Our Office is also proud to offer the services of Maxine Smith, a licensed certified social worker, who delivers therapeutic interventions in schools and community settings in Anne Arundel County.

The Program, which partners with the Anne Arundel County Public Schools system, offers a strengths-based approach with evidence-based strategies drawn from DBT, CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and Problem-Solving Therapy.

The emphasis of this Program is to keep youth in school and outside of the Juvenile Justice System by teaching appropriate tools to maintain school attendance, self-regulate, improve interpersonal relationships and emotional well-being, and increase public safety at large.

If you are interested in referring a student to the program, please contact Ms. Maxine Smith at 410-222-7265 or sasmit24@aacounty.org.

Click here for more information!

In this month's newsletter, you will see our latest community engagements, celebrate Assistant State's Attorney Marot Williamson on her honor from the Maryland State's Attorney's Association, read about a Pasadena man sentenced to prison for a 2025 shooting, and more.

For the latest information, be sure to follow our Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram pages and click here to receive our newsletter, Anne Arundel Justice.

As always, thank you for your continued support!

Pasadena Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

for January 2025 Shooting Incident

Last month, Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Pamela Alban sentenced Montrelle Alusine Musa, age 28, of Pasadena, to 75 years with all but 25 years suspended to serve in the Division of Correction. Musa must also serve five years of supervised probation upon release.

An Anne Arundel County jury found Musa guilty of six counts of First-Degree Assault, Firearm Use in a Felony Crime of Violence, Firearm Possession with a Felony Conviction, and firearms-related charges following a trial in December 2025.

"It is a miracle that no one sustained injuries in this reckless and dangerous act of violence," said State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess. "A six-year-old child was nearly hit when this Defendant sprayed bullets indiscriminately toward a home.

"Maryland Sentencing Guidelines called for a range between 12 to 95 years. The State asked for a 50-year active prison sentence to address this repeat offender's propensity toward gun violence and his threat to the community's public safety. After serving his initial 25-year sentence, he will have 50 years of backup time hanging over his head if he reoffends."

Click here to read more.

Community Engagement

On March 12th, State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess participated in a Town Hall discussion on Law and Public Safety with Leadership Anne Arundel, joining the Flagship Class of 2026 as a public safety leader alongside Sheriff Everett Sesker, County Chief of Police Amal Awad, and Acting Annapolis Chief of Police Amy Miguez. Topics included how the group interacts with each other to keep the county safe and informed.

State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess and members of her Office joined 85 students from Anne Arundel County public high schools for the Legal Pipeline event at Severn Run High School, presented by Anne Arundel County Public Schools and the Anne Arundel Bar Association.

Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell gave opening remarks to the group. This program gave students the chance to meet with legal professionals and work in breakout sessions on legal scenarios, where they analyzed a case and presented their arguments to judges. Students also had the chance to meet one-on-one with practicing attorneys and judges in a speed networking round.

Thank you, Myriem Seabron and Tom Mitchell, the Anne Arundel Bar Association's co-chairs of this event!

On March 19th, Deputy State's Attorney Brian Marsh visited Sunrise Senior Living in Severna Park to present "Communities Against Senior Exploitation" to residents.

The presentation discusses the prevalence of financial exploitation and provides background on common tactics that scammers use to steal money from unsuspecting victims.

DSA Marsh stressed the importance of reporting all suspicious activity and provided practical, actionable advice for seniors to secure their information and recognize red flags.

It is our goal to empower our citizens with the knowledge and tools needed to confidently recognize and avoid victimization of predatory schemes.

We welcome any opportunity to arm our seniors with this knowledge.



Click here to schedule a free presentation from our Office!

(Deputy State's Attorney Brian Marsh at Sunrise Senior Living in Severna Park)

Office Honors



Congratulations to Assistant State's Attorney Marot Williamson on being recognized with this year's Maryland State's Attorneys' Association Distinguished Service Award for her work on the MSAA Legislative Committee!

We are so proud of Marot's dedication on behalf of the MSAA throughout the year and during this session of the Maryland General Assembly. This award was given for Marot's work in the area of drug policy, making Maryland a safer place for its citizens.

Amazing work, Marot!

Welcome Back, ASA Jeff Bernstein!

We are excited to welcome back Assistant State's Attorney Jeff Bernstein! He was sworn in on March 9th in the Circuit Court Clerk's Office in Annapolis and is assigned to our Circuit Court Office.

ASA Bernstein served the past two years as a prosecutor with the St. Mary's County State's Attorney's Office. He previously worked with our Office beginning in 2019, with a focus on DUI and serious motor vehicle criminal cases. He is a graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law and Pennsylvania State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

Before practicing criminal law, ASA Bernstein served as a staff attorney and program manager for the Judicial College of Maryland. He also held clerkships with the Honorable Cathleen Vitale and multiple law firms. In addition, he served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Baltimore School of Law, teaching National Appellate Moot Court Advocacy.

Welcome back, Jeff!