Historical List of Judges

No. Dates of Service Judge Title(s)
1 January 17, 1791–
April 19, 1807
James Tilghman
Chief Judge
County Courts of the Second District
(1/17/1791 - 6/8/1806)
Chief Judge
Second Judicial District of the County Courts
(6/9/1806 - 4/19/1809)
Associate Judge
Court of Appeals
(6/9/1806 - 4/19/1809)
2 May 20, 1809–
June 6, 1834
Richard Tilghman Earle
Chief Judge
Second Judicial Circuit
(5/20/1809 - 6/6/1834)
Associate Judge
Court of Appeals
(5/20/1809 - 6/6/1834)
3 October 25, 1826–
March 28, 1858
Philemon B. Hopper
Resident Judge
Queen Anne's County Court
(10/25/1826 - 12/17/1851)
Resident Judge
Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County
(12/18/1851 - 3/28/1858)
4 1858–1864 Richard Bennett Carmichael
Associate Judge
Seventh Judicial Circuit (Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot and Caroline Counties)
(1858 - 1864)1
5 January 1864–December 3, 1864 James Barroll Ricaud
Resident Judge
Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County
(1861-1864)
6 December 3, 1864–
January 14, 1896
John Mitchell Robinson
Associate Judge
Tenth Judicial Circuit
(12/3/1864 - 11/29/1867)
Chief Judge
Second Judicial Circuit
(11/30/1867 - 1/14/1896)
Chief Judge
Court of Appeals
(5/1/1893 - 1/14/1896)
7 October 7, 1901–
March 25, 1906
Edwin H. Brown
Resident Judge
Circuit for Queen Anne's County
(10/7/1901 - 3/25/1906)
8 July 31, 1907–
September 14, 1922
Philemon B. Hopper
Resident Judge
Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County
(7/31/1907 - 9/14/1922)
9 September 30, 1922–
January 22, 1942
Thomas J. Keating
Resident Judge
Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County
(9/30/1922 - 1/22/1942)
10 January 24, 1942–
May 11, 1968
William R. Horney
Resident Judge
Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County
(1/24/1942 - 11/4/1957)
Chief Judge
Second Judicial Circuit
(1/27/1949 - 11/4/1957)
Associate Judge
Court of Appeals
(11/5/1957 - 5/11/1968)
11 November 20, 1957–
September 7, 1968
Thomas J. Keating, Jr.
Resident Judge
Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County
(11/20/1957 - 9/7/1968)
12 October 5, 1968–
November 19, 1978
B. Hackett Turner
Resident Judge
Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County
(10/5/1968 - 11/19/1978)
13 November 24, 1978–
October 15, 1988
Clayton C. Carter2
Resident Judge
Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County
(11/24/1978 - 10/15/1988)
Chief Judge
Second Judicial Circuit
(5/29/1987 - 10/15/1988)
14 December 15, 1988–
October 13, 2003
John William Sause, Jr.
Resident Judge
Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County
(12/15/1988 - 10/13/2003)
Chief Judge
Second Judicial Circuit
(3/28/2002 - 10/13/2003)
15 January 9, 2004–
October 31, 2019
Thomas G. Ross
Resident Judge
Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County
(1/9/2004 -10/31/2019 )
Chief Judge
Second Judicial Circuit
(3/1/2016 - 10/31/2019)
Administrative Judge
Second Judicial Circuit
(3/7/2009 - 10/17/2017)
16 January 15, 2020– C. Lynn Knight
County Administrative Judge
Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County
(01/15/2020 - )

1 Presiding Officer of the Constitutional Convention of 1867.

2 Administrative Judge, Third District, District Court of Maryland for Queen Anne's County (7/6/1971 – 11/24/1978).