A few weeks ago, our Editor-in-Chief, Steve Klepper, wrote a piece entitled “Mental Illness and Maryland’s Toothless Review of Criminal Sentences” regarding the unreported decision, Robbins v. State. In Robbins (Nazarian, J.), the Court lamented, in dicta, about the...
After receiving a criminal conviction in Maryland, you may have the option to pursue an appeal. An appeal provides an opportunity to challenge the outcome of your case based on legal grounds. This article examines various reasons why individuals may choose to seek an...
Eyewitness testimony plays a significant role in criminal cases, often carrying substantial weight as evidence. However, questions persist about the reliability of eyewitnesses and the potential for inaccuracies. If you are on trial for a criminal offense, it is...
The state of Maryland takes drunk driving very seriously. As a result, drivers can face stiff penalties after a drunk driving conviction, including jail time, fines, and license suspension. It is important for motorists to understand their rights and obligations in...
If you have a basic familiarity with the criminal justice system, you are probably aware that police and prosecutors both tend to represent the interests of the state. Their jobs are essentially to be the enforcers of the law and the adversaries of those who would...
Most of the time, when a defendant loses a federal criminal case, that person can appeal the decision to the Federal Court of Appeals. Cases then proceed through the appeals process until the court reaches a final decision. How does the federal appeals process work?...
The United States Justice system exonerated more than 3,000 inmates since 1989. However, most wrongfully convicted prisoners will never get their day in court, according to data from the National Registry of Exonerations. What does this data reveal about the future of...
The Maryland Supreme Court’s last opinion of 2022, Carver v. State, 482 Md. 469 (2022) (Hotten, J.) (Gould, J., dissenting), analyzed the cumulative impact of newly discovered evidence and held that the newly discovered evidence did not “speak to” petitioner’s...
Many criminal cases never go to trial. If you face a different situation, you have a complex road ahead. Knowing that Maryland circuit court judges deal with thousands of cases every year, you likely have to wait months to finally get your day in court. As the date...
There are thousands of criminal prosecutions in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., every single year. This means court dockets can become almost overwhelming. Still, the U.S. Constitution guarantees most criminal defendants speedy trials. Plea deals are one...