Medical malpractice attorney Stephen L. Snyder was one of the most successful plaintiffs’ lawyers in Maryland, winning huge judgments and securing large settlements as his law firm ran commercials with the tagline: “Don’t just sue them. Snyder them.”

Sitting back in his chair on Friday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Snyder reflected about the toll that facing charges that he tried to extort the University of Maryland Medical System has had on him. He called the indictment a “joke” and described it as “fraudulent.”

“It completely destroyed my life to this day,” said Snyder, 77, who’s representing himself but has standby counsel, Gerald Ruter. “All my life, I Snydered others successfully. And I feel like I’m being Snydered.”

At the end of a 2 1/2-hour hearing, U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman denied two motions to dismiss the case. She then explained for more than one hour her legal reasoning.

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“Whether he had intent to extort University of Maryland Medical System is a question of fact for the jury,” Boardman said.

Read prior coverage of the criminal case against Maryland medical malpractice attorney Stephen L. Snyder

Throughout the hearing, Snyder repeatedly attacked one of the former prosecutors on the case, calling him unscrupulous and not credible.

Snyder said he has a “stellar reputation of achievement in law” and touted his philanthropic efforts. He at times used portions of a 99-page PowerPoint presentation during his argument.

On occasion, Snyder referred to himself in the third person. He begged the judge to not “force me into a trial.” And he took issue with the fact that federal prosecutors declined to pursue charges against him in 2018 but then obtained an indictment in 2020.

“I’m a good lawyer,” he said. “I was an advocate. I was not an extortionist.”

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Boardman allowed him to discuss his health issues during sealed session.

Meanwhile, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Phelps asked the judge to deny the motions to dismiss.

Prosecutors allege that Snyder represented a number of clients who had problems with organ transplants and threatened to launch a public relations campaign against the University of Maryland Medical System if it did not pay him $25 million, which would be disguised as a consulting agreement.

“This case is straight blackmail,” Phelps said. “The consulting agreement was a sham.”

Snyder is set to stand trial on Nov. 12.