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Failure to object at trial does not waive evidentiary appeal, Md. high court says
Attention criminal defense attorneys: You do not lose your right to appeal the denial of a pretrial motion to suppress evidence if you decline to object to the introduction of […]
Md. high court upholds rap lyrics’ admissibility in murder trial
Maryland’s top court Wednesday upheld the second-degree murder conviction of a jailhouse rap singer who argued in vain that his violent lyrics should not have been admissible at trial despite […]
Md. high court weighs rap lyrics’ admissibility in murder trial
A convicted murderer’s attorney told Maryland’s top court this week that the trial judge erred in admitting into evidence the violent rap lyrics his client wrote and sang to an […]
Md. high court: Chain of custody doesn’t require all witnesses
Evidence is admissible in criminal cases when prosecutors present properly authenticated testimony even if all witnesses in the chain of custody cannot be produced, the state’s highest court has held.
Baltimore police body camera policy hailed as ‘bright spot’ in national report
Baltimore police department's body worn camera program was praised, but policies that allow officers to review footage before writing reports continue to be criticized.
Volume of body camera footage can mean overlooked evidence
The apparent failure of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office to flag a body camera video that allegedly showed an officer manipulating the footage highlights the downside to having hours […]
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Familiar criminal law, procedure bills had mixed results in 2017 session
Bills affecting evidence in sexual assault trials, opioid distribution charges, shielding of criminal records and the enforcement powers of the Office of the Comptroller all returned to the General Assembly […]
Md. bill targeting repeat sex offenders stymied again
Legislation to allow evidence of past sexually assaultive behavior into criminal trials has again stalled in the General Assembly despite backing from the governor’s office. The measures would allow prosecutors […]
Md. lawmakers consider allowing prior bad acts-evidence in sex offense cases
Legislation to allow prosecutors to introduce evidence at trial of past sexually assaultive behavior under limited circumstances has returned to the General Assembly, and while advocates say it is narrowly […]
Prosecutors, defense lawyers begin to see impact of police body cameras
The impact of the widespread use of police body cameras is still uncertain, but as larger departments continue to put more cameras on the street, prosecutors and defense attorneys have […]
Judge expected to dispense with Goodson motions Wednesday
The officer facing the most severe charges for his alleged role in the death of Freddie Gray will go to trial next week but not before pretrial motions addressing venue, […]
Maryland public defender appeals DNA case to Supreme Court
Maryland's chief public defender asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to review and overturn a state high court ruling that police acted constitutionally when they used the DNA sample a homeless man gave them for a rape investigation to link him to an unrelated burglary.
