Senators praise Jill P. Carter’s decades of criminal-justice work as she prepares for judgeship

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Senator Jill P. Carter received sustained floor remarks and personal tributes from colleagues on Jan. 21, 2025, as she prepares to leave the Senate for a judicial post.

“It's been my true honor to serve alongside you in this body,” Carter said in brief remarks on the chamber floor, reflecting on her decision to enter public service and to work on justice issues. “I leave you in peace. In the words of Lenny Kravitz, let love rule.”

Members from across the chamber used the floor to recount Carter’s years-long work on criminal-justice issues and to note her role in pursuing reforms such as expungement and changes to parole and juvenile justice policy. The chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee described Carter as “ahead of her time on decriminalization of cannabis, on the legalization of cannabis, parole reform, juvenile justice” and credited her with persistent advocacy that eventually changed state policy.

Other senators emphasized Carter’s mentorship and personal impact. The senator from Montgomery County’s 18th district recalled that Carter helped that senator find a voice in difficult committee debates and credited Carter with starting Maryland’s work on expungement and second-chance legislation. The senator from the 40th district described Carter’s long-standing focus on minority-business contracting and criminal-justice inequities and said she had “stood strong” despite attempts to marginalize her voice.

Colleagues also noted Carter’s connections to communities and organizations beyond the Senate. Several speakers referenced Carter’s ties to Baltimore, the Walter P. Carter Elementary School (named after her father), and her long record of advocacy on behalf of residents of Baltimore City. The chair of the Baltimore City delegation said Carter had convened advocates and legislators to focus on criminal-justice reform years before similar policies gained broader public support.

Senators who worked with Carter in committee and on floor fights described the professional partnership and, at times, the political pushback she endured. “You were ahead of your time,” the Judicial Proceedings chair said, adding that Carter’s work forced “uncomfortable conversations” that made policy better. Multiple members said Carter’s presence in the chamber had made them better lawmakers.

Carter’s remarks and the extended floor tributes were ceremonial and appreciative in tone; the session included neither a vote related to her departure nor formal action beyond the floor statements. The Senate later returned to routine business, including committee announcements and roll-call votes on unrelated bills.