ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A judge in Anne Arundel County faces misconduct in office charges.
Orphan’s Court Judge Marc Knapp is accused of illegally tape recording two fellow judges as they privately deliberated a case inside their chambers back in June.
State law also prohibits the recording of conversations, unless all involved parties provide consent.
In this case, prosecutors say the other two judges were unaware Knapp was recording them, which they argue amounts to a violation of Maryland's Judicial Code of Conduct.
Online court records show the alleged incident occurred about a month after Knapp was issued a temporary peace order that was ultimately denied in August.
Charging documents do not name the other two judges, however the Anne Arundel County Orphans Court is made up of just three members.
According to the Maryland State Archives website, the two judges serving with Knapp were Vickie Gipson and David Duba.
All three judges sat together on the Orphans Court since 2022.
The Orphans Court mainly handles estates, wills, and in some cases guardianship of minors.
Knapp is due for an initial court appearance on December 30.
