Leonardtown, MD- At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, St. Mary’s County Senior Assistant State’s Attorney, Chief of Staff and Deputy State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced her resignation from the County States’ Attorney’s Office. Ms. Sterling has been employed at the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for almost a decade.
Ms. Sterling alleges that she uncovered questionable financial and personnel practices at the County Office, and when she reported them to the appropriate authorities, she was demoted.
In an emailed statement, Ms. Sterling says, “For the last nine and a half years, I had the distinct honor to serve the citizens of St. Mary’s County as an Assistant State’s Attorney, Senior Assistant State’s Attorney, Chief of Staff and Deputy State’s Attorney. On Wednesday, September 30, 2020, I submitted my resignation from the office.
In my most recent role as the Deputy State’s Attorney, I uncovered questionable financial and personnel practices. I took action to make sure these practices were reported to the appropriate authorities. In response, the State’s Attorney immediately demoted me for reporting these irregularities.
It is clear to me that I have an ethical and moral obligation to leave the office. I look back with pride on nearly a decade of pursuing justice for the citizens of St. Mary’s County. I am sad that I have no choice but to resign.
I want to thank you, the many wonderful people who I have worked with: the law enforcement officers who protect us all, the courtroom personnel who make our system work, our outstanding District and Circuit court judges, and the excellent defense counsel who show so much professionalism. I also want to thank the hardworking staff in the State’s Attorney’s office who help the important work in the office.
Serving the citizens of St. Mary’s County as a prosecutor has been the honor of a lifetime. Although I am disappointed to leave the office, I am hopeful my resignation is a touchpoint to start a culture change in the State’s Attorney’s Office that makes it more accountable to the citizens of St. Mary’s County.”
Sterling was named Deputy States Attorney in January 2020 and was recently named Co-Chair of the Maryland State Bar Association’s Local & Specialty Bar Liaison Committee. She recently finished her term as President of the St. Mary’s Bar Association this month.
The Southern Maryland Chronicle has reached out to Ms. Sterling and is reaching out to the State’s Attorney’s Office, and the St. Marys County Commissioners.