2021 Judicial Conference Program

MAJOR MICHAEL MERICAN Assistant Sheriff Saint Mary’s County Sheriff ’s Office | 23150 Leonard Hall Drive | Leonardtown, MD 20650 MICHAEL MERICAN is a Maryland native and was raised in the town of Frostburg. Following in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather, he elected to continue the family tradition of becoming a policeman by accepting his first law enforcement position as a special police officer at St. Mary’s College of Maryland in April 1983. Major Merican graduated from the Southern Maryland Police Training Academy in La Plata, Maryland in November 1983 and joined the St. Mary’s County Sheriff ’s Office in June, 1984. As a 38-year veteran of law enforcement, Major Merican has served in a wide variety of positions within the St. Mary’s County Sheriff ’s Office. His enforcement assignments include Patrol, Child Support, Emergency Services Team, Internal Affairs, and development of the Sheriff ’s Office Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) Project. His correctional achievements include an INS Detainee Housing Program, Offender Re-Entry Programs and Services, Gang Identification/Counter-Intelligence Unit, Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) initiatives and Jail Reform, as well as the development and implementation of Pre-Trial Services and Community Corrections. He has served on numerous state committees and boards to further the advancement of both law enforcement and corrections. Major Merican is also a past president of the Maryland Correctional Administrators Association (MCAA). He has acquired a vast amount of training throughout his career with an extensive amount of specialized training in police administration. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Sheriff in March 2017, Major Merican served as a division commander for 15 years, of which 11 years were exclusive to the Corrections Division.

HONORABLE MARK F. SCURTI District Court in Baltimore City Borgerding District Court Building | 5800 Wabash Avenue | Baltimore, MD 21215 MARK F. SCURTI is an associate judge for the District Court of Maryland, District 1, Baltimore City. He was appointed September 3, 2013.

Judge Scurti attended Loyola College in Maryland, with a B.A. in 1985 and received his M.B.A. in 1987. He received his J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1991. He was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1991 and the District of Columbia Bar in 1993. Judge Scurti was also a former equity partner at Pessin Katz Law, P.A. from 2007-2013. Currently, Judge Scurti is a member of the Court Access and Community Relations Committee as well as chair of the Self Represented Litigants Subcommittee, and the Court Technology Committee. He was also on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Legal Services Corporation from 2012-2015 and the Maryland State Bar Association (board of governors, 1998-2000, 2007-2009, 2013-2015). He is the co-founder and former chair of the LGBT Bar Association of Maryland, (1991-2004). Additionally, he serves as the trustee for the Maryland Bar Foundation as well as the past chair and current board member of the Free State Legal Project, Inc. Judge Scurti formerly served on the following committees; Alternative Dispute Resolution Section; Consumer Bankruptcy Section, 2004-, chair, 2006-2013; Delivery of Legal Services Section; Family & Juvenile Law Section; Bar Association of Baltimore City (president, 2006-2007; executive council, 2009-2010; chair, membership committee, 2000-2001); Baltimore County Bar Association, 2010-present; Member, Maryland State Trial Lawyers Association, 1991-1993, 2004-2005, 2007. Currently, he is the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) President for the 2021-2022 bar year.

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