The COVID-19 health crisis has changed the ways the Maryland criminal courts and other courts and agencies operate. Many courts and agencies have suspended services which affect the rights of those with pending cases, those with outstanding charges, and those who need to use the agencies to restore their licenses and start their life again. At Carey Law Office, we hope everyone is healthy and continues to stay healthy. We are keeping current with the [...]

A Maryland-based group called Life After Release is working to ensure those detained and incarcerated while awaiting trial have access to vote. Although there’s no law on the books in our state that prevents people charged with a crime from voting, detained individuals often can’t vote because they don’t have the accessibility to do so. Once detained and behind bars, they can’t access their polling place and may not know their other options. The group, [...]

When someone under the age of 18 commits a crime, they’re not dealt with through the adult criminal justice system, but through the juvenile justice system instead. Here in Maryland, the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) has its own intake, court, prosecutors, detention, and rules. However, a criminal offense is still a criminal offense, and this includes the common crime of shoplifting. The juvenile justice system exists because the law doesn’t consider minors to have [...]

The national sex offender registry is a public list used for the purpose of identifying individuals convicted of sex crimes. Every state, including Maryland, has its own registry and procedures, and anyone convicted of a sex crime is required to register in the state in which they live and work. The sex offender registry is also public and accessible to anyone – meaning people can see who is on it, where they live, and what [...]

Recent legislation proposed by a Maryland judiciary panel targets a “loophole” in the state’s electronic court records system that allows attorneys to indiscriminately keep court filings hidden from the public. State Senator Jill Carter sponsored the bill in an effort to provide transparency and allow judges, rather than prosecution or defense attorneys, to decide what court documents should or should not be publicly accessible. This loophole came to light during a case involving the murder [...]

A criminal record is a criminal record, and even a misdemeanor charge can have some chilling effects on the way you live your life. That being said, however, there are occasions when agreeing to a lesser charge may be your best and only option. For example, if you admit to a crime that you actually committed, and you are offered a misdemeanor charge in lieu of a felony charge, accepting the lesser charge may be [...]

Cannabidiol – also known as CBD – products come in all forms: lotions, creams, beverages, foods, cosmetics, and other consumables and things that can be applied to your body. The products are being sold in retail stores, health stores, and online. And even though marijuana use is still illegal in Maryland (barring approved, prescribed medical use), CBD products derived from hemp are not. Therefore, it is perfectly to use CBD products in the state. Why [...]

Maryland and the US government each have their own criminal statutes, their own rules of criminal procedure, and their own sentencing guidelines. Most crimes are violations of Maryland law or federal law but not both jurisdictions. For example, crimes on federal lands are usually prosecuted in federal courts while crimes on state property are prosecuted in state courts. There are exceptions to that rule, though. Some defendants are charged with both a federal crime and [...]

States usually try juveniles differently than adults for many reasons. States treat young people who commit crimes differently because they recognize that children should be given time to mature. Many children commit nonviolent offenses such as shoplifting or underage drinking without realizing the full consequences of their actions. The aims of the juvenile system are to: Provide a treatment/rehabilitation plan for juvenile offenders instead of incarceration To remove children from homes and environments that are [...]

Do you have to speak with the police at the police station? Many people think the answer is “yes” because that’s what people on TV crime dramas do. Fortunately, the real world doesn’t follow TV scripts. Unless you are being arrested for a crime, there is normally no requirement that you go to the station with the police. The better alternative is to ask to speak with your criminal defense lawyer. The lawyer can explain [...]