February 24, 2026: Cumberland Police Department Captain James Burt pled guilty to one count of Misconduct in Office and sentenced to jail

Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III announced today that former Cumberland Police Department (“CPD”) Captain James Burt pled guilty to one count of Misconduct in Office, and was sentenced to two years of incarceration, with all but 30 days suspended, followed by three years of supervised probation by the Honorable Timothy W. Finan.  Burt has also resigned from the CPD.

According to the statement of facts in support of the plea agreement, Burt served as a sworn law enforcement officer with the CPD beginning in approximately 2003 and was its Captain from 2021 to 2026.

As Captain of CPD, Burt completed numerous trainings and courses in leadership, ethics, police misconduct, and defense tactics, among other topics, and at each defense tactics training, Burt signed a “Sanctity of Life Pledge,” promising that at all times, whether on or off duty, he would “respect human life and act with compassion towards others.”

According to the plea agreement, Victim 1 was a female police officer with CPD beginning in 2024. Shortly after Victim 1 graduated from the police academy and joined CPD, and continuing through at least April 2025, Burt routinely walked up to Victim 1 (whom he supervised) while she was working and applied pain compliance pressure points to her, without warning. Pain compliance pressure points target nerve bundles and sensitive areas to cause pain, for the purpose of garnering compliance from a noncompliant suspect, typically during an arrest. These techniques were taught to Burt during defense tactics trainings that he attended as an officer. Burt applied these painful pressure points in various locations on Victim 1’s body, including, but not limited to, the pressure points behind her ear and on her hands.

Additionally, the statement of facts agreed to by Burt stated that in April 2025, Victim 1 passed Burt in an enclosed stairwell within CPD, and Burt approached Victim 1 and kissed her neck in a sensual manner, without her consent. Subsequently, Burt admitted to the then-police chief of CPD that he kissed Victim 1’s neck.

While sentencing Burt, Judge Finan stated, “It’s curious that someone with the skills Mr. Burt has would show such poor judgment…he showed a lack of judgment on at least one occasion, likely more.

“Our office remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that no one is above the law—especially those entrusted with upholding it. Anyone who violates the public’s trust and betrays the community they are sworn to serve should be held accountable,” said Howard.

Mr. Howard thanked and commended Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Mary Setzer and Abigail Ticse, and Senior Special Agent Jeffrey Stauder for their work on this case.

A copy of the Statement of Facts can be found HERE.

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