I am a HUGE fan of Davis Ruark. When I was a law enforcement officer, I saw first hand how he and his staff vigorously prosecuted violators of the law for the safety of the citizens of Wicomico County and the State of Maryland. I have been at private functions attended by Davis and have always had a great time talking to him. To say he is a good friend would be taking it a bit far, but we've known each other for a while. That being said, it was difficult for me to think about the situation he created last night when he made a conscious decision to consume alcohol and get behind the wheel of an automobile thereby putting at risk the same citizens he spent a career protecting. Regardless of how difficult it was to hear, you can't avoid thinking about what will happen to Davis as a result of this situation. No one knows for sure how this will play out - but we all speculate.
After a great deal of consideration I don't see any other reasonable course of action but for Davis to resign his position as States Attorney for Wicomico County. His admitted violation of the law violates Maryland Lawyers’ Rules of Professional Conduct (by my interpretation). A code to which all attorney's are held. This incident puts his entire office , and in fact the entire law enforcement community, as well as the judicial system, in a bad light. If this had happened to a law enforcement officer or an Assistant S/A, their resignation would have been requested or they would face being fired. How can any of his Assist. S/A's prosecute DWI cases without the thought coming to mind that there is a double standard. This causes the general public to believe that corruptions runs rampant in the halls of justice and the confidence of the people in their criminal justice system will diminish. In my opinion this situation should be laid to rest as quickly as possible so that the law enforcement community and the States Attorney's Office can get back to normal with the least amount of damage to it's reputation. There is only one way to accomplish this. Resignation.
I fully understand that we all make mistakes. Lord knows I've made my share. But we all pay a price for our mistakes. Sometimes the mistake is big......and so is the price we must pay. Davis was elected to a position of public trust and in a moment of indiscretion he betrayed that trust.
Davis has faithfully served Wicomico County for almost 20 years, but now it's time to move on. He can then address the DWI charge and perhaps have the matter placed on the Stet Docket or receive probation before judgement as so many people do for their first offense. At that point the matter will be behind him and he can go forward.
Do the right thing, Sir.
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18 comments:
"His admitted violation of the law violates Maryland Lawyers’ Rules of Professional Conduct (by my interpretation)."
PLEASE TELL US WHICH RULE (by your interpretation).
Well thank you Barney Fife for that armchair course in moral posturing.
I just hope that people learn from Mr. Ruark’s mistake and, more importantly, he learns from his mistake. We all need to reflect on the decisions we make in our daily lives and think about the effects that these decisions have on tomorrow. We also need to think about compaction. I think this is a time that we need to let the process work. I’m not going to comment one way or another if Mr. Ruark should or should not keep his job. I thank God that isn’t my job .
Well said, I agree 100%
What do you think would have happened to ANY police officer that blows a .15 BAC & gets convicted of DWI (remember, that is a per se DWI)?
They would be FIRED, especially if they were in the "Company" car.
Poor old Officer Jessam, late of Ocean City PD, was fired summarily, I mean the next DAY-Before he even had a trial. No 60 day leave for him to get his life back together.
Mr. A, would be giving the same break to Rai Sharma if it had been him driving that County Car?
Would Mikey Lewis give the same break to one of his deputies? -Not Hardly!
And yes I too like Davis, but I think the standards should apply to everyone.
Maryland Lawyer's Rules of Professional Conduct
PREAMBLE, SCOPE AND TERMINOLOGY
Anon 11:45
PREAMBLE: A LAWYER'S RESPONSIBILITIES
Paragraph 5
[5] A lawyer’s conduct should conform to the requirements of the law, both in professional service to clients and in the lawyer’s business and personal affairs.
Anon 1:04
You're welcome. It's my opinion as I stated.
When it becomes too demanding for a law enforcement official to obey the law he has sworn to uphold, he should resign.
When it becomes too demanding for a law enforcement official to obey the law he has sworn to uphold, he should resign.
Lets talk about double standards in the city.
