Fills Current and Upcoming Circuit Court Vacancies in Montgomery County
ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today announced that he has appointed Judge Carlos Federico Acosta, Theresa Michelle Chernosky, Delegate Kathleen Marie Dumais, and Rachel Theora McGuckian to the Circuit Court for Montgomery County.
“It is my pleasure to appoint these distinguished individuals to serve in our state’s judicial system,” said Governor Hogan. “Montgomery County’s Circuit Court is gaining an immensely talented and principled group of judges who will honorably serve the citizens of Maryland in the years to come.”
Judge Carlos Acosta has served as an associate judge on the District Court for Montgomery County since 2018. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Acosta was the inspector general for the Prince George’s County Police Department for six years. He previously worked as the mérida program manager for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training, was a special assistant U.S. attorney, and has held various positions in the Office of the State’s Attorney for Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. He also spent several years as a federal prosecutor responsible for federal prosecutions targeting violent street gangs and as an associate for several law firms.
Judge Acosta received a B.A. and M.A. in English from the University of Maryland, College Park. He received his J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law.
Theresa Chernosky has served as a public defender in the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office for the past 20 years, where she is currently the deputy district public defender. Chernosky’s entire legal career has been in the Maryland and Kentucky public defenders’ offices. Shortly after graduating from law school, Chernosky became an assistant public defender in Kentucky. She returned to Maryland in 2001 to serve as an assistant public defender in Montgomery County, ultimately becoming the deputy district public defender.
She received a B.A. in French, Economics, and Math from Lake Forest College. She obtained her J.D. from Albany Law School.
Delegate Kathleen Dumais has spent her entire legal career as a family law attorney. For the past 10 years, she has worked as senior counsel with the Rockville based firm of Ethridge, Quinn, Kemp, Rowan & Hartinger. Previously she was a principal at Paley Rothman for 15 years. Delegate Dumais is an elected member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 15 in Montgomery County since 2003. She currently serves on various committees, including as vice chair of the House Economic Matters Committee, chair of the Insurance Subcommittee, house chair of the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics, and a member of the Legislative Policy Committee.
She received her B.A. from Mount Vernon College and her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law.
Rachel McGuckian has spent her legal career in private practice and is currently a managing principal for Miles & Stockbridge, where she has worked for the past 25 years. She joined the firm as an associate attorney working her way up to an equity principal in 2002. Her practice focuses on complex civil litigation, including government contracts, commercial litigation, estates, trusts, and family law. She has also represented defendants in appellate, post-conviction, and trial matters through the Office of the Public Defender. Prior to joining Miles & Stockbridge, she was an attorney with Eccleston & Wolf, P.C.
She received her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University. She received her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today announced that he has appointed Judge Carlos Federico Acosta, Theresa Michelle Chernosky, Delegate Kathleen Marie Dumais, and Rachel Theora McGuckian to the Circuit Court for Montgomery County.
“It is my pleasure to appoint these distinguished individuals to serve in our state’s judicial system,” said Governor Hogan. “Montgomery County’s Circuit Court is gaining an immensely talented and principled group of judges who will honorably serve the citizens of Maryland in the years to come.”
Judge Carlos Acosta has served as an associate judge on the District Court for Montgomery County since 2018. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Acosta was the inspector general for the Prince George’s County Police Department for six years. He previously worked as the mérida program manager for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training, was a special assistant U.S. attorney, and has held various positions in the Office of the State’s Attorney for Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. He also spent several years as a federal prosecutor responsible for federal prosecutions targeting violent street gangs and as an associate for several law firms.
Judge Acosta received a B.A. and M.A. in English from the University of Maryland, College Park. He received his J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law.
Theresa Chernosky has served as a public defender in the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office for the past 20 years, where she is currently the deputy district public defender. Chernosky’s entire legal career has been in the Maryland and Kentucky public defenders’ offices. Shortly after graduating from law school, Chernosky became an assistant public defender in Kentucky. She returned to Maryland in 2001 to serve as an assistant public defender in Montgomery County, ultimately becoming the deputy district public defender.
She received a B.A. in French, Economics, and Math from Lake Forest College. She obtained her J.D. from Albany Law School.
Delegate Kathleen Dumais has spent her entire legal career as a family law attorney. For the past 10 years, she has worked as senior counsel with the Rockville based firm of Ethridge, Quinn, Kemp, Rowan & Hartinger. Previously she was a principal at Paley Rothman for 15 years. Delegate Dumais is an elected member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 15 in Montgomery County since 2003. She currently serves on various committees, including as vice chair of the House Economic Matters Committee, chair of the Insurance Subcommittee, house chair of the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics, and a member of the Legislative Policy Committee.
She received her B.A. from Mount Vernon College and her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law.
Rachel McGuckian has spent her legal career in private practice and is currently a managing principal for Miles & Stockbridge, where she has worked for the past 25 years. She joined the firm as an associate attorney working her way up to an equity principal in 2002. Her practice focuses on complex civil litigation, including government contracts, commercial litigation, estates, trusts, and family law. She has also represented defendants in appellate, post-conviction, and trial matters through the Office of the Public Defender. Prior to joining Miles & Stockbridge, she was an attorney with Eccleston & Wolf, P.C.
She received her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University. She received her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
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