Maryland Supreme Court stays judgment that would have forced Penman out
Harford County Councilmember Aaron Penman (R) can keep his council seat for now, the Maryland Supreme Court ruled Frdiay. (File photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.)
Maryland's top court stayed an order Friday that would have forced a Harford County Councilmember to choose between his day job and his elected office.
Harford County Councilmember Aaron Penman is appealing a January order by a Harford County Circuit Court judge who ruled the Republican could not serve on the council while also working as a member of the county's sheriff's department.
Judge Richard S. Bernhardt Sr. last month said Penman's job within the sheriff's office was incompatible with his position on the council because the positions are within two separate branches of county government. Penman asked Bernhardt for a stay and was denied.
In a clarifying order, the judge stated that his intent was to give Penman 30 days to choose between his council job and his sheriff's department job. But Penman asked the Supreme Court of Maryland to review the ruling and to stay Bernhardt's order.
On Friday, the high court agreed. In its one-page order, the court stayed Bernhardt's order, and said the stay would remain in place as it decides whether it will take up Penman's case.
'I'm grateful for today's ruling from the Maryland Supreme Court, which allows me to continue serving District B as the appeal process moves forward,' Penman said in a statement. 'I remain confident in my legal standing and my ability to proudly serve both as a legislator and a committed member of the public safety community. I will keep fighting and keep you informed as the legal process unfolds.'
The case stemmed from an ethics complaint filed last February by Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly, who later asked the Circuit Court to declare that Penman's employment violated a provision in the county charter that prohibits a county lawmaker from being employed by a county or state government entity.
Penman has appealed the ruling citing a ruling involving another member of the Harford County Council who was allowed to hold elected office while remaining employed as a teacher in the county school system.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
12 minutes ago
- CBS News
Trump orders investigation into Biden aides for alleged health "conspiracy" — and autopen use
President Trump ordered an investigation Wednesday into whether former President Joe Biden's administration used an autopen machine to sign key presidential documents like pardons — months after Mr. Trump claimed his predecessor's pardons were illegitimate. In a memo signed Wednesday night, Mr. Trump told Attorney General Pam Bondi and the president's counsel to probe what he claimed was a "conspiracy" to "abuse the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden's cognitive decline." The order cited a litany of executive actions by Biden — including pardons and federal judge appointments — and argued "there are serious doubts as to the decision making process and even the degree of Biden's awareness of these actions being taken in his name." It then suggested that if Biden's advisers "secretly used the mechanical signature pen," it would "have implications for the legality and validity of numerous executive actions." Mr. Trump said the investigation should cover whether Biden's aides "conspired to deceive the public about Biden's mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the president." It also directed an investigation into which executive actions an autopen was used for, and who directed its use. CBS News has reached out to Biden's spokespeople for comment. Presidents have used an autopen — or a signature-signing machine — to sign certain documents for decades, and then-President George W. Bush's Justice Department said in 2005 that the president can legally use an autopen to sign bills into law. Mr. Trump said in March he has occasionally used an autopen, but "only for very unimportant papers." But Mr. Trump and his allies have suggested Biden's alleged use of an autopen could be illegitimate. In March, the president claimed a slate of pardons issued to some Trump foes in the final days of his administration were "VOID" and "VACANT." CBS News legal contributor Jessica Levinson said in March that Mr. Trump cannot revoke his predecessor's pardons, even if an autopen was involved. "This is not a gray area," she said on "CBS Mornings Plus." Early Wednesday, Mr. Trump on Truth Social called the alleged autopen use "THE BIGGEST POLITICAL SCANDAL IN AMERICAN HISTORY," aside from the 2020 presidential election, which Mr. Trump has repeatedly claimed — without evidence — was rigged. Scrutiny over Biden's mental acuity while in office has ramped up in recent weeks, amid new reporting about the circumstances of Biden's exit from the 2024 presidential race. Earlier Wednesday, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, pushed several members of Biden's inner circle to answer questions about the president's "mental and physical faculties" while serving as the chief executive.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lombardo vetoes 33 bills in days following Nevada Legislature, 229 signed
