Legislators Should Leave the Child Interrogation Protection Act in Place

The Maryland Child Interrogation Protection Act went into effect on October 1, 2022. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Act protects children/juveniles in several ways: There is a requirement that the child be able to consult with a lawyer when he/she is taken into custody unless there is a public safety emergency.…

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Can You Be Charged With a Crime That Doesn’t Exist?

The world of virtual reality may be moving too fast. Most people understand that when they play a virtual game, that the characters aren’t really hurt or killed. You can just end the game and start playing a new one. It’s like the old Road Runner cartoons where Wile E. Coyote always ends up being…

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Can I Challenge My Breathalyzer Results?

The results of a breathalyzer test can affect what criminal charges are filed against you and can affect your driving privileges. In most drunk driving cases, the breathalyzer test is the key evidence against a driver. If the results of the breathalyzer test can be excluded, many defendants can walk away from the charges and…

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Clearing Your Record After a Conviction in Maryland

In Maryland, some criminal records can be expunged and some cannot. Expungement essentially means that your criminal record is deleted or erased from court records and law enforcement records. Defendants often seek to have their records expunged so any convictions, arrests, or other resolution of the criminal charges in their case cannot be used against…

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What Is the Statute of Limitations on Criminal Charges in Maryland?

The term “statute of limitations” indicates the limited period during which an injured person can file a lawsuit against someone who harmed them. The statute of limitations for criminal charges in Maryland varies according to the specific crime. Some crimes in Maryland have no statute of limitations, which means that charges can be filed at…

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What Are the Laws for Filming Police in Maryland?

In 1991, George Holliday recorded four white Los Angeles Police Department officers beating Black motorist Rodney King and submitted the video to the local news. Although filming police on the job was rare in the early 1990s, it has become common now, due to advances in technology and the widespread use of smartphones. Filming the…

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What You Should Know About PIT Maneuvers

A PIT maneuver (Precision Immobilization Technique, Pursuit Intervention Technique, or Precision Intervention Tactic) is a law enforcement practice used to stop fleeing vehicles while exposing the driver, police and the public to minimal risk. While PIT maneuvers are considered standard procedures by most U.S. police departments, they have been banned in the UK and other…

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Online “Pranks” Can Lead to an Arrest

While they may be fun or seem harmless to the poster, some online pranks can harm other people. They can also use up valuable police resources until the police determine what is true and what is false. A few recent examples illustrate that youngsters, teenagers, and adults of all ages need to understand that social…

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You Can Be Arrested at Any Time for Felony Assault in Maryland

Did you know you can be arrested for a felony assault at any time here in Maryland, no matter when it occurred? The reason for this is because Maryland has no statute of limitations on felony grade assault crimes. But what is a statute of limitations? In the realm of criminal law, statutes of limitations…

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Maryland Should Record All Interrogations

Not only Maryland, but all states should mandate recording of all interrogations. It is shocking, with the accessibility and ease of recording technology today, that such a serious legal matter as a criminal interrogation cannot be recorded for reference purposes; but this is the reality in the United States today. According to an October 2022…

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Understanding Your Miranda Rights: What You Should Know

If you find yourself in a criminal situation, it is crucial to understand – and assert – your rights to protect yourself. One of the most fundamental rights you have in the United States is Miranda Rights, and it is vital you know what these are. These rights, established by the landmark Supreme Court case…

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Understanding the Elements of a Strong Defense Strategy

When facing criminal charges, a strong defense strategy is essential for protecting your rights, ensuring a fair trial, and achieving the best possible outcome. A well-crafted defense strategy takes into account the specific circumstances of your case, examines the evidence, and aims to challenge the prosecution’s case. Today we want to discuss the elements of…

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How Your Mental Health Can Affect a Criminal Charge

Many states still struggle with identifying and treating mental illness of those who commit crimes rather than resorting to incarceration—and Maryland is unfortunately one of them. In this day and age, most people have become aware of how the mental health status of a defendant can significantly impact the outcome of their criminal charges. Despite…

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What You Should Know About Federal Drug Charges

Most drug possession crimes in Maryland are prosecuted at the state level. However, they can sometimes be bumped to federal charges in certain scenarios. Something like getting caught with drugs while on federal property can result in serious legal consequences, including hefty fines and long prison sentences. When it comes to battling a drug charge…

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Marijuana Can Cost You Your Security Clearance

Working in certain roles for the federal government requires you to apply for security clearance, as many positions may involve access to classified information. The process of vetting employees who apply for clearance is designed to ensure that those who work in these positions are trustworthy and reliable. Even after you receive security clearance, you…

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Rap Artist Afroman Sued by Police Who Raided His Home

After police wrongly raided his home last summer, rap artist Afroman decided to make light of his losses and release an album and videos using home footage of the situation. Now, he’s facing charges from seven of the officers involved in the raid, citing invasion of privacy and public humiliation. What kind of recourse do…

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When Is Video Admissible in a Criminal Case?

It has become very common for people to record important things happening in their lives. In fact, you cannot go anywhere without seeing someone pulling out their camera or cell phone to record something. Therefore, when a crime is occurring either to you or to another person, one of your first impulses may be to…

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That Amendment Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means

Spend any time on social media and you’re bound to run into them: the so-called Constitutional scholars who earned their stripes listening to news shows or following attorneys on Twitter. We used to think that these folks were harmless, and perhaps they are – but we’re seeing some disturbing trends when it comes to understanding…

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Can You Claim Self-Defense in a Bar Fight?

We see it in TV shows and movies all the time: if someone starts a fight with someone else, that person hits the first one and then says it was all in self-defense. When the police arrive, the person who started the fight is the one that gets in trouble. Despite many people trying to…

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What Is a “Special Counsel,” Anyway?

You may have been seeing in the news that there was recently a special counsel appointed to a case regarding President Joe Biden. We thought this was a good opportunity to talk about what a special counsel is, what they do, and why they are important to a case. A special counsel is an attorney…

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Criminal Charges Arising from Fatal DUI and DWIs

Most drunk drivers are pulled off the road by a police officer before the drivers cause any accidents. There are many times, though, when the police arrest someone for drunk driving after the driver caused an accident. The police are usually likely to arrest an intoxicated driver who causes a fatality – another driver, a…

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Can Your Text Messages Be Used Against You in Court?

The saying, “Anything you say can be used against in a court of law,” given when anyone is arrested (as part of the Miranda warnings) is also good advice for any texts you send. Any texts that you write, even if you try to delete them, before or after an arrest may also be used…

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