FEATURE
“You take care of people in their worst moments. I represented people who had killed people in the worst moment of their life, but that wasn’t their whole life.” — Judge Michael McAuliffe ’79
Seeking Justice During his three-decade career as an attorney, McAuliffe dealt with many emotionally wrenching cases. “It can be very hard, but you do your job,” he says. “You take care of people in their worst moments. I represented people who had killed people in the worst moment of their life, but that wasn’t their whole life.” McAuliffe says the work was fulfilling because he was ensuring someone was there to help defendants during the worst time of their lives. “Even if you didn’t like the outcome of the trial, that client knew you fought for them. At their lowest point, someone was there to help them,” he says. Bonifant says Montgomery County residents are fortunate to have a great state’s attorney’s office and an equally outstanding public defender’s office. “Both the prosecutors and the defense attorneys worry about the defendants. When we sentence people, there is such an interest in rehabilitation, which makes sense. It leads to a safer community,” he says. The state’s attorney, McCarthy, hired Maloney to serve as the deputy state’s attorney from 200715. He had been Maloney’s history teacher in school. “God Bless Good Counsel High School!” Maloney laughs. “Throughout my career, I have focused on seeking justice,” he says. Maloney spent many years prosecuting crimes in Prince George’s County. “I wanted to bring people to justice for harming families deeply,” he says. “It’s challenging work, but I find it very rewarding. I feel satisfied that people were held accountable.”
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THE COUNSELOR
2021
“Most prosecutors back then stayed for about two years and then went into private practice, but I loved it and stayed for 25 years,” Maloney says. As a judge, he says, he is more of a generalist. “On any given day I could get a family case, a criminal case, an injunction, guardianship or a drug court case.” He finds the diversity interesting. Del Pino says he enjoys the opportunities he has to make things right. “Ultimately the ability to represent or defend people, or now as a judge make rulings based on what the law is, or what’s right or just, that’s why I got interested in law and why I enjoy it so much,” he says. He also wanted to help the community by showing the many Latino people in the county that the court was diverse, that it’s possible for people from their background to attain judgeship and that there is a level of fairness in the court. For Bonifant, doing something meaningful with his life has always been his main goal. “What we do affects so many lives,” he says. “Being a judge is the greatest job in the world. I look forward to coming into work every day.” The five judges consider each other friends, often get together with other GC alumni and appreciate those lasting relationships. In May, they gathered on the Montgomery County Courthouse steps for the photo featured with this story. Laughter and jokes abounded, as did conversation about the day and what was going on in each other’s lives. When it was time to pose for the camera, the Falcons stood shoulder to shoulder, proud of a lifetime of achievement and their place in the community.
