating Leitess, who has served as state’s attorney for nine years. Political experts say defeating an incumbent is especially challenging in down-ballot races such as that for state’s attorney.

Leitess perhaps boasts more name recognition than a typical incumbent because she prosecutes some of the county’s most notable cases herself. She personally won the convictions of the Capital Gazette mass shooter, the leader of a white supremacist prison gang, and the Aryan Brotherhood members he ordered to kill a fellow inmate.

After joining the State’s Attorney’s Office in 1988, Leitess quickly rose through the ranks. When then-State’s Attorney Frank Weathersbee retired in 2013, the Circuit Court judges of Anne Arundel chose Leitess over his top deputies to complete his term. She was the first woman to hold that post.

She lost to Republican Wes Adams at the ballot box in 2014 but reclaimed the office in 2019. She’s now seeking her third consecutive term.

The police union endorsed Adams in 2014 and 2018.

In a statement Tuesday, Leitess said she was proud of her “record of working alongside our county’s outstanding police officers to win tough cases and keep our neighbors safe, and the numbers are clear: that approach is working.”

“No political decision will ever affect my working relationship with our police officers,” Leitess added.

Leitess boasted the support of much of the Democratic establishment in Anne Arundel, adding that she was “continuing to focus on keeping our neighbors safe and protecting our shared values.”