Court audio files state by witnesses under oath that Barrie Tilghman was drunk as was her daughter in the presence of the chief of police Allen Webster. HE stood there and allowed her to drive off DRUNK. This is all a matter of court records.
This same chief of police allegedly wrecked a city owned unmarked police vehicle in the parking lot at Seacrets...DRUNK. Both of them are still in power. WHY???
If we are going to demand resignations lets not stop at the county, lets begin in the city and start at the top working our way down. Let the chips fall where they may.
1:33
You are right! Chief Webster should have stopped her from driving or if he couldn't do that, he should have followed her for a block and arrested her for drunk driving. If he wrecked a city vehicle at Seacrets due to intoxication, he should have been charged. Why is this information just coming out now after Davis Ruark's problem? Was this already known and I missed it?
I don't believe for one minute that Davis is sorry for squat. He's sorry he got CAUGHT, and the political fallout that goes along with it.
From what I am learning about this person, he has been engaging in this behavior for years, maybe thinking he can do so with impunity because of his position as prosecutor?
I find such thinking distasteful and disgusting.
Such a public figure should resign, with our without any rehab treatment.
Rai resigned over the other scandal in the County, and he is probably the only innocent one to do so!
I concur with Grand Dad on this one.
Sparky
Anon 326 This info concerning Chief Webster and Barrie Tilghman is actually old news. People have known about it and know it was swept under the carpet.
Ask the firefighters about Barrie Tilghman showing up at a function last winter drunk on her ass, literally. She fell square on her drunken ass at one of their events. She was drunk when she arrived. She drove herself there. Then there was the drunken Barrie Tilghman who drove herself down Riverside Drive to give an award at a Rotary function. The woman is drunk more often than sober. She is a disgrace.
The high muckdemucks are powerful and under great pressures to make decisions for the operation of the government. They make mistakes and excuse themselves as is one of the perks of the job.No set of rules apply to everyone as history has taught us.It's the luck of the draw- some people lead and the masses follow with no problems as long as they obey the laws and regulations.Happiness is giving attention to family, job and Faith in the Almighty. Don't worry about everybody elses business.Each of us have enough at home to manage.
I have not heard any comments from the MADD association. Does it still function? I shouldn't ask I guess who the leaders of the organization are.
Grand Dad, you know as well as anyone, an officer that gets charged with a DWI after 21 years of service would not be fired. Take two veteran officers that ran from the MSP while drunk and both are still employed and later received their ranks back. Davis did not throw his weight around and stood up like a man and faced it. As a very experienced lawyer he knows he could have said no to all the tests and made it really hard on the officer. He stood up like a man, a good person doing something wrong. I think he deserves a second chance moreso than others.
7:28, Your definition of happiness is stiking your head in the sand while your community, city, county, state and country falls apart with corruption. Folks like you are exactly the problem....your fat with complacency! You might write it off as its not your problem or your bizzness, but your laziness will be heaped upon your children and grandchildrens shoulders! Pull your head out of the sand before its too deep!
HipBoots
Yes, Ruark is wrong for what he did, yes he made a bad decision that could have ended even worse, and yes he should be held to a higher standard...that said, what is a fair price to pay for that mistake? John Doe the accountant or secretary or whatever pays a fine and expensive attorney fees, has a record, suspended license, etc. but most likely doesn't lose his job and livelihood and career.......after all the good he's done as State's Attorney, after all the truly evil people he put in jail and kept away from the community, is the punishment he is now receiving for this error in judgement fitting and just?
Have known Davis for 30 years. Fellow law student way back when and the best of friends. Have not seen him for years now, but know this. Of the many hundreds of people I have known well in my 50+ years on this earth, Davis has always been that one person of the highest integrity and most profound honesty. To call for the resignation of this man, over a simple stupid DUI arrest? OH spare me...could we not wait at least for something even slightly approaching a crime of moral turpitude? If you did, with Davis, you'd be waiting the rest of your lives.
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