Hon. Sally C. Chester (Ret.) was an associate judge for the Baltimore County District Court (District 8) in Maryland. She joined the bench in 2004. Chester retired on September 25, 2020.
Prior to joining the bench, Chester spent eighteen years as an assistant public defender in Baltimore County (1986 to 2004). During her tenure there, she served as a felony attorney, a training supervisor (1992 to 2003), and a Circuit Court supervisor (2003 to 2004).
Before that, Chester was an associate at Walker, Rubin & Van Bavel, P.A. (1979 to 1986). She had previously worked as a law clerk in the firm while attending law school (1978 to 1979).
She received a B.A. in history from Colby College in 1972. Chester went on to complete a J.D. at the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law in 1979. She was admitted to practice in Maryland (1979) and Pennsylvania (1980).
Her memberships included the Maryland State Bar Association (Judicial Administration Council), the Baltimore County Bar Association, the Baltimore City Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Maryland, the Maryland Criminal Defense Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Chester was also involved with the Friends School Alumni Board, the X-Cell, Inc. Board of Directors, and the United Way (coordinator). In addition, she was a former public school mentor and mock trial judge in Baltimore County.
She was named Assistant Public Defender of the Year for Baltimore County (1992) and received an Executive Citation for Crime Span 95 from the Baltimore County Executive (1995). Chester is also the recipient of a Citation for Participation in Law-Related Education from the Baltimore County Board of Education (1997), the Distinguished Service Award from the Maryland State Bar Association and Maryland State Board of Education (1997), and the William C. Cahill Award for Service (1999) and Death Penalty Award (2000) from the Office of the Public Defender.
Chester was born in Plainfield, New Jersey.
| Current Appointment Baltimore County District Court | Baltimore County District Court |
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Education
J.D., University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law - 1979 B.A., Colby College - 1972 |
J.D., University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law - 1979 B.A., Colby College - 1972 |
| Current Court: | MD - Baltimore County District Court |
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| Role | Employer | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Judge | Baltimore County District Court | Baltimore County, Maryland |
| Assistant Public Defender | Baltimore County Office of the Public Defender | Baltimore County, Maryland |
| Associate | Walker, Rubin & Van Bavel, P.A. | Baltimore County, Maryland |
| Law Clerk | Walker, Rubin & Van Bavel, P.A. | Baltimore County, Maryland |
Maryland Manual Online: District Court of Maryland
Ballotpedia: Sally C. Chester
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