Judge Sidney A. Butcher is an Associate Judge on the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, appointed by Governor Wes Moore in December 2025.
He previously served as a District Court Judge for Anne Arundel County, appointed by Governor Larry Hogan in 2018—making him one of the few Maryland judges to earn appointments from both Republican and Democratic governors. Judge Butcher is a graduate of Florida A&M University and the University of Kansas School of Law.
Prior to joining the bench, Judge Butcher served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General, where he was assigned to the Medicaid Fraud Unit. He also worked at Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP, handling white-collar litigation. Judge Butcher spent a decade as an Assistant State's Attorney in the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office, where he worked his way up to the Major Investigation Unit prosecuting violent repeat offenders and correctional officers, and led complex wiretap investigations.
Judge Butcher is an active leader in bar associations at the local, state, and national levels. He is the Chair of the ABA National Conference of Specialized Court Judges and former Chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section. He is a Past President of the Monumental City Bar Association, the oldest African American bar association in Maryland, and serves on the Executive Council of the Anne Arundel Bar Association. He is also a former Fellow of the Maryland State Bar Association's Leadership Academy.
Judge Butcher serves on various boards throughout Maryland, including the Maryland Legal Services Corporation, where he was appointed by the Governor of Maryland. He is a Past President of the Public Justice Center, which provides advice and representation to low-income clients, advocates before legislatures and government agencies, and collaborates with community and advocacy organizations. Judge Butcher is also a past member of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education.
