In 2016 Maryland lawmakers passed a law requiring anyone convicted of DUI or DWI to enroll in the engine interlock program. The engine interlock program requires drivers to install a “blow and go” device on a vehicle they own or operate, obtain a restricted license and then successfully complete a…
The Maryland General Assembly recently passed strict laws aimed at eradicating street racing and exhibition driving, and now the Governor’s signature is all that is needed for the law to take effect as early as June 1 of this year. House Bill 601 and Senate Bill 442 add significant penalties…
The 2024 Maryland legislative session is creeping toward a close, but the details of numerous impactful criminal law bills are still up for debate. No criminal law bill has generated more attention than juvenile justice reform, which has been a hot topic for several years. Last year the General Assembly…
The 2024 legislative session is about halfway through, and Maryland lawmakers are currently debating dozens of criminal and traffic bills that would become law as early as June 1. One bill gaining a decent amount of attention is a measure introduced in both houses to criminalize exhibition driving throughout the…
When recreational marijuana use became legal this past summer police officers were stripped of a major law enforcement tool. Probable cause vehicle searches based solely on the smell of cannabis has over the years resulted in hundreds if not thousands of arrests in Maryland for crimes ranging from drug trafficking…
The Montgomery County Council is determined to crack down on driving while impaired by cannabis, but the method by which to accomplish this goal is still in still very much up for debate. This week members of the Montgomery County Council’s Public Safety Committee met to discuss the issue of…
The Maryland State Police recently issued an agency-wide memo instructing its employees to continue to uphold the HQL law, which was just declared unconstitutional by a panel of three federal judges last week in Richmond. Citing the infamous 2022 Supreme Court decision out of New York, the Fourth Circuit Court…
Roughly ten years ago Maryland lawmakers passed the Firearm Safety Act of 2013. For the last decade anyone who wished to purchase a handgun in Maryland was forced to apply to the State Police for Handgun Qualification License or HQL. There were several requirements for obtaining a HQL, with the…
The 2024 Maryland legislative session is roughly two months away, but there are already signs that juvenile justice will be a hot topic when lawmakers report to Annapolis in January. The Maryland House Judiciary Committee has already held multiple juvenile justice fact-finding meetings in advance of the legislative session and…
On October 1 the Maryland Redeem Act became state law, and now thousands of individuals can file to expunge prior criminal convictions that were once considered permanent. The Redeem Act is a major breakthrough for those who have struggled to advance in the workplace, obtain professional licenses and secure loans…