The judges of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland are pleased to announce that they have appointed A. David Copperthite to the position of United States Magistrate Judge. Judge Copperthite took the oath of office at an informal ceremony this morning and will be assigned to the United States Courthouse in Baltimore, Maryland. A formal ceremony will be held on May 20, 2016, in the Baltimore courthouse.
Magistrate Judge Copperthite was born and raised in Maryland. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Baltimore, where he also received his law degree. Upon graduation from law school, Judge Copperthite spent a year in private practice at a small firm in Baltimore and was appointed as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Baltimore City. He also served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maryland in the Criminal Investigations Division.
In 1997, after being designated a Special Assistant United States Attorney for six years, Judge Copperthite was appointed an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland. Judge Copperthite served for three years in the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office before returning to the Criminal Division. Judge Copperthite received many awards and honors during his service, including the Director’s Award from the Department of Justice; the Director’s Recognition Award from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the Lifetime Achievement award from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Judge Copperthite served for eleven years in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the United States Army as a Reserve JAG Officer. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Baltimore School of Law. Admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1986, Judge Copperthite is also a member of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
United States Magistrate Judges are appointed by the district judges for a term of eight years and are eligible for reappointment to successive terms. The position filled by Judge Copperthite became open when U.S. Magistrate Judge Jillyn Schulze announced her retirement from the bench effective March 24, 2016. A merit selection panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community reviewed all qualified applications before recommending a slate of candidates to the full bench for review.