Petticolas withdraws from Dorchester State’s Attorney race

"The sudden rise in gun violence, particularly with our youth, is highly disturbing and I believe that holding those responsible for these killings in a strong and decisive way plays an important role in stopping the violence and keeping our community safe. But building airtight cases and advocating for appropriate sentences is only part of the solution.

"We must also address the root causes of the problem, specifically poverty and its mindset, before we can expect to see a systemic change.

"The state’s attorney has the ability to create diversion programs that can help people to correct the problems that brought them to court and can help to minimize the effects of convictions. In that vein, I planned to create a program that would remove barriers to obtaining a driver’s license that so many of our neighbors face."

Petticolas said many of the people in District Court are facing charges of driving while revoked, suspended, or without a license. She said their financial hardships have prevented them from getting a license.

Many of these people made the decision to get behind the wheel without a valid license because they had no other way to get to work or they found themselves in an emergency and had to get help for a loved one, Petticolas said, adding it is problem the community can solve.

"My name will still appear on the Democratic primary ballot but will be removed from the general election ballot," Petticolas said. "I regret any disappointment that my decision may cause, but please know that withdrawing from this race is in no way a reflection of my commitment to addressing these issues. I will continue to work for the betterment of our community through the nonprofit the Eastern Shore Network for Change that I run with my partner, Dion Banks.”

Petticolas was admitted to the bar in 2006 after graduating from the University of Baltimore School of Law that same year. She has spent her entire legal career practicing criminal law in Talbot County. She started as law clerk to the Honorable Sidney S. Campen Jr. in Talbot County Circuit Court. She then spent three years in the Talbot County State’s Attorney’s Office before joining the Office of the Public Defender in 2011. Throughout her legal career, she has been responsible for either prosecuting or defending misdemeanors in District Court and more serious misdemeanors and felonies in Circuit Court.

Petticolas, 49, of Cambridge has been a part of the Dorchester community since 2007. She co-founded the Eastern Shore Network for Change, a nonprofit with a focus of education, representation and revitalization of the African-American community.