Top Maryland court to hear arguments about striking ex-Sen. Nathaniel Oaks from ballot

Maryland’s highest court will hear arguments Wednesday on whether next month’s primary election ballot should include the name of former Sen. Nathaniel Oaks, the Baltimore Democrat who resigned his seat on the same day in March that he pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges.

Due to a quirk in the timing of his guilty plea, Oaks’ name was set to remain on the June 26 Democratic primary election ballot. First a judge refused to remove his name. Then he ordered Oaks stricken from the ballot.

Now state election officials want the Court of Appeals to return the disgraced senator’s name to the list of candidates running for his West Baltimore seat in the Maryland Senate.

Lawyers seeking to remove Oaks’ name from the ballot intend to argue before the Court of Appeals that it is unfair to voters and other candidates to include someone who will not be eligible to hold elective office after his sentencing in July, about a month after the primary election.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-ci-oaks-appeal-hearing-20180501-story.html