Booth M. Ripke

Partner

Phone: (410) 783-0272 ext. 3
Email: bripke@nathanslaw.com
Facsimile: (410) 783-0518

Practice Focus & Experience

Booth Ripke has 25 years of experience as a criminal defense litigator. He has successfully defended a full range of cases - from major federal felonies to state court misdemeanors. His advocacy was critical in winning the release of Walter Lomax (who had been wrongly imprisoned for 39 years), and Andrew Stewart (who was innocent and had been incarcerated for 36 years), and winning an Actual Innocence Petition for George Seward, and obtaining a new trial in a first-degree murder case for Brian Tate.

Mr. Ripke's practice is primarily focused on white collar and post-conviction criminal matters. He also focuses on appellate litigation in Maryland state and federal courts, the District of Columbia, and the Fourth Circuit, as well as the defense of professional licenses. Mr. Ripke has represented numerous attorneys before either the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission, Bar Counsel of the District of Columbia, and in Rule 11 proceedings in federal court. He regularly defends issues like the unauthorized practice of law, questions involving alleged breaches of financial obligations, attorneys who have received formal complaints from judges, and attorneys facing possible professional repercussions arising from criminal convictions.

Activities, Publications, & Speeches

Mr. Ripke is a graduate of the Maryland State Bar Association's Leadership Academy program. He has taught Legal Research and Writing at the University of Maryland School of Law. In 2003, Mr. Ripke was voted the Adjunct Professor of the Year at the University of Maryland School of Law, where he had lectured on pre-trial litigation and appellate practice. Mr. Ripke was elected in 2007 to become a Fellow of the Maryland Bar, an honor reserved for only 1% of the members of the state bar. Mr. Ripke served as the 2012-2013 Chairperson of the Correctional Reform Section Council for the Maryland State Bar Association. He recently led a panel discussion at the Mid-Atlantic National Lawyers' Guild Conference.

Bar Admissions:

Mr. Ripke is admitted to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia, the U.S. District Court for Maryland, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

Education:

Mr. Ripke is an honors graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law (1998), and graduated Order of the Coif with a fellowship in the study of mental health law. He received a Masters of Education degree (1992) from the Pennsylvania State University in Counseling and a Bachelor of Science degree (1991) from the University of Florida, with high honors.

Awards:

Mr. Ripke was elected in 2007 to become a Fellow of the Maryland Bar, an honor reserved for only 1% of the members of the State bar.

Mr. Ripke was chosen for inclusion in the Maryland Super Lawyers for 2016-2018, 2020-2025 in the area of Criminal Law. He was selected for inclusion on the 2009 Super Lawyers Maryland Rising Stars list, featuring outstanding young lawyers in the state.

Mr. Ripke was also selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers of America (2018-2025) for White Collar Criminal Defense.

Lectures, Presentations and Appellate Oral Arguments

  • Lecture, Internal workings of the Attorney Grievance Commission, Presentation for Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney’s Association, September 21, 2017.
  • Innocence Conference: From Bloodsworth to today. Wrongful convictions in Maryland, Panel Presentation at University of Baltimore School of Law, September 29, 2016.
  • National Lawyers Guild – Maryland Chapter. Panel Presentation at Annual Conference, Unger Workshop, April 18, 2015

Mr. Ripke served as principal counsel in arguing the following appeals

  • United States v. Chikvashvili, 859 F.3d 285 (4th Cir. 2017)
  • United States v. Glover, et al., 872 F.3d 625 (D.C. Cir. 2017)
  • Gupta v. State, 452 Md. 103 (2017)
  • Seward v. State, 446 Md. 171 (2016)
  • State v. Gupta, 227 Md. App. 718 (2016)
  • Attorney Grievance Commission v. Berry, 437 Md. 152 (2014)
  • State v. Seward, 220 Md. App. 1 (2014)
  • Crawford v. Katz, 32 D.3d 418 (D.C. 2011)
  • Barnes v. State, 195 Md. App. 1 (2010)
  • United States v. Akins, 335 Fed. Apx. 335 (4th Cir. 2009)
  • Dorsey v. State, 185 Md. App. 82 (2009)
  • United States v. Olivares, 292 F.3d 196 (4th Cir, 2002)

Professional Associations:

  • Chair, Correctional Reform Section Council, Maryland State Bar Association
  • Member, Federal Bar Association
  • Member, Maryland State Bar Association
  • Member, Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney's Association
  • Amicus Committee of the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney's Association
  • Legislative Committee of the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney's Association

Personal:

When he finds time to relax, Mr. Ripke enjoys spending time with his family, hosting weekend camping trips, and following the year-long obsession that is Florida Gator football.

