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EXCLUSIVE: A liberal Maryland Supreme Court justice is in the hot seat over a politically charged Halloween display on his lawn that an expert said casts doubt on his ability to rule impartially on a high-stakes case currently before the court.
Maryland Supreme Court Justice Peter Killough, who was appointed to the court by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, is taking criticism for exhibiting his left-wing political leanings through a Halloween display at his Maryland home.
The display included an environmentalist sign, which the expert said is particularly concerning since Killough is currently involved in a high-stakes environmental case.
The signs, painted on Halloween-style gravestones, depict politically charged messages like, “Here lies the Constitution,” “RIP Freedom of Speech,” “RIP Food Aid,” “Beware Health Insurance Cuts,” “RIP Due Process” and “RIP Climate Science.”
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This comes as Killough and the seven-person Maryland Supreme Court are considering a landmark climate liability case, Mayor & City Council of Baltimore v. BP P.L.C. In the suit, Baltimore politicians are suing major oil companies, alleging that they knowingly misled the public about the role of fossil fuels in climate change while causing costly local damage through sea-level rise and extreme weather.
Nick Cavey, a spokesperson for the Maryland Judiciary, told Fox News Digital that the “the signs belong to Justice Killough’s wife” and that Killough “has no further comments.”
The Maryland Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case on Oct. 6.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould said these signs indicate a clear bias on Killough’s part and raise serious questions about whether he should be involved in such a high-stakes climate case.
“It’s cast a shadow over the decision now,” said Gould, adding, “The public, whatever side you’re on, is inevitably going to feel distrust.”
Gould said that when he saw the signs, he was “shocked and disappointed.”
“If the judge really felt this way, he should have recused himself.”
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“If it’s a case where he has such strong political leanings, then he shouldn’t have sat on it. The problem now is … the case has already been argued. The briefs have already been submitted. It’s already been sent to the court to issue a ruling. How can you un-ring the bell now?”
This is not the first time that Killough has found himself in hot water. In 2022, as a circuit court judge for Prince George’s County, he was reassigned away from handling juvenile cases after complaints from the county executive, chief of police and council members that he was letting serious juvenile offenders off, as reported by WUSA9. Then-Prince George’s County Chief of Police Malik Aziz called Killough’s court a “catch and release” system, putting dangerous teens back on the streets, according to the outlet.
In one particularly egregious case, he released a 12-year-old who admitted to shooting and killing another teen, giving the perpetrator monitored probation instead of detention. The outlet reported the victim’s mother, Ja’Ka McKnight, said of the ruling that “it was a slap in my face, I felt like a suspect in the courtroom,” and “I didn’t understand it, he was laid back and nonchalant about it.”
Though he said the Halloween display is particularly egregious, Gould said there has been a “troubling” rise of similar incidents in the judiciary, especially from judges who feel it is their responsibility to oppose President Donald Trump.
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“I have seen in recent years a growing number of judges who want to add their personal commentary to cases. Where I’ve seen it most prevalent is, frankly, a lot of these judges who feel they have to save the world from President Trump. And so, they get out on a limb, and they step outside of their judicial role,” he explained.
“One of the things that you have to do as a judge is you have to remove your personal feelings and biases and make the decision based on the law and the facts. Until you’ve done that, as a judge, you haven’t really lived up to what you took your oath to do.”
“People have to believe that judges are fair; they haven’t prejudged the case. So, it is a problem. And a lot of these recent decisions by judges, either in their decisions or sometimes in the gratuitous commentary that they make, indicate that they’re not fair,” Gould added. “The public is having a growing distrust. This incident in Maryland is just going to add to that.”
Fox News’ Emma Woodhead and Kiera McDonald contributed to this report.
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