Maryland U.S. attorney establishes civil rights and special victims section

The U.S. attorney’s office in Maryland will have a new section focused on civil and criminal civil rights and special victims cases. “This section will be a beacon for protecting civil rights and addressing victim-related crimes requiring specialized skills,” said U.S. Attorney for Maryland Erek L. Barron in a release announcing the change on the first anniversary of his swearing-in. Barron named Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Marquardt and Paul Budlow as chiefs and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Austin as deputy chief of the new civil rights and special victims section, according to the release. Assistant U.S. attorneys from both the civil and criminal divisions will staff the unit.