Maryland's high court allows Gov. Martin O'Malley to replace former Del. Tiffany Alston Maryland's highest court confirmed Friday that ousted state delegate Tiffany Alston will not get her position back - nor will the man picked by local Democrats to replace her - leaving Gov. Martin O'Malley with broad power to fill the legislative vacancy. In a one paragraph order, the majority of the seven-judge Court of Appeals simply affirmed an earlier ruling by Prince George's County Circuit Court Judge C. Philip Nichols that effectively gave O'Malley (D) power to choose who represents the 24th District in the General Assembly. The court did not issue an opinion explaining its decision, though that it is expected in the coming months. Raquel Guillory, an O'Malley spokesman, said the governor was "pleased with the decision." "Now the issue is settled, and we can move forward with ensuring the citizens of Prince George's County have representation," she said. Though the legal wrangling might be over, the political jockeying might have only just begun. The Prince George's Democratic Central Committee must still formally withdraw its nomination of Greg Hall, the former drug dealer they picked to replace Alston before O'Malley stalled in finalizing the appointment. And if and when they do so, O'Malley alone can appoint an Alston replacement. Guillory said O'Malley "will certainly take into account their consideration," though she noted, "It is the governor's decision." Attorneys for Alston and Hall criticized the order - saying it could strip Prince George's residents of the ability to choose their own representative and erode the sanctity of plea bargaining across the state. Hall himself said the decision was "not justice" and put power in the hands of those unfamiliar with the concerns of those in the 24th District. Attorneys had made their final pitches to the Court of Appeals Friday on how to fill the seat. Their arguments largely repeated those they had made in an earlier hearing in Prince George's Circuit Court and in briefs appealing Nichols's ruling there to the highest court in the state. They could have ruled that Alston was improperly ousted after her October conviction on a misconduct in office charge - a conviction which, as part of a plea agreement, was later replaced by what is known as a probation before judgment. They also could have ruled that Hall deserved to represent the people of the 24th Legislative District because the law bound the governor to rubber stamp his appointment after Prince George's Democrats put forth his name. Walter Green, Hall's attorney, said that he hopes that when the Prince George's Democratic Central Committee now votes on whether to withdraw Hall's name, they do so publicly and after seeking input from Prince George's residents. "What's gotten lost here is that the people of Prince George's County, if the committee votes to rescind Greg's name, their voice is lost," Green said. Their own elected representatives are saying, we voted for Greg in a contested election, we voted for him over the chairman of this committee, and now we're going to take away our own voice and let the governor do what the governor's going to do.