Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney

A: With more than 25 years of experience in the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office, I have handled some of the most serious and complex cases our community has faced. As a longtime Annapolis resident, I am deeply invested in the safety and well-being of this community, and my early experiences shaped the prosecutor I am today.

My interest in law enforcement began in high school, when I worked in a sheriff’s office and learned what it takes to build a strong, well-prepared police case. In college, my best friend was murdered by a serial killer. The case took six years to go to trial, and I sat through a two-week trial alongside her family. That experience shaped my commitment to ensuring victims are treated with dignity, respect and transparency. In law school, I worked as a student attorney with the Office of the Public Defender in Anne Arundel County, reinforcing the importance of fairness, constitutional protections, and full disclosure of evidence. These experiences, combined with decades of courtroom practice and leadership, have prepared me to lead with integrity and deliver ethical, effective prosecutions.

A: The state’s attorney’s conduct has created concerns regarding integrity, office morale and office function. These issues have resulted in declining confidence in the office, the departure of experienced prosecutors, and challenges in prosecuting cases. In an office of 62 lawyers, 80 have left under current leadership.

The problem starts at the top. While declining conviction rates and an inability to retain prosecutors indicate leadership issues, the root cause is a crisis of integrity. The State Supreme Court recently upheld the order removing Anne Leitess from an Edgewater murder case. The court removed her due to failure to turn over evidence and for other ethical concerns and established an ethical wall, which she breached. I will restore integrity and confidence. As the Fraternal Order of Police stated in their endorsement of me for State’s Attorney: “Grammas is respected across Anne Arundel County and Maryland’s criminal justice system. She is known for professionalism, preparation, and commitment to fairness and accountability — qualities essential to restoring confidence.” I will ensure fairness and justice are prioritized over “winning” and will train prosecutors to succeed through preparation.

A: No, the perception of crime in Anne Arundel County does not match reality. While reported crime rates have declined, public concern remains high. That disconnect is real, and in my view, it is driven in part by what happens after an arrest. When cases are not successfully prosecuted, or are dismissed without accountability, it undermines public confidence and fuels the perception that crime is increasing.

We have seen a measurable decline in outcomes. The felony conviction rate was approximately 71% in 2019, then dropped to 60% by 2024, 51% in 2025, and just 46% in the first half of 2026. At the same time, the number of cases being charged has been reduced by roughly 50%. Those trends contribute to the reality that offenders are not being held accountable. As state’s attorney, I will restore confidence through results by ensuring cases are prepared, prosecuted with integrity, and taken to trial when appropriate. That means investing in training, strengthening collaboration with law enforcement, and building cases grounded in evidence. Public safety is not just about crime rates; it is about accountability, transparency, and delivering outcomes the community can trust.

A: The State’s Attorney’s Office has already invested in modernization, including implementation of the Karpel case management system used in jurisdictions across the country. The issue is not the tool but rather how it is being used. The office has been plagued by discovery violations and breakdowns in communication, which undermine cases and erode trust with the courts, law enforcement, and the community.

As state’s attorney, I would focus on fully implementing and enforcing best practices within the systems we already have. That includes standardized discovery protocols, mandatory training on compliance and ethics, and clear supervisory review to ensure timely and complete disclosure in every case. I would also strengthen coordination with law enforcement from the outset to ensure evidence is properly collected, documented and shared. Modernization is not just about technology it is about accountability and consistency. By properly utilizing existing tools, improving training, and reinforcing a culture of professionalism and ethical prosecution, we can reduce errors, improve case outcomes, and restore confidence in the office.

A: My office will take a collaborative, restorative approach to juvenile justice. We will work closely with county partners including educators, the Department of Juvenile Services, Crisis Response, mental health providers, and school resource officers to intervene early and provide young people with the tools and support they need to avoid reoffending. Our goal will be to ensure that juveniles who enter the system do not become adults in the system.

