By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Political Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Appointed by Gov. Wes Moore, Judge Michelle Greer is making history as the first African-American woman to be appointed to the Baltimore County Orphan’s Court in its nearly 250 years of history.
On May 8, in a touching ceremony, Greer was joined by around 200 people, including her loved ones, friends, colleagues and government officials.
“I am humbled and honored to accept this appointment as judge of orphan’s court for Baltimore County,” said Greer at the ceremony. “I’m looking forward to bringing not just a strong skill set but tremendous empathy to the bench. More often than not, people are hurting, and they just need to know that the judge cares.”
As an orphan’s court judge, Greer will help oversee the management of estates of people who have died by approving administration accounts and ensuring proper payments are made from estate assets and distributions are made to the correct beneficiaries or heirs. They also preside over disputes regarding a will or estate.
Vicki Ballou-Watts, an associate judge at the Baltimore County Circuit Court, spoke about the nature of the job that lies before Greer.
“The reality is that the administration of estates can be a very emotional and challenging process. Often, the filing with the judicial probate takes place at a time when family members are still grieving. There may be confusion or uncertainty about the way forward,” said Ballou-Watts. “The deceased may have left the will, making very clear how their property was to be divided. Yet, there can still be a family member that insists that certain property was promised to them.”
Ballou-Watts also said there can be concerns of undue influence in the last days leading to that person’s death or unknown children that have a right to the property in another state.
“These are just a few examples of the issues that orphan’s court judges confront on a regular basis,” continued Ballou-Watts. “Judge Designate Greer is well suited to join the orphan’s court and resolve these issues. Not only because of her good temperament and her experiences as a probate and family law attorney but also because, as someone mentioned earlier, she brings with her a skill set as a trained and certified mediator, a crisis management specialist and a children’s advocate.”
Greer has been a certified paralegal for around 20 years and has worked as a divorce coach and mediator.
“I was blessed to work for and be mentored by some of the greatest trial lawyers in the state and in our nation,” said Greer. “Lawyers like A. Dwight Pettit, Billy Murphy and the late Robert E. Donadio and Russell White, to name a few. I was also blessed to meet some of the greatest legal minds of our time.”
Tisha Edwards, secretary of appointments for the Moore-Miller Administration, spoke on behalf of the governor to Greer’s ability to do the job.
“In your career, you have shown so much compassion for people in their time of loss and misfortune,” said Tisha Edwards, secretary of appointments for the Moore-Miller Administration, at the ceremony. “You have a remarkable success record as a legal mind in our state, as a paralegal, attorney and a certified mediator. You will bring invaluable experience to the bench.”
Greer’s experience with the death of her loved one and how she came through it is another reason the governor chose her.
“In 2003, my husband of 19 years passed away from a sudden massive stroke. He was 40 years old and I became a widow at the age of 32. My children were seven and 11,” said Greer. “I had not experienced a loss quite as devastating other than the murder of my dad when I was 10 years old.”
“Just before my husband passed we decided that it was time for me to resume my studies and pursue my law degree. My acceptance to the University of Baltimore arrived two days after his death,” continued Greer. “Within two months as a single mom and young widow, I embarked upon what became my greatest lesson in perseverance, sacrifice and hard work. It took my children and I 11 years to complete my undergraduate studies, as well as law school.”
She went on to explain that she experienced the impacts of being unprepared to suddenly lose a loved one and navigate the estate process.
“As judges, we are tasked with making the right decisions in circumstances where quite often there’s more than one victim and many are impacted beyond those in front of us, and yet we have to make the decision,” said Greer. “I believe that how we make these decisions is just as important as the decision itself. I believe that humility goes places that the ego cannot. I believe in empathy, and its place in the delivery and execution of justice.”
Though Greer has begun serving on the bench, she will still need to be officially elected into the position in the 2026 midterm elections.
Tashi McQueen is a Report For America corps member.