  • Political Figure Receives Minimal License Suspension After Federal Income Tax Conviction

    Attorney Grievance Investigations

  • No Charges Brought In Separate Unauthorized Practice of Law Matters

    Attorney Grievance Investigations

  • Securities Attorney Found Not To Have Violated Rules

    Attorney Grievance Investigations

  • Attorney Grievance Complaint dismissed

    Attorney Grievance Investigations

  • Attorney admitted to Maryland State Bar after lengthy character committee hearing

    Attorney Grievance Investigations

  • Attorney Client Cleared In Attorney Grievance

    Attorney Grievance Investigations

  • Client Receives Warning Instead of Disbarment After Improper Escrow Fund Allegations

    Attorney Grievance Investigations

  • Case Not Docketed After Diligence And Misrepresentation Claims

    Attorney Grievance Investigations

  • Peer Review Decision To Reprimand Rather Than Suspend

    Attorney Grievance Investigations

  • No charges brought against attorney accused of unauthorized practice of law for 9 years

    Attorney Grievance Investigations

  • No charges brought against attorney accused of legal misconduct and unethical behavior

    Attorney Grievance Investigations

  • Successful Appellate Ruling Overturning Denial Of Wrongful Termination

    Civil Appellate Practice

  • No Charges In Auto Part Price Fixing Case

    Criminal Antitrust Defense

  • Actual Innocence Petition Granted And Upheld On Appeal

    Criminal Appellate

  • New Trial Granted For First Degree Murder Case

    Criminal Appellate

  • Five Year Minimum Mandatory Conviction Reversed

    Criminal Appellate

  • New Trial Granted In Insurance Arson Case

    Criminal Appellate

  • 25 Year Old Walk Around Money Law Declared Unconstitutional

    Criminal Appellate

  • Conviction Overturned For Client Serving A Life Sentence

    Criminal Appellate

  • Client Paid In Civil Settlement By Company Alleging Theft

    Embezzlement

  • Senior In House Counsel Not Charged For Submitting Alleged False Statements

    Environmental Charges

  • Secured A Significant Sentence Reduction For Client Involved In Historical Document Theft Scheme

    Federal and State Felonies & Misdemeanors

  • Client Acquitted Of All Charges In Assault Retrial

    Federal and State Felonies & Misdemeanors

  • Physician Found Not Guilty For Attempted 1st Degree Murder

    Federal and State Felonies & Misdemeanors

  • Howard County Felony Indictment Dismissed

    Federal and State Felonies & Misdemeanors

  • Presented New Evidence Of Innocence And Client Freed After Having Served 39 Years

    Federal and State Felonies & Misdemeanors

  • Innocent Man Freed From Prison, Later Pardoned And Awarded $1.4 Million

    Federal and State Felonies & Misdemeanors

  • Client Received Unsupervised Probation After Initially Being Charged With 1st Degree Murder

    Federal and State Felonies & Misdemeanors

  • Government forgoes felony embezzlement charges, agrees to misdemeanor

    Federal and State Felonies & Misdemeanors

  • Client removed from sex offender registry

    Federal and State Felonies & Misdemeanors

  • Client’s registration as a sex offender ordered reduced

    Federal and State Felonies & Misdemeanors

  • Client guilty of $30,000 embezzlement scheme is granted probation before judgment

    Federal and State Felonies & Misdemeanors

  • Largest Cocaine Dealer's Sentence Reduced

    Federal Drug Charges

  • Reduced Sentence For Embezzlement Client After Multi-Day Sentencing Hearing

    Federal Sentencing

  • Sentence Drastically Reduced In Historical Document Theft Scheme

    Federal Sentencing

  • Hobbs Act Charges Dismissed And Sentence Negotiated To Probation In Corruption Case

    Federal Sentencing

  • Senior Executive Receives Significant Sentence Reduction After Long Federal Health Care Trial

    Health Care Fraud

  • Client in prison for gang related activity is granted parole at his first hearing

    Maryland Parole

  • Client in prison for assault, home invasion, granted parole at his first hearing

    Maryland Parole

  • Client released on parole allowed to travel to Europe on dream vacation

    Maryland Parole

  • No Charges Filed Against Lawyer

    Mortgage Fraud

  • Life Sentence Reduced To Time Served

    Post-Conviction Proceedings

  • Client Serving Life Sentence has Sentence Reduced and is Freed

    Post-Conviction Proceedings

  • Conviction Overturned For Client Serving A Life Sentence

    Post-Conviction Proceedings

  • Innocent Client Freed After 27 Years

    Post-Conviction Proceedings

  • New Trial Granted In Insurance Arson Case

    Post-Conviction Proceedings

  • Murder Charges, 36 Years in Prison Wrongfully Accused

    Post-Conviction Proceedings

  • Actual Innocence Petition Granted And Client Freed After Lengthy Prison Term

    Post-Conviction Proceedings

  • Motion to Reopen Granted

    Post-Conviction Proceedings

  • Petition for Writ of Certiorari Granted In Innocence Case

    Post-Conviction Proceedings

  • Petition for Writ of Certiorari Granted in juvenile lifer case

    Post-Conviction Victory

  • Appellate court grants rare Application for Leave to Appeal, automatically reverses adverse decision and remands in favor of client

    Post-Conviction Victory

  • Client avoids deportation after disqualifying conviction is vacated

    Post-Conviction Victory

  • Exonerated Client Receives Second Monetary Award

    Post-Conviction Victory

  • Election Law Charges Dismissed And Dismissal Upheld on Appeal Based On First Amendment Defense

    Public Corruption

  • Dismissal of Hobbs Act Federal Criminal Indictment

    Public Corruption

  • Election Law Charges Dismissed

    White Collar Crimes

  • Client guilty of $30,000 embezzlement scheme is granted probation before judgment

    White Collar Crimes

  • International Military Housing Company Successfully Represented

    White Collar Crimes

  • Bio
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  • Awards
  • Leadership & Professional Associations
  • Hobbies
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