Preceded by Arthur Dorman Role American Politician Preceded by John S. Morgan Party Democratic Party | Political party Democratic Succeeded by James Rosapepe Name John Giannetti, | |
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Constituency parts of Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County, Maryland Constituency parts of Howard County and Prince George's County, Maryland Born June 9, 1964 (age 59)
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina ( 1964-06-09 ) Alma mater Bucknell University (1986); University of Maryland School of Law (1994) Education Bucknell University, University of Maryland School of Law, Westminster Senior High School | ||
John A. Giannetti, Jr. (born June 9, 1964) is an American politician and attorney from Maryland. As a Democrat, Giannetti was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1998 for District 13B and served from 1999 to 2003. In 2002 he was elected into the State Senate for District 21, which covers parts of Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County. He was defeated in the 2006 Democratic primary and general elections by former member of the Maryland House of Delegates and U.S. Ambassador to Romania James Rosapepe.
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As a legislator, Giannetti was the primary sponsor of more than 50 bills that became law, many focusing on changes to business law, juvenile law, and criminal law statutes.
In February 2006, Giannetti rescued his political rival from choking using the Heimlich Maneuver. The incident was reported nationally and received mention on national network morning news programs and by late-night comedians.
Education
Giannetti attended Westminster High School. He received his B.S. from Bucknell University (biology) in 1986, and his J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1994.
Career
Giannetti was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1995 and the District of Columbia Bar in 2002. He was an attorney for Vallario & Collins (1995–1998), Fossett and Brugger (1998–2000), and Jackson & Campbell, P.C. in Washington, D.C. (2001–2004). He was a partner in the Montgomery County, Maryland law firm Leibowitz, Band & Jezic (2006–2007), and then founded the Law Offices of John Giannetti in Annapolis, Maryland, with offices in Anne Arundel, Prince George's, Howard, and Wicomico Counties. His law practice represents businesses, families, and individuals and handles cases in criminal defense, business law, family law, and some zoning matters.
In October 2016, Maryland's Attorney Grievance Commission filed a petition for disciplinary or remedial action against Giannetti for not filing state or federal taxes from 2008 through 2015. Giannetti says he has since filed and is paying the taxes plus penalties and interest. An April 28 hearing in Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County could lead the Court of Appeals to determine whether Giannetti should be disciplined in the form of a reprimand, suspension or disbarment. Giannetti said the complaint stemmed from a long-running child custody battle.
Election results
Giannetti was defeated by James Rosapepe in the 2006 Democratic primary election. After the Republican nominee dropped out of the 2006 race the week after the primary election, Giannetti switched his affiliation to the Republican Party, and was appointed by the Maryland Republican Party's central committee to run in the general election, where he was again defeated by Rosapepe. In 2007, he returned his registration to the Democratic Party. Giannetti became the chair of the Annapolis Democratic Central Committee in 2015.