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...
Like many Americans, you may have found yourself curious about exploring your genealogy through one of the several DNA testing services currently available. You may also assume that the company will keep your information secure and private. However, once you have...
Even though there are plenty of people in jails and prisons in the U.S., it is not necessarily easy for prosecutors to secure convictions. Before even bringing criminal charges against a defendant, most prosecutors have to be certain they have compelling evidence....
A week ago, I wrote about Tyrie Washington v. State of Maryland, a decision by the Supreme Court of Maryland filed on December 19, 2022, which held that unprovoked flight in a high-crime neighborhood provides reasonable articulable suspicion to conduct a Terry stop....
DNA has become some of the most powerful evidence to stop murder and other serious, violent crimes in recent years. It has also become a tool with which innocent people have begun to fight the unjust convictions that changed their lives forever. Even a relatively...
On December 19, 2022, the Supreme Court of Maryland filed Washington v. State, No. 15, September Term, 2022, addressing whether unprovoked flight in a high-crime neighborhood adds to the reasonable articulable suspicion necessary to detain a person under the Fourth...
Many people have heard of their Miranda rights due to the popular trope in movies and shows featuring police officers. However, you may not actually understand how your Miranda rights work. You may not know the purpose of these rights in real life, or what giving up...