Recognizing A Trailblazing Career in Criminal Justice: U.S. Attorney Erek Lawrence Barron

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the outstanding achievements and historic tenure of Maryland's outgoing United States Attorney, Erek Lawrence Barron. He is an experienced lawyer, an accomplished legislator, and a champion of civil rights, and his time as U.S. Attorney has left the people of Maryland safer and more secure in their communities, with greater confidence in the integrity of the justice system.

Mr. Barron earned his Juris Doctor from the prestigious George Washington University Law School in 1999 and earned admission to the Maryland Bar that same year. He began his career in public service as an Assistant State's Attorney in Prince George's County in 2001, primarily prosecuting violent crimes, before transferring to Baltimore City in 2004 and continuing in this position until 2006.

The next phase of his career was at the Department of Justice, as a Trial Attorney in their Criminal Division. There, he focused on tackling the scourge of organized crime, investigating and prosecuting figures involved in regional and national gangs.

This law enforcement experience, gained at both the state and federal level, had Mr. Barron well-prepared for his subsequent role as Counsel and Special Advisor to then-Senator Joe Biden, serving on the United States Senate's Judicial Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs. Soon after, he was a member of the Justice and Civil Rights Review Team for President Barack Obama's Presidential Transition Team.

Given his high qualifications and extensive experience, it is no surprise that in 2014, the good people of Prince George's County, Maryland elected Mr. Barron to the House of Delegates. In the state legislature, he prioritized public safety and criminal Justice reform, co-authoring bipartisan legislation that instituted sweeping improvements to Maryland's sentencing and corrections systems.

His thoughtfulness and effectiveness as a legislator helped Mr. Barron win re-election in 2018, and he continued serving in the General Assembly through October 2021, when the United States Senate confirmed him as the chief federal law enforcement official in the great state of Maryland.

When he took his oath of office, Mr. Barron became the first African American to serve as Maryland's United States Attorney. Despite the historic nature of his service, Mr. Barron never sought out the limelight--he focused entirely on doing his job and doing it well, working closely with state and local law enforcement to implement crime-fighting strategies that reduced violent crime.

Most importantly, Mr. Barron got results. During his tenure, Maryland saw homicide rates drop by 41 percent. He established a new Violent and Organized Crime Section within the office and instructed his prosecutors to utilize an ``Al Capone'' model of prosecution, using all available legal means and resources to get repeat offenders off the streets. He also established a new Civil Rights and Special Victims Section, a dedicated unit focused on prosecuting hate crimes, civil rights violations, and crimes committed against our most vulnerable populations.

Mr. Barron's incredible value to Maryland is exemplified by a case of federal-local partnership that led to a major crime bust. Ivan Bates, Baltimore's State's Attorney, approached Mr. Barron for assistance in getting the federal resources necessary for a wiretap. Mr. Barron personally lobbied law enforcement leaders and secured those resources--and after a 6-month operation, 39 people across 4 criminal networks were arrested, 67 firearms were confiscated, 15 stolen vehicles were recovered, and more than $350,000 in drug money was seized. That is the power of an effective partnership.

Now that his term as our United States Attorney has ended, I join Governor Moore, former Governor Hogan, and law enforcement officials across our state in thanking Mr. Erek Lawrence Barron for his tireless efforts to make our streets safer and our communities more secure. I congratulate him on his many achievements.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source