BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The Elkton woman accused of killing a police officer in Baltimore while driving drunk on New Year’s Eve had an unrelated prison sentence stayed by a Harford County judge, according to the county State’s Attorney’s Office.

Kerri King, 35 — an exotic dancer from The Block in Baltimore — had been sentenced by Harford District Court Judge Mimi Cooper to a year in jail for driving on a suspended license. But King’s attorney, assistant public defender Brian Cunningham, met with Circuit Court Judge William Carr to file an appeal and have the sentence stayed.

State’s Attorney Joseph Cassilly said no prosecutors were present to object.

King was indicted in Baltimore last week and charged with the hit-and-run killing of Cpl. Courtney Brooks of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police as he directed traffic on northbound Interstate 95.

“If I was her defense attorney, I’d want her in prison earning credit for time served,” Cassilly said. “She’s in jail in Baltimore awaiting trial anyway ... but if she placed bond down there, then she’d be out.”

King is currently being held without bail in Baltimore.

She also had been wanted on several other charges, including failure to appear in Baltimore court for a drunken driving charge and failures to appear in Cecil County court for driving without a license.

Cunningham formerly worked as a clerk for Judge Carr, but Cassilly did not suspect that relationship had any bearing on the decision or the fact that it was made without a prosecutor present.

“Judge Carr would have done this for anybody ... he was a defense lawyer,” Cassilly said.

Cunningham could not be reached for comment by press time.

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com