Former Councilman Asks Court to Reinstate Him

Ousted Anne Arundel County Councilman Daryl Jones petitioned Maryland's Court of Appeals to give him back his District 1 seat on Monday.

"I am pleased the court has taken the matter up," Jones said. "I am sure they will render a decision that is devoid of politics."

Jones pleaded guilty in August 2011 to one misdemeanor count of failure to file a tax return. The plea was part of a deal with Maryland's U.S. attorney's office, which discovered that Jones owed more than $100,000 in back taxes from 2002 to 2006.

In January, the County Council removed Jones from office a few days before he started serving a five-month sentence in a federal prison in South Carolina, saying his incarceration violated the county charter's residency requirement.

Jones sued, but a Circuit Court judge sided with Anne Arundel County. Jones then appealed the decision.

Severn resident Peter Smith (D-District 1) replaced Jones on the County Council.

The case centered around three main themes: How the County Charter defines residency, whether Jones was legally removed from office and whether Jones can legally ask for reinstatement.

Click here to read more about Jones' court case.

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