Protests at the County Courthouse

Protests at the County Courthouse. , The Upper Marlboro Courthouse was the site of an important Civil Rights era protest against racism on the part of the judiciary., Presiding over a manslaughter trial on October 10, 1967, Judge William B. Bowie said, "If they [blacks] want to live like animals, let them stay in a pen somewhere" and remarked, "It is just pure fact that Negroes and knives go together." Both the prosecution and defense recommended the guilty defendant be put on probation, but Judge Bowie refused bond and postponed sentencing. He stated he was acting out of loyalty to an older judge, John B. Gray, who Bowie said, "Never pulled punches about sending colored knife wielders to jail.", The case sparked outrage and condemnation by civil rights and law groups and the media. Under pressure Governor Spiro Agnew requested that Chief Judge Hall Hammond of the Maryland Court of Appeals investigate Judge Bowie's remarks. The investigation fell to the Judicial Disabilities Commission. The Commission found Judge Bowie's words "unfortunate," but in the end stated they found no evidence of racial prejudice., The NAACP announced they would picket the courthouse and would not rest until Judge Bowie was impeached. In January 1968, approximately 200 people protested against Governor Agnew's refusal to take a stance on the issue, and urged Prince George's legislative delegation to introduce a bill for impeachment. Agnew deflected their calls, arguing that he had to maintain separation of powers in the government., Judge Bowie was not impeached and remained on the Circuit Court until 1978. His actions in October of 1967 demonstrated out in the open how the criminal justice system has always had a strong racial bias that continues to disproportionately target and harm Black communities., There are two more Civil Rights trail signs within walking distance in Upper Marlboro. One at the intersection of Main Street and Pratt Street (Filming of "Black Like Me" and one on Judges Drive near the entrance to District Court (Frederick Douglass High School).