Moore nominates first state Supreme Court justice

The Maryland Supreme Court building. File Photo by Bennett Leckrone.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Thursday made his first appointment to Maryland’s highest court, nominating a Prince George’s County Circuit Court judge to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court of Maryland.

Moore tapped Peter K. Killough to fill the Supreme Court’s 4th Appellate Judicial Circuit seat, based in Prince George’s County. He was chosen over three other Prince George’s County judges.

“Judge Killough is a public servant in every sense,” Moore said in a statement. “He has dedicated over a decade of his life to serving the people of Maryland, and we are grateful that he has raised his hand, once again, to make our state better.

“Today, the Supreme Court gains a talented, dedicated, and thoughtful leader who will help ensure equal justice under the law for all Marylanders,” Moore’s statement said.

Killough replaces former Justice Michele D. Hotten, who stepped down in April after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. She spent 8 1/2 years on the high court and 29 years overall as a state judge.

Killough currently serves as an associate judge on the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, a position he’s held since his appointment in 2018.

Prior to becoming a judge, Killough spent nearly 10 years with the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. He started in 2009 as counsel for the People’s Insurance Counsel Division advocating for insurance consumers and later worked as director of the Maryland Medicaid Fraud Unit.

Earlier in his career, Killough served as a senior attorney for the Ford Motor Co.’s general counsel’s office, and prior to that practiced at Counsel, Carter, Ledyard and Milburn, a general practice firm headquartered in New York City, where he focused on corporate law.

Killough received his bachelor’s degree from New York University, and served in the New York National Guard during that time. After graduating, he served three years on active duty for the U.S. Army. While studying at the University of Virginia School of Law, he served as a member of the U.S. Army Reserves.

Killough was one of four Prince George’s circuit court judges who applied for the Supreme Court vacancy. They were interviewed earlier this month by an appellate judicial screening committee, which forwarded all four applicants to the governor for consideration.

One of the runners-up for the Supreme Court vacancy was Circuit Judge Tiffany Hanna Anderson, whose husband, Kevin Anderson, serves as Moore’s secretary of Commerce.

Killough is Moore’s first appointment to the state’s highest court, which, until late 2022, was known as the Maryland Court of Appeals. Five of the other justices on the seven-member court were appointed by former Gov. Larry Hogan (R), while Justice Shirley M. Watts was appointed by former Gov. Martin O’Malley (D).

While Killough can take his place on the bench soon, he’ll still have to go through the formal confirmation process in the state Senate when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.

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