by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
A week after publicly entering the local race for state attorney, Audrey Moran has dropped her bid for the office.
Moran, wife of County Judge John Moran and sister-in-law of Chief Judge Don Moran, said nothing legal prevents her from running. However, after reviewing an ethics opinion from a similar circumstance in another part of the state, she said, pursuing the office could prove detrimental to both judges.
“At this time, I will not proceed with running for state attorney,” said Moran, who is a mediator and former chief administrative officer under former Mayor John Delaney. “Late last week, we became aware of an ethics opinion from South Florida. [If I won,] John would not be able to work on criminal cases and it called into question whether Don could continue as chief judge. I simply can’t proceed with something that would negatively impact their jobs.”
Also last week, State Attorney Harry Shorstein announced he would not seek re-election in the fall of 2008, citing his desire to work in the private sector with his family. Currently, former State Attorney’s Office attorney Angela Corey is the only candidate for the top prosecuting job in the Fourth Judicial Circuit.
Moran said she was informed about the opinion and did the research on her own.
“While it’s disappointing, it’s clearly the right decision,” she said. “I will continue with my law practice [and] my work with the nonprofit community and have fun with my kids.”