Madeleine O'Neill

Maddi O’Neill covered trial courts and the business of law for The Daily Record from June 2022 through April 2024. She is now a freelance contributor.

She previously covered courts for her hometown paper, the Erie Times-News, in Erie, Pennsylvania. Her stories have won numerous awards in both Pennsylvania and Maryland, including first place in breaking news and investigative reporting. Her writing on the criminal justice system has also appeared in Vox.

Recent Articles from Madeleine O'Neill

Law April 2, 2024

Judge slashes ‘outrageous’ attorneys’ fees sought in Maryland employment case

A federal judge reduced the attorneys' fees awarded in a Maryland employment case by nearly 90% in a scathing new opinion.

Parts of the Francis Scott Key Bridge remain after a container ship collided with one of the bridge’s supports in Baltimore on March 26, 2024. The major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below. Rescuers were searching for multiple people in the water. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP)

Law April 1, 2024

Owner of ship that destroyed Baltimore’s Key Bridge asks to cap liability at $43M

The owner of the ship that toppled Baltimore's Key Bridge appears to be seeking to cap the amount of damages that the company can be forced to pay.

News March 29, 2024

Baltimore County med mal case nets $4.5M verdict for woman who lost kidney

A woman who lost a kidney after surgeons mistakenly cut her ureter during a surgery won a jury verdict of more than $4.5 million in Baltimore County.

"The gun manufacturer industry should not have a special exception. They should be subject to tort liability just like any other manufacturer, and that’s what we intend to do in Maryland," said Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher, D-Montgomery. (The Daily Record/File Photo)

Law March 28, 2024

Bill would nearly double Md. cap on noneconomic damages

Maryland lawmakers are weighing legislation that would raise the cap on noneconomic damages in personal injury and wrongful death cases.

A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 27, 2024, a day after the ship hit the bridge in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

News March 27, 2024

Owner of ship that destroyed Key Bridge could limit liability using 1851 law, maritime lawyers say

After a massive container ship destroyed Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, lawyers who specialize in maritime issues began ramping up for a lengthy, complicated legal fight.

Ex-clients sue Peter Angelos, allege legal malpractice

News March 25, 2024

‘A typhoon in the courtroom:’ Peter Angelos left a mark on legal history

Before Peter Angelos became a billionaire and bought the Baltimore Orioles, he became known for taking on asbestos litigation that no one else wanted.

News March 22, 2024

Ellicott City lawyer agrees to disbarment for mishandling client funds

An Ellicott City attorney has agreed to be disbarred based on allegations that he repeatedly mishandled money that he was holding in trust for clients.

Law March 21, 2024

Hagerstown lawyer disbarred, sentenced to prison for embezzling $650K from estate

Maryland’s top court has disbarred a Hagerstown attorney who pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $650,000 from a client’s estate.

In this 2013 file photo, Randy Farmer of FreeState Gun Range in Middle River holds an AR-15 rifle. (Maximilian Franz/The Daily Record)

Law March 20, 2024

4th Circuit weighs constitutionality of Maryland’s ban on assault-style weapons

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals probed the boundaries of the Second Amendment at oral arguments over Maryland's ban on assault-style weapons.

This March 1, 2023, photo shows a vial of Eli Lilly's Humalog insulin in New York. (AP Photo/Pablo Salinas)

Law March 19, 2024

Baltimore sues Eli Lilly, other drug giants over cost of insulin

The City of Baltimore is suing Eli Lilly and a group of other drug companies, accusing the drugmakers of conspiring to artificially hike the price of insulin.