The Orphan’s Court of Maryland is a probate court that handles matters involving estates, wills, guardianships and the protection of vulnerable individuals after someone dies. The court’s primary role is overseeing the administration of estates to ensure assets are distributed legally and fairly according to a will or Maryland law.
This year, there are three candidates running for the three seats as Judge on the Orphan’s Court bench, all running for re-election. Since the number of candidates does not exceed the number of seats, this is not a contested election. All three candidates are Democrats. Judges of the Orphan’s court are elected to four-year terms and the longest-serving member is Chief Judge Wendy Cartwright.
Wendy Cartwright
Wendy Alise Cartwright is the current Chief Judge of the Orphan’s Court, a position she has held since 2003. She previously served as an Associate Judge from 2001-2003 by appointment of Governor Parris Glendening. She began her legal career clerking for Greenbelt Attorney Howard S. Chasanow (son of Abraham Chasanow) in both the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County and the Court of Appeals of Maryland. Her professional service includes leadership roles with the Conference of Orphan’s Court Judges, the Judicial Education Subcommittee for Orphan’s Court Curriculum and the Judicial Ethics Committee.
Jason Deloach
Jason A. Deloach is a current Judge of the Orphan’s Court, elected in 2022, with more than two decades of legal and public service experience. A graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park and the University of Baltimore School of Law, Deloach has served as mediator for the District Court of Maryland’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Program.
Deloach says his extensive background in municipal law, mediation and professional legal leadership reflects his commitment to fairness, professionalism and effective service for families navigating probate and estate matters in Prince George’s County
Athena Groves
Athena Malloy Groves is a current Judge of the Orphan’s Court, a position she has held since 2006. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Juris Doctorate from North Carolina Central University School of Law. Before joining the bench, she practiced law as an associate and managing partner in private firms and served on multiple public boards, including the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and the Revenue Authority Board of Prince George’s County.
Since becoming a judge, Groves has held leadership roles in judicial administration, including serving as chair of the Conference of Orphan’s Court Judges. She says her work reflects a long-standing commitment to improving probate and estate processes while ensuring fairness, accountability and accessibility for families in Prince George’s County.
Greenbelters can vote for up to three of the three candidates in the coming election.
Cam Crossett is a graduate student at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism interning with the Greenbelt News Review.