Rich H. Gibson, Jr. has spent his life holding criminals accountable seeking justice for victims and forging bonds between the legal profession and the community.
Experienced, aggressive and fiercely independent in prosecuting and enforcing the law, Rich believes the State’s Attorney’s Office must play a pro-active and collaborative role in securing the long-term safety and the well-being of Howard County.
That is why in addition to aggressively prosecuting and enforcing the law as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Baltimore City and Prince George’s County, Rich has focused his energy on being deeply involved in the community.
The combination of being a no-nonsense experienced prosecutor, fueled by a passion for working within the community to be pro-active to prevent crime powers his desire to be the next Howard County State’s Attorney.
Throughout his 13 years in the criminal justice system, Rich has been at the forefront of crime prosecution and enforcement and he brings a wealth of different experiences to his candidacy.
Currently, Rich serves as a supervising Assistant State’s Attorney in the Major Investigations Unit in Baltimore City; where he oversees an elite group of attorneys responsible for the prosecution of violent repeat offenders and criminal organizations. Additionally, Rich represents his office on the Maryland State Human Trafficking Committee.
Prior to that, Rich served that office’s Homicide Division also as an Assistant State’s Attorney. While there he tried over 20 homicide jury trials with most resulting in convictions. Additionally, Rich served in the Firearms Investigation and Violence Enforcement (F.I.V.E.) Unit where he prosecuted attempted murders and handgun related violations.
Rich also served as Assistant State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County where he prosecuted numerous hand-gun cases as part of Project EXILE ( a federal program designed to target gun offenders) , as well as working in the Juvenile crimes unit where in addition to his other duties he was principal prosecutor for juvenile drug court. Furthermore, Rich began his prosecutorial career in District Court in Prince George’s County.
He also was a law clerk for the Honorable Herman C. Dawson- Circuit Court of Maryland, the Office of General Counsel for Washington Gas Co. and the Federal Trade Commission.
Rich believes that juvenile crime, domestic violence, repeat offenders, property crime, and gangs are top priorities for a prosecutor’s office. He believes prioritizing these offenses will have a lasting positive impact on the Howard County community.
In the community, Rich serves as President of his neighborhood association, is a Past-President of the Waring-Mitchell Law Society, was Co-Chair of the Maryland State Bar Association Membership Committee, is currently a Board member for Voices for Children, a non-profit organization that oversees providers for children in need of assistance in Howard County, Maryland. Additionally, Rich is a member of the James McGill Inns of Court. For his outstanding civic leadership, dedication, and contributions to maintaining honor and integrity within the legal profession, Rich was named a Fellow to the Maryland Bar Foundation.
Furthermore, Rich has displayed a true commitment to Democratic values as evidenced by his appointment to the Howard County Democratic Central Committee, and previously serving on the board of the Columbia Democratic Club.
Rich was a guest lecturer at the Fifth Annual Fall Institute for the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section -“Plea Bargaining and Collateral Consequences.” At the University of Maryland Criminal Law Association- “Prosecution and Defense from the Perspective of Federal and State Prosecutor’s and Public Defenders,” and was a guest speaker at Howard University School of Law as well as keynote speaker and lecturer on several occasions at Howard County Community College.
He is also the proud author of a chapter in a book entitled, Careers in Criminal Law, Inner Harbor Inner City- Prosecuting in Baltimore.
In recognition of his legal skill Rich was named 2016 Prosecutor of the Year by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Gang Investigation Network (M.A.R.G.I.N.).
After graduating from the College of New Jersey with a B.S. degree in Law and Justice, Rich went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from the Howard University School of Law. While there, he was an Associate Editor, Social Justice Law Review, a member of the Street Law and Howard Law Mentor Programs, as well as Sigma Delta Tau Legal Fraternity, Inc.
Rich and his wife Dr. Carissa Guishard-Gibson reside with their three children in Ellicott City where they attend Howard County Public Schools.