Pick up any paper, check any website, or listen to any local or national news station, and you are bound to hear about the rising crime rates, or the “surge” in violent crime, or the “spike” in criminal activity. There is outrage and handwringing and lots of blame to go around. The discussion keeps circling the same points: crime rates are rising, and what “we” are doing is not working. This is the wrong conversation. [...]
The prosecutor is supposed to be the people’s lawyer. A prosecutor is supposed to fight for the safety of the people in the community he/she represents. Many people have an opinion of prosecutors based solely on what they see on TV and in films about the criminal justice system. It is natural to think their sole job is to argue a case before a judge and jury – and oppose everything a criminal defense lawyer [...]
Jury trials and bench trials are both options in a criminal defense case, and they offer different benefits and risks. Defendants who are charged with a criminal offense have the Constitutional right to a trial. For many criminal cases, a jury trial could be a defendant’s best option. A jury trial is not mandatory, though. A defendant can waive his/her jury trial and agree to have the judge assigned to the case try the case. [...]
Not every conviction results in a prison sentence. Maryland recognizes that communities and defendants are both better served by focusing on treatment instead of imprisonment. Some of the factors that may indicate an alternative is viable include the type of offense that was committed, whether you have a prior record, and whether Maryland has established programs to help rehabilitate someone who was convicted of a crime. Whether there is a sentencing alternative for you ultimately [...]
In Maryland, a person who is convicted of a sex crime must register with a sex registry when he/she leaves prisons and starts private life. A sex registry is a database of information about people who have been convicted of various sex crimes. The information is public and available to law enforcement and anyone who accesses the database. Registrants must provide information about where they live such as their name, address, and place of employment. [...]
A DUI (Driving Under the Influence) or a DWI (Driving While Impaired) conviction in Maryland has serious consequences. The level of seriousness holds true whether the conviction is based on a DUI, where your blood alcohol content (BAC) is .08 or more, or your conviction is based on a DWI, where your BAC is lower, but there are other impairment factors. If you’re charged with a DUI/DWI, you may also be charged with the following [...]
Criminal trials are serious business, and a defendant’s rights are enshrined in law. You have a right to due process. The prosecution is required to play fairly. Playing fairly means if the prosecution has evidence that you didn’t commit the offense charged or evidence that would reasonably be expected to help your defense, the prosecution must disclose that evidence to your criminal defense lawyer. The Brady rule The Brady rule refers to a Supreme Court [...]
Nationwide, teenagers have not been physically present in a physical classroom because of the fear of contracting the disease. Instead, most schools in 2020 and 2021 held classes online. This lack of in-person schooling makes it much easier (and more tempting) for teens to skip school when classes are online. According to recent reports, some of these teens are using their free time to steal people’s cars through force or threats of force – i.e., [...]
Defendants in criminal cases have the right to due process. This means prosecutors are supposed to play fairly. They must abide by the rules. The job of a prosecutor is to represent the public. The job is not to obtain a conviction against the defendant at all costs. When prosecutors engage in misconduct, the charges against a defendant may be dismissed. According to a recent article in the Baltimore Sun, the attorney for Baltimore City [...]
Suppression of evidence is a fancy way of saying the evidence cannot be used in court. In order to suppress evidence, the criminal defense lawyer must file a formal motion to exclude the evidence. The motion can be filed in federal or state court depending on where the case is being tried. The motion normally identifies the evidence that should be suppressed and the reasons it should be suppressed. The motion to suppress is heard [...]
For the last year, many companies and businesses have been charging fees to cover COVID-19-related health and cleaning services. Those fees can range from $5 for disinfectant in a hair salon to up to $1200 for cleaning and food in senior-living centers. Many consumers do not become aware of the fees until they receive their bill. They are not being informed ahead of time of these charges. According to the Washington Post, some of these [...]
The number of deaths due to drug and alcohol overdoses increased in Maryland during the pandemic. Minority communities are being affected the most. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that between May 2019 and May 2020 deaths from all types of drugs have increased by nearly 17%. ABC News reports that opioid overdoses are 20% higher in 2020 than they were before the pandemic. ABC News stated that “social distancing [...]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the criminal justice system in Maryland is taking steps to depopulate jails and prisons to help reduce the risk of exposure to the disease. In Baltimore, the City's attorney's office and the police have stopped prosecuting some low-level offenses. They have dismissed a number of cases and eliminated a number of open warrants. They have also provided for the early release of hundreds of prisoners and updated their bail [...]
