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Editorial Advisory Board: And the beat goes on, and on, and on
In prior columns, this board has taken the Baltimore Police Department and the city to task for conduct that has violated the constitutional rights of the citizens of Baltimore. Now, U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Gauvey has taken a team of lawyers representing the department to task — and for much the same reason.
Editorial Advisory Board: It’s time to finally repeal Maryland’s death penalty
Two years ago, this Editorial Advisory Board urged the lawmakers to repeal Maryland’s death penalty. We do so once again — and this year, it might actually happen. Already, the House of Delegates’ abolition bill has at least 66 co-sponsors, more than ever before, and perhaps Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller will allow a floor vote in the Senate this year.
Editorial Advisory Board: Legal education – Stopping the graveyard spiral
The New York Times reported extensively last week on the impending crisis facing all but the most elite of U.S. law schools and the measures some institutions are taking to counteract it. But more is needed.
Editorial Advisory Board: Guns and the severely mentally ill
Perhaps the most sensitive issue the General Assembly could face in this session is the issue of guns in the hands of persons who are severely mentally ill. The General Assembly is well-prepared to handle that issue because, in a prescient move in 2012, it directed the creation of a Task Force to Study Access of Mentally Ill Individuals to Regulated Firearms. That Task Force, made up of law enforc[...]
Editorial Advisory Board: The Daily Record – Who needs it?
We, the Editorial Advisory Board of this paper, work for nothing. Well, more or less nothing, as journalistic exactitude demands disclosure that the paper’s publisher furnishes our meetings with occasional platters of low-budget sandwiches and potato chips. So, why do we do it?
Editorial Advisory Board: Let unpublished opinions be seen, cited
Seven in eight decisions issued by the Court of Special Appeals (“COSA”) are “unpublished.” That means that the opinion cannot be cited (except for preclusion purposes), and that it lacks precedential value. Moreover, the opinions are not only unpublished, but are unavailable to the general public.
Editorial Advisory Board: Board of Regents should tell all on the Big Ten
The Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland is hoping that the controversy over its admitted violation of the state’s Open Meetings Act will just go away or that the public will tire of it in the glow of what it may believe are the benefits that will accrue to the university by leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference to join the Big Ten.
Editorial Advisory Board: DREAM, marriage are good for Maryland
Last year, this board strongly encouraged the Maryland Legislature to pass two bills: one granting in-state tuition for children of undocumented immigrants and the other allowing same-sex couples to marry here. To its credit, the Legislature did exactly that.
Editorial Advisory Board: Orphans’ Court judges need legal training
In preparing for your death, you should, of course, have written and executed a will and made sure your heirs know where your property is and how to secure it once you die. The popular press is filled with advice about other steps you should take to protect your property after you die. It is always a good idea to contact an attorney who specializes in wills, trusts and estates (and other matters o[...]
Editorial Advisory Board: Judicial disclosure forms should be complete, online
This newspaper recently reported that the judges on the Maryland Court of Appeals are not required to disclose their net worth. We feel that there is no public policy to be served by requiring state judges to disclose their net worth.
Editorial Advisory Board: Contributory negligence – Let the legislature decide
The Court of Appeals of Maryland appears to be ready to strike down the doctrine of contributory negligence.
Editorial Advisory Board: Legal internships – Experience worth giving and getting
The two law schools in Maryland offer different opportunities for legal internships. At the University of Baltimore School of Law, there are internship/externship opportunities for credit or for no credit, […]
