Member Spotlight: Carly Towne

AFSCME Local 423 (Maryland Defenders Union) member Carly Towne is an Assistant Public Defender with the Felony Division in Baltimore County.

“I was drawn to public defense because of the injustice and the power imbalance of the criminal justice system. Being able to use my privilege and the resources I have as an attorney to try and offset the power imbalance, no matter how slightly, is what keeps me motivated to do this work,” says Carly.

During the pandemic, Carly and her coworkers in Maryland’s Office of the Public Defender (OPD) began organizing a union to fight for better pay and working conditions across the state. “Without our union, we would be fractured into different offices and jurisdictions, forced to fight on our own,” says Carly. “As a union, we are all in the fight together, and we have a unifying force and voice to advocate for all of us and our clients.”

During this year’s legislative session, Carly testified during an OPD budget hearing on behalf of our union. Reflecting on the experience, Carly shared, “As state employees, we are worth more than just line items on a budget. My goal was to shed light on the struggle and humanity of us all.”

For Carly, the strength of our union comes from our people power. “The only way we can create a more democratic workplace is by coming together and fighting for a common goal. When we organize and fight, we win!”