ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore announced appointments to the Trial Courts Judicial Nominating Commission for Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties. Former Talbot County Attorney Michael Pullen will serve as chair.
“The Judicial Nominating Commission for Caroline, Talbot, and Dorchester Counties will play a critical role in serving both the judicial system and the residents of our state,” said Gov. Moore. “I am grateful for each appointee’s commitment to serve.”
There are sixteen Trial Court Judicial Nominating Commissions established by executive order. The commissions advertise judicial vacancies, seek recommendations for judicial candidates from their own membership, bar associations and members of the general public, set closing dates for the submission of the judicial applications, and evaluate applicants based on a variety of factors including their integrity, temperament, legal knowledge, and professional experience.
Governor Moore’s thirteen appointees include:
Michael Pullen, Chair- Michael Pullen served as Talbot County Attorney for 24 years, where he was the first in-house full-time attorney. He previously served as assistant public defender from 1977-1980, handling all indigent criminal cases in Talbot and Caroline County trial courts. Prior to serving as Talbot County Attorney, Pullen had a litigation practice representing both plaintiffs and defendants in Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, and Queen Anne’s Counties. Pullen earned his J.D. with honors from Suffolk University Law School.
Jo Ann Asparagus-Murray- Jo Ann Asparagus-Murray served as a Domestic Relations Magistrate in the Eastern Shore’s 2nd Judicial Circuit from 1996 until her retirement in 2022. She has served on the Police Accountability Board for Talbot County, the Mid Shore Pro Bono’s Advisory Committee, the Talbot County Board of Education, and as a member of the Talbot County NAACP. Magistrate Asparagus-Murray was a former board member for Habitat for Humanity. She received a J.D. from Duquesne University and an M.S. from the University of Pittsburgh.
Damika Baker-Wilson- Damika Baker-Wilson is a certified fundraising executive and a senior consultant to the Compass Group, where she is a fundraising advisor to nonprofit organizations. Baker-Wilson has previously served in development and strategic engagement roles for the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland, Academy Art Museum, the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. She is a member of African American Development Officers, the Association of African American Museums, Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy, Talbot Arts, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Curtis Booth- Curtis Booth is a founding member and shareholder of Booth, Cropper and Marriner, P.C. He is currently a board member with the Talbot Paramedic Foundation and serves on the board of the Eastern Shore Youth Lacrosse Foundation. Booth is a fellow of both the Maryland Bar Foundation and the American College of Trial Lawyers. He received a J.D., magna cum laude, from the Washington and Lee University School of Law and received an LL.M in Taxation from Georgetown University.
Richard “Rad” DeTar- Richard “Rad” DeTar is a litigation partner with McAllister, DeTar, Showalter & Walker, LLC. He previously practiced with Miles and Stockbridge, P.C. for 23 years where he served on the firm’s board of directors and chair of the Real Estate Litigation Section. DeTar is a fellow with the Litigation Counsel of America, is currently the president of the Talbot County Bar Association, and previously served on the board of directors for the Talbot County YMCA. He received a J.D., cum laude, from the American University Washington College of Law.
Christine DuFour- Christine DuFour is Of Counsel with Jezic and Moyse, LLC. Before joining private practice she served as a public defender in Montgomery, Talbot and Caroline Counties. DuFour is a board member of Talbot Mentors and previously served as president of Mid-Shore Pro Bono. She is an officer for the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys’ Association and an appointed member of the Maryland State Bar Association Criminal Law Section Council. DuFour received a J.D. from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.
Dennis Farina- Dennis Farina has been a criminal defense attorney for his entire 36-year legal career, with his own solo practice since 1988. Prior to starting his own firm, Farina was a partner with Asparagus and Farina from 1985 to 1988. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, the Caroline County Bar Association, and the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association. He received a J.D. from the University of Baltimore.
Meredith Girard- Meredith Girard is the executive director of Shore Legal Access (formerly Mid-Shore Pro Bono). Girard has 25 years of experience in environmental law and policy, philanthropy, nonprofit and government management. She previously held positions with the Town Creek Foundation and Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. Girard has served on the Maryland Access to Justice Commission, the Maryland State Bar Association Delivery of Legal Services Council, and the Attorney General’s Access to Justice COVID-19 Task Force. She received a J.D., cum laude, from Vermont Law School.
S. Dale G. Jafari- S. Dale G. Jafari serves as medical director for the Talbot County Child Advocacy Center and is an adjunct faculty member at Salisbury University and the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Jafari is a registered nurse and has been a nurse practitioner in women’s health for more than 20 years. She earned a B.S.N. from Wilmington College, an M.S.N. from Wilmington University, and a D.N.P. from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa
Richard Marks- Richard Marks is a Navy veteran, experienced business executive, and advocate for assisting refugees and internally displaced persons. Before his retirement, Marks served as chief executive officer of Arbre Group Holding Corporation. Marks previously served as president of the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce and on the board of the United Nations Refugee Agency. He currently serves on the boards of the Big Area Additive Manufacturing, Talbot Mentors, Talbot Thrive, and Frederick Douglass Park Advisory.
Stephanie Shipley- Stephanie Shipley is an attorney with and owner of the Shipley Law Firm. Previously, Shipley served as general counsel to the Talbot County Board of Elections and served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Talbot County. She has served on the Advisory Board for the Chesapeake College paralegal program since 2023, and previously served the board of directors of Mid-Shore Pro Bono. She received a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
Sushant Sidh- Sushant Sidh is currently a principal for Capitol Strategies, LLC, the Annapolis government affairs firm. Sidh previously served as vice president of public policy and member services for Mid-Atlantic LifeSpan and previously served as a deputy chief of staff under Governor Parris Glendening. He received a B.S. from Washington University and an M.S. from American University.
Sharon VanEmburgh- Sharon VanEmburgh is a partner with Ewing, Dietz, Fountain and Klaudis. She is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, currently serving as the attorney for the Town of Easton and the Town of Centreville. VanEmburgh has been the Trust Clerk for the Circuit Court for Talbot County since 2003. She is currently the president of the Board of Directors of the Eastern Shore Title Company. She received a J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law.
