The Maryland Court of Appeals today upheld a ruling in Prince George's County courts that neither Tiffany Alston or Gregory Hall can claim Alston's former seat in the Maryland House of Delegates, News4 Prince George's County Bureau Chief Tracee Wilkins reported.
Alston was convicted of stealing money from the state and was removed from office. The Democratic Central Committee nominated Hall to succeed her.
But the nomination, which was sent to Gov. Martin O'Malley Nov. 7, met opposition from critics due to Hall's past, and O'Malley attempted to rescind the appointment.
Hall then sued to stop the action, and Alston sued to get her seat back.
Hall's nomination met with controversy over his own legal woes. He faced drug and gun charges about 20 years ago following a shootout, back when he was an admitted drug dealer. Hall was accused of firing a gun that killed a 13-year-old boy, but it was later determined that the bullet came from someone else’s gun, and Hall was released. He was convicted of a misdemeanor gun charge and was cleared of the murder charge.
Alston argued she deserved to get her seat back after her conviction for misconduct in office was modified to probation before judgment. She took a plea deal in October stemming from the charge that she used $800 of the state's money to pay an employee in her private law firm.