Patricia Coats Jessamy was the

State's Attorney of Baltimore The state's attorney of Baltimore is the district attorney, chief prosecutor representing the state of Maryland in the independent city (United States), independent city of Baltimore. The position was established in 1851, replacing the office ...

, Maryland. She was appointed to head the office in 1995 and won reelection three times.

Background

Born on July 26, 1948, in

Hollandale, Mississippi Hollandale is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,323 at the 2020 census. History Hollandale was named for Dr. Holland, the original owner of the town site. Hollandale was incorporated in 1890, and alm ...

. She received a

B.A. A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...

from

Jackson State University Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a Public university, public Historically Black colleges and universities, historically black research university in Jackson, Mississippi. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and ...

in 1970 and graduated from the

University of Mississippi School of Law The University of Mississippi School of Law, also known as Ole Miss Law, is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, United States. Established in 1854, the School of Law offers t ...

in 1974, and admitted to the Maryland Bar that year.

Career

Jessamy was the first woman to serve as Baltimore State’s Attorney. She may have pioneered the "do not call" list for police with integrity problems. She began her legal career in Maryland in 1985 as an assistant state’s attorney. In 1987, State’s Attorney Stuart Simms appointed Jessamy as deputy state’s attorney for administration. As deputy state’s attorney, Jessamy created the Victim Assistance Program and was responsible for all fiscal matters, budgets, and personnel. In 1995, the Circuit Court unanimously appointed Jessamy as state’s attorney following Simms' resignation to become state secretary for juvenile services. She has successfully run for re-election in November 1998, 2002, and 2006. Jessamy considered running for

Mayor of Baltimore The mayor of Baltimore is the head of the executive branch of the government of the City of Baltimore, Maryland. The Mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills, ordinances, or resolutions passed by th ...

during the 1999 mayoral election, but declined to run. Jessamy was defeated in her September 14, 2010, primary bid by Democrat Gregg Bernstein.

Notes

References

accessdate 18 September 2010. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jessamy, Patricia 1948 births Living people 20th-century African-American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers African-American people in Maryland politics American women lawyers Jackson State University alumni Maryland Democrats People from Hollandale, Mississippi State's attorneys in Maryland University of Mississippi School of Law alumni 21st-century African-American lawyers 21st-century African-American women 20th-century African-American women