John Edward Ray is the ninth attorney to serve as a principal of Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A., the professional association successor to the 1907 law practice commenced by the late John Francis Mudd.
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JOHN EDWARD RAY
November 24, 1964
Admitted to the Maryland Bar December 19, 1989
Law Practice 1989 - Present |
In 1989 the population of the United States had reached 246,119,230; George Herbert Walker Bush was inaugurated the 41st U.S. President on January 20th; our Vice President was J. Danforth Quayle; the cost of a first-class stamp was $.25; Colin R. Powell became our first black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the San Francisco Bay area sustained an earthquake measuring 7.1 in magnitude, killing 73, injuring over 3,000 and damaging or destroying over 100,000 buildings; the University of Miami was the National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Champion; Salvador Dali and Robert Penn Warren died.
In 1989 the population of Charles County was 101,154 and on December 19, 1989, in Annapolis, Maryland, John Edward Ray signed his name to page 294 of the Maryland Court of Appeals Test Book certifying his admission to the practice of law before all Courts of the State of Maryland.
John Ray was born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 24, 1964, six years after the most junior of four siblings preceding him. John completed his primary and secondary educations in the Baltimore County public school system; in 1982 he enrolled in Loyola College of Maryland where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1986. He immediately enrolled in the Law School of Widener University and received his Juris Doctorem Degree in 1989.
John counts among the highlights of his early life a visit to Rome in 1985 with his parents and a general audience with Pope John Paul, II. In 1990 John married his high school sweetheart, Patty, bumping his Papal visit to second place on his highlight list.
John immediately put his law degree to good work while serving his Country in the United States Navy where he was assigned to the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG) from January 1990 through August 1993 in Norfolk, Virginia.
While with JAG, John attended Navy Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island from January 1990 through March of 1990 and the National Institute for Trial Advocacy in Virginia Beach, Virginia in October of 1990.
From March 1990 through February 1991, he was a prosecutor for the Corps representing our Government in over 100 Court-Martials involving both misdemeanors and felonies. During that time, he litigated approximately 25 jury trials ranging from prescription fraud to attempted murder and rape. He served as Defense Counsel from 1991 through August of 1993 representing over 100 Navy personnel in Court-Martials, approximately 30 of which were felony jury trials. In addition, Lieutenant Ray defended Naval personnel in a wide range of criminal litigation including larceny of government property, benefits entitlement fraud and narcotics distribution.
In August 1990, he deployed with an Amphibious Squadron to the Persian Gulf in Operation Desert Storm. John was assigned to the Commodore"s Staff as an expert in the Rules of Engagement.
Following his separation from the United States Navy, John and his wife made their home in Charles County where John was a Public Defender for the Charles County Office of the Public Defender for the State of Maryland. While serving as Public Defender, he received the Outstanding Assistant Public Defender Award for District Four for 1995 and 1997. As Public Defender, he represented indigents in Circuit Court felonies ranging from first degree murder, kidnapping and armed robbery to narcotics distribution. Between September 1993 and 1997, he litigated 45 felony jury trials in Southern Maryland Circuit Courts.
The principals of Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A. were pleased to employ John in June of 1997. His significant experience and background in criminal law and his willingness to take on a Family Law practice bolstered Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A."s ability to serve the needs of an ever expanding client base. In addition, John Ray agreed to inaugurate a bankruptcy practice for the firm broadening the range of legal services offered to the Southern Maryland Community.
In 2000, John Edward Ray became the ninth attorney to serve as a principal of Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A. joining partners, Thomas F. Mudd, John F. Mudd and Stephen P. Fitzgerald.
Professionally, John is a member of the Charles County Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association, Bankruptcy Bar Association, the United States Court of Military Appeals and the American Bar Association. Civically, he is active with St. John"s Catholic Church in Hollywood, Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay Aquatic Club where his daughters are top flight competitive swimmers.
John Ray lists his success as the "silent minority" in the female dominated Ray household of wife, Patty, and daughters, Jennifer, Olivia, Hannah and Nell as a major contribution to the balance which he brings to his Family Law and Domestic Relations Practice. John and his wife and daughters reside in the Brenton Bay Area of St. Mary"s County, Maryland.