At the same time, public safety remains paramount. In serious cases, particularly those involving violence, my office will take appropriate action to protect the community, recognizing that victims are often other juveniles or family members. Restoration will guide our approach, but it will be balanced with accountability and a firm commitment to protecting victims’ rights.

A: I’ve been a leader at every level of prosecution for 19 years and am considered one of the top homicide prosecutors in Maryland, having won the Capital Gazette mass shooting case, defeating the shooter’s insanity claim. I have tried every kind of crime - from contract murder to gang-related crimes and sexual assault. I have run the largest law firm in Anne Arundel County for more than seven years during these past two terms, staying in budget and winning more than $5 million in grant funding to create innovative programs to help victims, child sexual assault survivors, and at-risk juveniles avoid entering the juvenile justice system. I am not just a figurehead politician, but fight for victims in the courtroom and in the community. I testify before the Maryland legislature for common-sense criminal laws and oppose legislation that hurts victims and the community. I am foremost an advocate for crime victims and their rights.

A: Hiring and retention of quality attorneys is one of the most challenging issues for all prosecutors’ offices throughout the United States. The year 2020 saw two critical events that profoundly impacted law enforcement as a coveted career path — for both police and prosecutors — in the United States. These were the COVID-19 emergency and the horrific murder of George Floyd, which led to widespread calls for and the enactment of police reforms.

In the years since, police departments nationwide have experienced a massive wave of resignations and retirements, along with a significant drop in qualified applicants. This staffing shortage has led to lowered hiring standards. In the field of prosecution, a significant sea change has occurred in the number of attorneys pursuing or remaining in the role. The National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) has written widely about this crisis, noting nationwide vacancies, applicant shortages, employee retention difficulties, and an overall lack of interest. The NDAA has provided crucial seminars and programs to help prosecutors’ offices respond to this crisis. Factors most frequently cited for leaving the field include low wages, high loan debt, high cost of living, stressful work, large caseloads and discovery burdens, and a lack of significant work-from-home options.

A: The murder rate and rate of violent crime has definitely dropped in numbers and is reflected in the sheer number of felonies charged being reduced. In light of the news cycle and social media, crime feels even more impactful on people’s perceptions in this current climate of constant news. Internet crimes and economic scams still hurt people every day and drain money from the most vulnerable. My office provides educational programs for seniors and teens to avoid becoming victims of these predatory crimes. We go into the schools and to senior centers and communities to provide these informative programs.

A: My office has gone through a huge change in the way that we handle data received from the police department and other agencies, and how it is distributed to defense attorneys and defendants. It is almost wholly electronic now and we can share case files that would normally have required mailing reams of paper, compact discs, recordings and other hard copies in seconds. I am fortunate that Anne Arundel County’s IT department recognizes that we have a huge electronic footprint now and they continue to support my goal of helping the attorneys review evidence with cutting-edge, time-saving tools. An example of this is that prosecutors can now obtain transcripts of body-worn camera recordings and with the help of AI search tools, will soon be able to quickly locate a particular event or moment recorded in footage. This will free up the time that is currently spent reviewing many hours of recordings by pinpointing the necessary evidence and preparing it for court.

A: While we all want juveniles to be treated and rehabilitated, the Department of Juvenile Services has cut down on the programs that they offer, closed facilities and used the number of months of supervision as a guideline rather than the needs of the individual child in determining the type of services they offer. My prosecutors continue to push to have DJS help a juvenile as an individual by providing wraparound services and individualized treatment for as long as they need it and not by an artificial timeline. I created a grant-funded program - the Juvenile Justice Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Program - to help at-risk juveniles in middle school avoid becoming involved in the juvenile justice system. I hired a counselor to these children who are on the verge of being suspended or expelled get the help they need before we see them in court. My office has always pursued restorative justice for juveniles where possible. However, juveniles involved in violent acts must be kept from harming others while they are undergoing treatment and rehabilitation.