Graduate, 2005, Political Science

Aaron Merki interned at the Office of the Public Defender, Appellate Division, in Baltimore City, researching and writing appellate briefs. His Supervisor, Brad Peabody, wrote the following about Aaron's work for his office:

"Our state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, regularly screens briefs filed in the intermediate appellate court for interesting issues which should ultimately be decided by Maryland's supreme court.

The Court called to say that, on its own motion, it has decided to take from the intermediate appellate court the appeal in which my UMBC Legal Intern Aaron Merki wrote the Appellant's Brief.

This action is rarely taken, and when it is, the State's highest court usually requires a new (and much more extensive) brief from the appellant. Instead, the Court accepted Aaron's brief, as is -- a rare and fine compliment about the quality of Aaron's research and legal writing! Not too shabby for a Junior in college!

Click here for link to The Daily Record article about the case.

The case dealt with a man, who was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm with a prior drug conviction.  There is a clause in the statute allowing for an enhanced sentence for second of subsequent offenses. The judge gave the man an enhanced sentence by classifying the drug conviction as his first offense.  But, the law
intended for the clause to refer to a second firearm offense, not a second offense of any kind.  Aaron argued that the enhanced sentence was illegal because the drug conviction was an integral part of the firearm offense, so the firearm offense was dependent on the man having a prior drug conviction. 

Aaron has interned with Congressman Steny Hoyer, and worked as a Change Leader for Oxfam America at UMBC, with the Student Government Association, University Mock Trial, UMBC President's Student Advisory Council, College Democrats, and the Maryland State Board of Education. Aaron is currently studying at University of Maryland's School of Law, where he has worked on the creation of a legal services center focused lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender legal issues in Baltimore City.