Brendan Abell Hurson (born 1977)[1] is an American lawyer from Maryland who is serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. He previously served as a United States magistrate judge of the same court from 2022 to 2023.

Brendan A. Hurson
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
Assumed office
October 6, 2023
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byGeorge J. Hazel
Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
In office
February 7, 2022 – October 6, 2023
Preceded byDeborah Boardman
Succeeded byCharles D. Austin
Personal details
Born
Brendan Abell Hurson

1977 (age 46–47)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
EducationProvidence College (BA)
University of Maryland (JD)

Education

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Hurson received a Bachelor of Arts from Providence College, cum laude, in 2000 and a Juris Doctor with honors, from University of Maryland School of Law in 2005.[2] Hurson served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in California and then taught middle school at St. Thomas More School in Washington, D.C.[3][4]

Career

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From 2005 to 2006, Hurson served as a law clerk for Judge Margaret B. Seymour of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina.[5] From 2006 to 2007, he was an associate at Schulman, Hershfield, and Gilden, P.A. in Baltimore. He served as an assistant federal public defender and senior litigation counsel in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Maryland from 2007 to 2017 and again from 2018 to 2022. He also served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Virgin Islands from 2017 to 2018.[2] He was appointed as a United States magistrate judge on February 7, 2022.[6]

Notable cases

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In 2014, Hurson represented Master Giddins, who was charged with bank robbery and conspiracy. Giddins was accused of robbing a Baltimore M&T Bank dressed as a woman when he walked into the bank, handed the teller a note saying he had a bomb and demanded money. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison.[7][8][9]

In 2021, Hurson represented Dequan Forde, who was charged with smuggling marijuana into the Virgin Islands. He was arrested after arriving at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on a flight from Miami and an inspection found approximately 20 pounds of marijuana in his luggage. Forde plead guilty under an agreement with prosecutors. He was sentenced to eight months in federal prison.[10][11][12]

Federal judicial service

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On March 20, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Hurson to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. On March 21, 2023, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Hurson to the seat vacated by Judge George J. Hazel, who resigned on February 24, 2023.[13] On April 18, 2023, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[14] On May 11, 2023, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–9 vote.[15][16] On October 4, 2023, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 54–44 vote.[17] Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 53–44 vote.[18] He received his judicial commission on October 6, 2023.[19] He was sworn in on October 11, 2023.[20]

References

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  1. ^ "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "President Biden Names Thirty-First Round of Judicial Nominees and Announces New Nominees to Serve as U.S. Attorney" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ Raymond, Nate (March 20, 2023). "Biden nominates four new federal judges across three states". Reuters – via www.reuters.com.
  4. ^ "Biden nominates 2 Baltimore men, including another former public defender, to Maryland federal court". MSN.
  5. ^ "COURT NEWS: Biden appoints Matthew J. Maddox and Brendan Hurson as Federal Judges in District of Maryland". March 21, 2023.
  6. ^ "Appointment of Brendan A. Hurson as United States Magistrate Judge" (Press release). United States District Court for the District of Maryland. February 7, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  7. ^ "Bank Robber Dressed As Woman Gets 17 Years". www.cbsnews.com. January 22, 2015.
  8. ^ Voruganti, Harsh (April 11, 2023). "Judge Brendan Hurson – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland".
  9. ^ "United States v. Giddins, 57 F. Supp. 3d 481 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com.
  10. ^ McCarthy, John (June 8, 2019). "St. Croix's Dequan Forde Admits To Smuggling 20 Pounds of Marijuana From MIA To STX".
  11. ^ Staff, SUZANNE CARLSON Daily News (November 16, 2019). "Man found with 20 pounds of marijuana at Rohlsen Airport wants reduced sentence". The Virgin Islands Daily News.
  12. ^ "USA v. Dequan Forde, No. 19-3654 (3d Cir. 2022)". Justia Law.
  13. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. March 21, 2023.
  14. ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. April 17, 2023.
  15. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – May 11, 2023" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  16. ^ "Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Three Bills to Stop Exploitation of Kids Online, Six District Court Judge Nominations to the Full Senate" (Press release). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  17. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Brendan Abell Hurson to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland)". United States Senate. October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  18. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Brendan Abell Hurson, of Maryland, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland". United States Senate. October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  19. ^ Brendan A. Hurson at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  20. ^ "Swearing-In of Brendan A. Hurson as United States District Judge". mdd.uscourts.gov. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
2023–present
Incumbent