1. Robin Keith Annesley Ficker was born on April 5,1943 and is an American political activist, real estate broker, former attorney, former state legislator, sports heckler, and perennial candidate from Maryland.
43 Facts About Robin Ficker
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Robin Ficker was born in Takoma Park, Maryland, attended Takoma Park Elementary, and graduated from Montgomery Blair High School.
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Robin Ficker attended the United States Military Academy for five semesters.
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Robin Ficker attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School, receiving his JD from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
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Robin Ficker was a member of the Maryland Bar from 1973 until his disbarment in 2022.
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Robin Ficker won two landmark injunctions preventing the state of Maryland from denying access to serious traffic and criminal court records.
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In 1997, in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Robin Ficker successfully challenged the constitutionality of a Maryland law forbidding lawyers from targeted direct-mail solicitation of criminal and traffic defendants within 30 days of arrest.
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In October 2009, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, Robin Ficker convinced parks officials in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties to rescind enforcement of a rule requiring a permit before a person could carry signs or solicit signatures in county parks.
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In 2013, Robin Ficker represented a Hyattsville man who was found not guilty by a jury of all 23 counts in a case of attempted murder, armed robbery, carjacking, assault and eluding police, among other charges.
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In 2013, Robin Ficker received widespread attention for securing school suspension reversals and disciplinary record expungement for children aged 5 to 7.
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When ex-convict Daron Dylon Wint was arrested and charged in the deaths of three family members and their housekeeper, in which a ten-year-old child was tortured in order to extract money from the child's father, Robin Ficker said Wint had not seemed violent when he defended him in earlier cases.
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In 1990, Robin Ficker was publicly reprimanded by the Maryland Court of Appeals upon a finding that he had violated ethical rules prohibiting neglect, engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice, and lack of diligence.
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Robin Ficker was again indefinitely suspended from the practice of law in 2007.
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In 2017 the Maryland Court of Appeals reprimanded Robin Ficker for arriving late to Howard County District Court for a hearing in December 2015.
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In 2022, Robin Ficker was found to have intentionally lied to a judge in 2019 and was disbarred by the Maryland Court of Appeals.
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Robin Ficker has run for various state and local offices since the 1970s.
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Robin Ficker lost the Democratic primary to Joseph G Anastasi.
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In 1976, Robin Ficker ran as an independent in Maryland's 8th congressional district.
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In 1978, Robin Ficker was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates as a Republican, representing Montgomery County from 1979 to 1983.
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Robin Ficker lost a 1980 primary in the 8th congressional district to former congressman Newton Steers.
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Robin Ficker lost his bid for re-election to the House of Delegates in 1982.
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In 1984, Robin Ficker secured the Republican nomination in the 6th congressional district.
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Robin Ficker ran for the United States Senate in 2000, claiming to have shaken hands with more than 560,000 people before officially announcing his candidacy.
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Robin Ficker was a candidate in the 2012 Republican primary for the newly redrawn 6th congressional district seat held by 10-term incumbent Roscoe Bartlett, finishing fifth in an eight-candidate field.
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Robin Ficker ran unopposed for the 2014 Republican nomination for the District 15 State Senate seat in western Montgomery County.
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In 2016, Robin Ficker was again a candidate in a Republican primary, but this time for the 6th congressional district.
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Robin Ficker won the 2018 Republican nomination for Montgomery County Executive unopposed.
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Robin Ficker was initially turned down for public matching funds.
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Robin Ficker's campaign filed a lawsuit and was later notified it qualified for the public funding shortly after the primary.
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Robin Ficker faced Democrat Marc Elrich and Democrat-turned-Independent Nancy Floreen in the general election on November 6,2018.
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Robin Ficker was photographed holding a sign reading "Robin for Governor", apparently confirming reports that he planned to run in the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election.
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In March 2023, Robin Ficker declared his candidacy for United States Senate to challenge incumbent US Senator Ben Cardin in the 2024 election, but in May 2023, Cardin announced that he would not seek reelection in 2024.
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Robin Ficker positioned himself as a protest candidate against former Maryland governor Larry Hogan in the Republican primary, aligning himself with former President Donald Trump, but has heavily trailed Hogan in opinion polling.
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Since 1974, Robin Ficker has become known for promoting a series of ballot initiatives.
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Robin Ficker collected as many as 15,000 signatures for each of 20 initiatives, that together received 2 million votes.
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Robin Ficker is known for his passionate support of the NBA's Washington Wizards.
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Robin Ficker had seats at USAir Arena, located in Landover, Maryland, immediately behind the visiting bench.
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Not having been to a Wizards' game since in April 1998, Robin Ficker attended Game 4 of the Wizards-Pacers Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 11,2014.
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In 2012, Robin Ficker appeared on The Jeff Probst Show, and was playfully surprised by special guest Isiah Thomas, former professional basketball player and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Probst shared that Thomas, in agreeing to appear on the show, said "Robin Ficker was one of the greats".
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In 2013, Robin Ficker was featured on ESPN's Olbermann, in which his heckling was discussed along with the often acrimonious resulting fan vs player interactions.
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Robin Ficker's daughter, Desiree Ficker, is a top female professional triathlete, finishing second at the 2006 Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
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Robin Ficker had been convicted in a non-jury district court trial but appealed for a circuit court jury trial.