Larry Young was a member of the Maryland Senate from 1988 to 1998, representing Baltimore's 44th district. He was expelled from the senate in 1998 over ethics charges, but later acquitted at his own trial.

Background

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, November 25, 1949, Young attended Baltimore City public schools.

Legislature

Young was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates

Maryland House of Delegates

The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...

 from 1975 to 1988, representing District 38 (Baltimore City). He was Chair of the Environmental Matters Committee, 1983-87 (member, 1975-83) and Chair of the Baltimore City Delegation

Baltimore City Delegation

The Baltimore City Delegation refers to the 18 delegates who are elected from districts in Baltimore to serve in the Maryland House of Delegates in the United States. There are currently 6 legislative districts in Baltimore City with each having 3 delegates. The chairman of the delegation is...

, 1987-88.
Young was a member of the Maryland Senate from 1988 to 1998, representing Baltimore City District 44 (1992-98) and Baltimore City District 39 (1988-92). He served on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee from 1988 to 1990. From 1990 to 1998 he served on the Senate Finance Committee.

Expulsion

The Maryland Senate expelled Young on Jan. 16, 1998, for using his position to profit his private business. Young, who sat as chairman of the Health subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee, was also president of a private, for-profit health consulting firm called the LY Group. The ethics committee found that Young used his position and influence to leverage tens of thousands of dollars into the LY Group. In addition, the committee found that Young solicited and accepted a number of gifts in violation of the ethics law, including a $24,800 1995 blue Lincoln Town Car. He was later acquitted of criminal bribery charges.

Radio

Young has since presented a talk radio show, and played a talk radio show host in the HBO drama The Wire

The WIRE

the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...

.

In an essay in the official series guide The Wire: Truth Be Told, William Zorzi

William F. Zorzi

William F. Zorzi is an American journalist and screenwriter. He worked at The Baltimore Sun for almost twenty years and covered politics for the majority of his career. He has also written for the HBO television series The Wire.-Journalism:...

 implies that the character of the corrupt and venal Maryland State Senator Clay Davis

Clay Davis

State Senator R. Clayton "Clay" Davis is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Isiah Whitlock, Jr. Davis is a corrupt Maryland State Senator with a reputation for pocketing bribes...

is patterned on Young.