On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, The Daily Record reported that Anne Arundel County Judge Marc Knapp appeared before the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities to address allegations of misconduct.

The hearing, held at the Howard County Circuit Court in Ellicott City, saw Knapp’s counsel argue that his client’s conflict with Chief Judge Vickie Gipson was merely a disagreement and did not warrant disciplinary action.

William Brennan Jr., Knapp’s lawyer, portrayed his client as a professional with a long career in finance who entered the judicial system later in life. Brennan explained that Knapp, after retiring from finance at 65 and attending law school, was elected to the Orphans’ Court in 2022. He was surprised to discover he was the only judge who was a member of the Maryland Bar, as it is not a requirement for the position. Brennan argued that Knapp’s background in finance instilled in him a desire for precision and competence, leading to clashes with Gipson. He stated that Knapp, at 78 years old, did not intend to cause trouble but encountered a situation where his views differed significantly from the chief judge.

The charges against Knapp include failing to promote confidence in the judiciary, exhibiting bias, prejudice, and harassment, failing to perform his duties with competence and diligence, failing to maintain decorum, and intentionally recording his colleagues without their consent and subsequently deleting those recordings in the presence of law enforcement. Knapp has denied all allegations of misconduct.

Tanya Bernstein, the investigative counsel for the commission, presented a contrasting view, arguing that Knapp behaved unprofessionally and aggressively, frequently interrupted his colleagues, and created an untenable work environment. She asserted that Knapp openly admitted to not respecting his fellow judges and resisted attempts to establish workplace norms within the judges’ chambers. Bernstein urged the 11-member commission, chaired by Maryland Appellate Court Judge Anne Albright, to reject any attempts to shift blame.

The hearing also included testimony from members of the Anne Arundel County Police Department who responded to a service call from Gipson regarding a potential violation of a peace order. They questioned Knapp about the recordings he had made. Initially, Knapp claimed he was only recording himself. However, a sergeant noticed discrepancies in the list of recordings, leading Knapp to admit that he had deleted five recordings he claimed were either empty or contained only a few seconds of silence.

Knapp was previously indicted in December on charges of unlawful interception of oral communications and misconduct in office. However, prosecutors dropped the charges after a judge ruled the recordings inadmissible as evidence.

David Duba, a former colleague of both Gipson and Knapp on the court, also testified. Duba, a high school teacher, described Knapp as rude and noted that his tone of voice was often elevated. Duba stated that he attempted to mediate and establish basic workplace norms, such as mutual respect, but was unsuccessful in reaching an agreement with Knapp.

The commission has scheduled additional hearings for Knapp later in the month, where he will have the opportunity to present his side of the case.

Chief Judge Gipson is also facing disciplinary action by the Commission on Judicial Disabilities, with her final hearing scheduled for December 5.

 

 

Source: The Daily Record