Judge Kendra Ausby Appointed to ACM

Governor Wes Moore, for his first at-large selection to the Appellate Court of Maryland, has selected Judge Kendra Ausby of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. In a highly competitive field, Judge Ausby was among 23 applicants and seven nominees for the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Donald Beachley.

Governor Moore’s press release states:

“It is an honor to appoint Judge Kendra Young Ausby to the Appellate Court of Maryland,” said Gov. Moore. “With her deep legal expertise and dedication to her community, I know Judge Ausby will advance justice under the law and serve our state well.” 

Kendra Young Ausby is an Associate Judge on the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, a position she has held since her appointment in 2010. As a Circuit Court judge she has presided over thousands of cases spanning a diverse array of legal issues, including medical malpractice, custody, delinquency, and constitutional criminal procedure. Judge Ausby has also served as the Judge in Charge of the Family/Domestic Division, and has served as one of the judges selected for the special assignment of Child Victims’ Act cases. In 2024, she was appointed an Associate Judge by Special Assignment on the Appellate Court of Maryland.

Prior to joining the bench, Judge Ausby served as Principal Counsel for the Courts and Judicial Affairs Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General from 2008 to 2010. Before that, Judge Ausby was an Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Juvenile Services from 2001 to 2008, acting as in-house counsel for matters concerning civil rights, torts, contracts, and delinquency. She began her legal career following her 1998 admission to the Maryland Bar as an Assistant Public Defender from 1998 to 2001, representing indigent clients facing criminal and delinquency charges in Baltimore City District and Circuit Courts.

Judge Ausby obtained her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1997.

Judge Ausby’s elevation restores the slight majority of Appellate Court judges (8 of 15) who are former trial judges.

The next projected vacancies on the Appellate Court are when Judge Melanie Shaw (Prince George’s County seat) turns 70 in 2027, and Judge Stephen Kehoe (Eastern Shore seat) turns 70 in 2028. Eight more Appellate Court judges will reach mandatory retirement age between 2029 and 2031.