Dorchester County police accountability board approves minutes, keeps leadership and appoints trial-board representative

The Dorchester County Police Accountability Board met in open session and approved the minutes of its Jan. 14 open and closed meetings, voted to retain its current chair and vice chair and appointed John Gilbert of Talbot County to serve as the board's trial-board representative.

Chairman Paul Britton called for approval of the Jan. 14 open-session minutes, and after a motion and second the board voted by voice, "Aye," to approve them. The board then approved the Jan. 14 closed-session minutes in a separate voice vote. Britton said the annual appointments item on the agenda required the board to confirm or replace the chair and vice chair; a motion to retain the current chair and vice chair passed on a voice vote.

Britton nominated John Gilbert of Talbot County to serve as the board's trial-board representative. After a second from a board member identified as Mr. Janus, the board approved the appointment by voice vote. Britton said the trial board will convene on May 9 at 10:00 a.m. and that the proceeding will be open to the public; he added the board expected to hold a town-hall-style meeting around that time.

The board discussed one membership note: Britton said that Benjamin Sampson's term is set to expire before the next meeting and that Sampson is a county-council appointment. Britton told members he would follow up to confirm whether Sampson remains willing and able to serve and noted training obligations that Sampson has described as a potential barrier to continued service.

Board procedural votes and the trial-board appointment were enacted by voice votes; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the meeting transcript.

Adjournment followed the board's open-session business.