LAWYER MAKES A CASE FOR INTEGRITY

Public Defender Tackled A Jailing Lapse Head-On

When he learned from a reporter that a Spanish-speaking client may
have spent nearly six months in jail awaiting trial on a misdemeanor
charge -- far longer than most defendants spend even if they are
convicted -- Brian C. Denton, the chief public defender in Prince
George's County, didn't lose his cool.

Quickly, Denton looked through his office's files and found that two
attorneys had been assigned to the client, Ramiro Games. But neither
of them had spoken with Games, a Guatemalan immigrant laborer who had
been charged with possession of cocaine, a misdemeanor that often
results in probation or a few days in jail.

Denton, 50, promptly disclosed the information. Even after Denton
learned that a court clerk apparently had failed to put a document in
the court file showing that the public defender's office represented
Games -- a fact that Circuit Court Judge Vincent J. Femia was unaware
of when he took Games's guilty plea -- Denton did not point a finger.

"It's our job to look out for these people," Denton said, referring
to public defender clients. "We've got to do better." The public
defender's office represents clients who cannot afford private attorneys.

For pleading guilty, Games was sentenced to 10 days in jail. In
sentencing him, Femia, who was sympathetic to the language barrier
involved, gave Games credit for time served and ordered him released.

Shortly after he took the top public defender job in November, Denton
made administrative changes designed to prevent precisely the
situation that Games endured.

Judges and lawyers who have worked with Denton for decades were not
surprised that he met the issue head-on and took responsibility, even
though Games's legal odyssey began with his arrest in September, two
months before Denton was appointed to the top job.

"That was classic Brian. To Brian, it really is all about doing the
right thing and getting the right result," said Circuit Court Judge
Maureen Lamasney. "It's not about who to blame if you fail."

Lamasney joined the public defender's office in Prince George's as a
law clerk in 1975, and Denton joined the public defender's office in
Baltimore in 1982. Denton moved to the Prince George's office in 1983.

For 15 years, before Lamasney was appointed to the bench in 1998,
Denton was one of her most trusted trial attorneys and supervisors.
During that time, Lamasney had Denton supervise the juvenile and
District Court divisions.

Lamasney said Denton, 50, is a "fabulous choice" to lead the Prince
George's office.

"He's an outstanding attorney, dedicated and conscientious," Lamasney
said. "He does exactly what he needs to do for every client. And he's
a great manager. They're two different skills, and he has them both.
It's a challenging caseload, and there are few perks. You have to be
able to motivate, and Brian motivates very well."

Assistant State's Attorney Michael O. Glynn III agrees.

Before becoming a prosecutor, Glynn was an assistant public defender
in Prince George's from 1989 to 1994. Denton was an excellent mentor,
Glynn said.

When he was defending a client in court, Glynn recalled, Denton would
sometimes slip into the back of the courtroom to see how he was
doing. Glynn said that if he found himself in trouble, Denton would
step forward and pass him a note suggesting what he should do. And if
he did well, Denton would let him know that as well, Glynn said.

"He was always encouraging and teaching," Glynn said. "He really
believes in what he's doing. He makes idealism work."

Denton will have plenty of opportunities to put his ideals to work.
The Prince George's public defender's office handles about 30,000
cases annually -- the second-highest caseload for a public defender's
office in the state, behind Baltimore's.

Before assuming the Prince George's position, Denton served for 13
months as the chief public defender in Anne Arundel County. Before
that, he was chief public defender in Southern Maryland (which
includes Charles, St. Mary's and Calvert counties) from December 2000
until October 2003. In Prince George's, Denton succeeded Joseph M.
Niland, who retired.

Denton lives with his wife and their four children -- two boys and
two girls, ages 10 to 18 -- in Upper Marlboro.

Although he could earn far more in private practice, Denton, who
makes a little more than $100,000 a year (the maximum salary for the
job is about $114,000) said he is exactly where he wants to be.

"This is home. My kids go to school here [in Upper Marlboro], they
play games here. When [Niland] left, I wanted to go home," Denton said.

Denton grew up in Southeast Washington and received an undergraduate
degree in finance from the University of Maryland in 1978. He
received a law degree from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1982.

"My intent was to go to law school and make a lot of money," Denton
said. "I'd much rather do this."