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Gov. Joe Lombardo has vetoed 33 bills passed by the Nevada Legislature, putting his Republican stamp on another Democrat-controlled session. It's too early to tell if Lombardo will approach the record 75 vetoes from 2023, but it's a fast start on a pile of legislation that made it to his desk as the session adjourned in the early morning hours on Tuesday. Lombardo has also signed 229 bills — and counting — according to the Nevada Legislature's website. Here are the highlights of the vetoes and signed bills as of early Wednesday afternoon: VETOED: AB82, AB83, AB98, AB144, AB342, AB278 and SB297. These seven bills each had to do with designating a day or a month to recognize a person, a group or a topic. Lombardo rejected the bills and encouraged their sponsors to apply for a proclamation instead. Of the seven, AB144 had received the most attention as Democratic Assem. Shea Backus fought to move the observation of Indigenous Peoples Day to the second Monday in October. The conflict with Columbus Day brought politically-charged testimony to legislative committee hearings during the session, but the bill passed through the Democratic-controlled Legislature, meeting its end on Lombardo's desk. The specifics of the other bills: AB82 designated 'Diwali Day,' 'Eid al-Fitr Day,' 'Vaisakhi Day' and 'Vesak Day' AB83 designated Larry Itliong Day AB98 designated Dolores Huerta Day AB342 designated March as Women Veterans History Month AB278 designated July as Muslim American Heritage Month SB297 designated October as Menopause Awareness Month SIGNED: SB96 designates Jan. 27 as 'International Holocaust Remembrance Day' in Nevada. VETOED: AB205 would have changed an 'opt in' for sex education in public schools to an 'opt out.' A parent or guardian would have been required to fill out a form to refuse to participate. SIGNED: AB116, a crackdown on unscrupulous 'ghost kitchens' that sell restaurant meals to customers who think they are buying well known brands. The bill makes it a $100 fine per order for the kitchen, and a $500 (maximum) fine per day that the online platform continues to list the product. The platform is allowed 10 days to remove the listing before it is subject to fines. VETOED: 8 News Now reported on Tuesday that Lombardo had vetoed SB102, legislation aimed at punishing 'fake electors.' Lombardo has also vetoed AB306, which would have set up more return boxes for election ballots. 'AB 306 appears to be well-intentioned but falls short of its stated goals while failing to guarantee appropriate oversight of the proposed ballot boxes or the ballots cast. I believe additional election reforms should be considered as part of a larger effort to improve election security, integrity and allow Nevada to declare winners more quickly,' Lombard stated in his veto message. VETOED: Three bills related to renters and landlords went down to Lombardo's veto pen as the governor continued to reject more business regulations. AB201 contained provisions to automatically seal some eviction records. AB223 would have allowed a tenant to withhold rent if the property failed to meet 'habitable' conditions. AB280 would have capped rent increases at 5% for senior citizens in an 18-month pilot program. VETOED: SB171, also referred to as a shield law for medical professionals who provide gender-affirming care services, was vetoed because Lombardo believes it won't hold up in court. Use of the term 'prudent' makes the law subject to interpretation, according to Lombardo's veto message. A statement from Silver State Equity, an LGBTQ civil rights organization in Nevada, criticized the veto as 'a betrayal of Nevada values and an affront to the LGBTQ+ community.' The group added, 'This bill was a clear opportunity to ensure that transgender Nevadans can access the care they need — and that providers can offer it without fear of legal retaliation. Transgender people in Nevada deserve safety, dignity, and access to life-saving health care. The Governor's decision puts all of that at risk.' SIGNED: AB111, 'Jaya's Law,' which makes wrong-way driving a crime again. When traffic violations became civil infractions, it removed any criminal penalties in some high-profile cases, and Republican Assem. Brian Hibbetts sponsored this bill to restore penalties for wrong-way drivers. 'Jaya's Law' remembers 3-year-old Jaya Brooks, who was one of three people killed on U.S. 95 in a wrong-way crash in December 2023 in Hibbetts' district. Wrong-way driving is a misdemeanor beginning on Oct. 1, 2025. VETOED: AB140 would have extended how long driver authorization cards are valid, allowing the rules for ID cards to match those for drivers licenses. SIGNED: AB309, extending domestic violence protection orders. This bill lays out requirements for notifying people who are already incarcerated when a protective order is issued, and the steps to follow in extending or challenging the protective order. VETOED: AB244 would have banned the use of polystrene foam takeout containers, but only for chain restaurants. If a restaurant had fewer than 10 locations in Nevada, it would be exempt. But a violation by a chain restaurant would have brought a $1,000 fine. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump plans to discontinue TSA's 'Quiet Skies' program, CBS News reports
(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump plans to end the Transportation Security Administration's "Quiet Skies" surveillance program, a CBS News reporter said on Wednesday on X, citing unidentified closure of the program could be announced as early as Thursday as aides have discussed how to shutter it without impacting security, CBS reported, citing unidentified U.S. officials. The TSA declined to comment. The White House and Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Some Republican lawmakers had questioned the program earlier this year when U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was placed on its watch list. On Tuesday, CBS reported that Senator Jeanne Shaheen's husband was placed on the list in 2023 and was removed after she spoke with the TSA's then-director, CBS said. According to CBS, the program employs analysts and undercover air marshals to identify and monitor travelers in airports and during flights who could pose a security risk. CBS said that it was unclear if program staffers would be transferred elsewhere within the administration or if the air marshals' work would continue.