If you are arrested, or believe you are the subject of a criminal investigation, you are likely considering whether you will need a criminal defense attorney in your corner. Perhaps you are doing this research for yourself, a friend, or family member. Even when charges seem minor, it is always a good idea to have a lawyer advocating for you. Local, experienced attorneys have good relationships with prosecutors and often can work to have charges [...]
When charged for driving under the influence (DUI) in Maryland, you may be facing penalties like fines, a suspended license, jail, or an ignition interlock device. You might feel overwhelmed and hopeless about your case. However, you may have another option, especially if this is your first offense. The “Probation Before Judgment” (PBJ) disposition can provide eligible individuals charged with DUI offenses another, more rehabilitative path. Probation Before Judgment is a disposition unique to Maryland [...]
When an individual is arrested and charged with a crime, the local prosecutor’s office has the power to prosecute the case, send the offender to a diversion program, or dismiss the case completely. The state’s attorney also makes recommendations to the judge regarding bail or revocation of bail. If you are facing criminal charges, it is important to understand the duties and power of the state’s attorney and prosecution. Upon arrest of an individual, the [...]
Dictionary definition of word treason, selective focus. On January 6, 2021, a violent mob stormed the Capitol building in Washington, DC. The riot led to the lockdown of the building, property damage, countless injuries and, when the dust cleared, five deaths. In the ensuing days of confusion and chaos, Americans are hearing terms we haven’t talked about since we were in history class – words like sedition, coup, insurrection, and even treason. Today’s [...]
Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps. Its popularity does not diminish its dangers, however. While witness intimidation is nothing new, the sheer numbers of people who are threatening one another online seem to grow every day. According to reports, multiple Instagram accounts based in Baltimore were deactivated after it was found those accounts were involved in the intimidation of people who cooperated with police investigations. Even though the accounts were removed, [...]
Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is not only dangerous; it is against the law in Maryland. If you are caught, you can be charged with a DUI and face the loss of your rights, significant fines, and potentially even jail time. Often, people share misinformation about drinking and driving, and that misinformation can lead people to make dangerous and costly mistakes. Today, we wanted to address some of the more common [...]
For the past 15 years, the United States Pentagon has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to fight sexual harassment and assault in all branches of the military. Despite this, sexual assault continues to be a glaring problem. Despite these efforts and a zero-tolerance policy, military sexual assault survivors claim that they are being failed by their leaders. Incidents of sexual assault and rape are increasing, while the number of cases being sent to court [...]
A tragic accident in Alabama took the life of a five-year-old boy. A Russell County Sheriff told CBS News that the boy was forced to exit the car he was riding in on a busy highway as punishment for ‘acting up.’ The child has been identified as Austin Birdseye. He was riding in the car on Saturday, November 28, with his mother’s boyfriend, Bryan Starr. The Sheriff said that the vehicle was traveling on an [...]
In one of the more shocking news stories of the year, teen siblings who found fame on America’s Got Talent were detained, strip searched, and forced to spend a night in a juvenile detention center. The teens, 15 and 13, were arrested by police in Louisiana in November for refusing to leave their father and go to their mother in a custody battle. The story takes a turn when reports of a strip search reached [...]
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently released is 2019 hate crimes statistics, and Maryland had 19 hate crime incidents recorded in 2019. Hate crimes are separated into multiple categories based on the type of incident, location, and agency reporting the crimes. The data was provided by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. The hate crimes reported in Maryland in 2019 include: 7 reports of hate crimes involving race/ethnicity/ancestry 4 reports of hate crimes [...]
Blood alcohol content level (BAC) is the measuring stick for determining whether a driver is considered impaired. The legal limit across the country is 0.08%, which means that you will undoubtedly be arrested and charged with DUI when your BAC reaches that percentage or higher levels. Despite the laws stating 0.08% as the legal limit, a driver can be arrested and charged with DUI if he or she has any percentage above 0.00%. For example, [...]
On November 17, 2020, Circuit Judge Stacy McCormack ruled that Darius Devon Mackell was not guilty of murder, robbery, and firearms charges stemming from the death of Dontae Simmons in 2018. Judge McCormack absolved Mackell of those charges in part because she did not find the prosecution’s witness credible. Per The Baltimore Sun, Judge McCormack thought that witness “Esteban Uribe-Rojas could not be taken for his word and there was no evidence to corroborate his [...]
