Brent v. State

KARWACKI, Judge.

We are here called upon to review the propriety of a trial judge’s refusal to recuse himself after learning of a defendant’s prior willingness to plead guilty, and having presided at guilty plea proceedings of his co-defendants, at which the trial judge heard statements of facts implicating the defendant.

The appellant, Theodore Brent, was indicted on September 19, 1983 on charges of burglary and felony theft. Following a bench trial on July 10, 1984 in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County the appellant was found guilty of both charges. For these convictions the court…