On October 1 a host of new laws took effect in Maryland, though most of these laws do not modify existing criminal laws or procedure. There are however two laws that will impact on our state’s criminal justice system. The first new law prohibits a spouse from invoking the marital…
In October of 1971 an off-duty Montgomery County Police Captain was shot while working as a security guard. Law enforcement arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting, but the officer succumbed to his injuries three days after being shot. Numerous suspects were interviewed, but no arrests were made and…
The installation of engine interlock devices on vehicles in Maryland has increased exponentially over the last decade, and they have been lauded as a highly effective means to reduce impaired driving. Currently though, there have been no realistic attempts by the state to make these devices mandatory in all vehicles. …
Maryland State Police troopers recently charged a Carroll County public school bus driver with DUI after her bus crashed into multiple telephone poles on Route 32. Troopers responded to Bartholow Road in Eldersburg and observed such severe damage to the telephone poles that the road was forced to be shut…
According to a recent press release by the Prince George’s County Police Department, thirteen of its own officers have been indicted on charges of theft and misconduct in office. The indictment was revealed last week at the Prince George’s County Circuit Court in Upper Marlboro. The defendants in the indictment…
Can the State go to trial without the defendant being present in court? Last month a Washington County man was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and driving under the influence after a traffic stop in the early morning hours of April 8, 2021. Normally this type of…
A current member of the Maryland House of Delegates was recently charged with numerous offenses according to a criminal information that was filed in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County. The information, which is a charging document filed by a state prosecutor, alleges that the lawmaker committed misconduct in…
In an opinion that was hardly a surprise, the Supreme Court recently struck down a New York law that required citizens to prove a good reason why they should be able to carry a firearm outside of the home. This case was of particular interest here due to the fact…
A former Baltimore Police Sergeant has been sentenced to almost two years in federal prison for conspiracy to deprive civil rights under 18 U.S. Code § 241. The sentence was handed down in the Baltimore City federal courthouse this week, more than 6 years after the actual incident. According to…
Maryland State Police troopers were extremely busy over the July 4th holiday, and recently reported the arrest of nearly 100 drivers over the long weekend. From Friday the 1st through Monday the 4th 95 drivers were arrested on suspicion of drunk or drugged driving and cited with numerous other traffic…