ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against a judge in Anne Arundel County.
Orphan’s Court Judge Marc Knapp was accused of illegally tape recording two fellow judges as they privately deliberated a case inside their chambers back in June.
State law prohibits recordings of conversations, unless all involved parties consent.
In this case, the other two judges said they were unaware Knapp was recording them.
They claimed Knapp violated Maryland's Judicial Code of Conduct.
The alleged incident started sometime in June 2024, after fellow judge Vickie Gipson filed for a peace order against Knapp.
A final order was denied that August for lack of basis.
During criminal proceedings, the recording in question was barred from being admitted into evidence.
The presiding judge ruled the recording was wrongly obtained by police when they seized Knapp's phone, before executing a wide-ranging search warrant.
Knapp's defense attorney Peter O'Neill spoke with WMAR-2 News, agreeing with the judge's decision.
"The judge acted reasonably by suppressing evidence seized from Judge Knapp's phone. The warrant was defective on it's face. Judge Knapp maintains his innocence and did not intentionally attempt to record any of the sitting judges."
Last December Knapp was suspended with pay by the Maryland Supreme Court. Although his name is still listed as a sitting judge on the orphans court, he's yet to be reinstated.
The Orphans Court mainly handles estates, wills, and in some cases guardianship of minors.
David Duba was the other judge on the Orphans Court with Knapp and Gipson, during the controversy.
The trio served together starting in 2022. Duba's since stepped down, leaving his seat vacant.
