Maryland

Judge who was ‘disrespectful’ to lawyer and ‘ridiculed’ defendant gets 5-day suspension

A Maryland judge who was “disrespectful, dismissive and intemperate” to a attorney in one case and “mocked and ridiculed” a defendant and his fiancee in another has been suspended from the bench for five days by the state’s top court. Baltimore City Circuit Judge Lynn Stewart Mays, who sits in…

Oct 22, 2014 5:05 PM CDT

Widow of author Tom Clancy battles lawyer over $6M in estate taxes

The widow of author Tom Clancy is battling a Baltimore lawyer over an extra $6 million in estate taxes she says he is requiring her to pay, contrary to the provisions of her husband’s will. Alexandra Clancy is trying to get attorney J.W. Thompson “Topper” Webb removed as the executor…

Sep 22, 2014 12:30 PM CDT

Murder defendant refuses judge’s order to wear Stun-Cuff at trial, misses opening statements

A Maryland judge decided to require a murder defendant to wear an ankle bracelet that can transmit an electric shock at trial after he threatened her, the judge said, by screaming her first name and trying to enter her chambers Tuesday before bailiffs restrained him. But later in the day,…

Sep 17, 2014 10:50 AM CDT

Judge who ordered deputy to shock ‘rude’ pro se defendant has been taken off bench

Updated: It appears that a call by the public defender for the state of Maryland to ban a senior circuit court judge from hearing cases may have been heeded by the state’s top court. On Friday, the Maryland Court of Appeals said there was “good cause” to remove retired Judge…

Sep 10, 2014 11:45 AM CDT

Dissent balks at top state court’s decision that shed DNA can be collected like fingerprints

Asked during an interview at a Maryland police station to provide a DNA sample to help out in an investigation of a sex crime involving a former schoolmate, Glenn Joseph Raynor said no. But a detective had noticed Raynor rubbing his bare arms against a police chair and brought in…

Sep 2, 2014 10:20 AM CDT

Defendant argues, to no avail, that robbery case should be dropped because he was then in jail

One might think that being jailed at the time of an alleged mugging would provide a solid alibi. But it wasn’t good enough to get a Maryland robbery case dismissed against 21-year-old Tyree Threatt, reports the Baltimore Sun. Though his public defender, Nicholas Cooksley, presented records in court Monday that…

Aug 14, 2014 3:20 PM CDT

Ex-office manager of well-known law firm hopes to repay $423K of $600K prosecutors say she stole

Add another conviction to the annals of trusted employees who took advantage of the law firms for which they worked. Kelley Jo Hunt pleaded guilty Wednesday to theft in what prosecutors described as a scheme involving $600,000 or more she stole from Miller, Miller & Canby in Rockville, Md., while…

Aug 14, 2014 10:45 AM CDT

Johns Hopkins to pay $190M to settle case over gynecologist’s secret photos of patients during exams

Allegedly failing to supervise properly a longtime gynecologist who secretly took photos of his patients during pelvic examinations will cost a well-known Baltimore hospital $190 million. That’s the amount Johns Hopkins Hospital has agreed to pay to settle a class action in Baltimore City Circuit Court by more than 9,000…

Jul 21, 2014 9:20 PM CDT

Federal judge won’t repeat name of Washington NFL team; policy disclosed in a footnote

A federal judge doesn’t want to repeat a controversial team name in a suit claiming pro football players received bounties for injuring opposing players. U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte revealed his policy in a footnote, report the Wall Street Journal Law Blog, the Washington Post and WJLA. “Pro Football’s team…

Jul 15, 2014 1:25 PM CDT

School suspension of boy, 7, who chewed pastry into gun shape is upheld by hearing officer

The two-day school suspension last year of a 7-year-old Maryland boy who chewed a breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun during a snack break has been upheld by a hearing examiner. The 30-page ruling by the hearing examiner will now go to the Anne Arundel County Board of…

Jul 3, 2014 11:00 AM CDT

Former law student sues, says he dropped out, didn’t flunk out

A former University of Maryland law student who says he dropped out midway through his first year needed a letter of good standing when he decided to complete his legal education at Thomas M. Cooley Law School years later. But Gregory Michael Poteet says he was stunned to hear that…

Jun 25, 2014 7:24 PM CDT

Hershey’s candy sues state senator Hershey over his campaign signs

The Hershey Co. has sued Maryland State Sen. Stephen Hershey Jr. in a bid to get him to stop using campaign signs said to resemble the candy maker’s chocolate bar packaging. The signs feature the state senator’s name in large block letters over a two-tone brown Maryland flag, the Baltimore…

Jun 11, 2014 12:57 PM CDT

Can Maryland tax income earned and taxed in another state? SCOTUS to decide

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to decide whether Maryland’s tax system places an unconstitutional burden on interstate commerce. At issue is whether Maryland may tax income earned and taxed in another state. According to Reuters, the case “could have broad consequences for state and local governments nationwide.” Other…

May 28, 2014 12:14 PM CDT

Hotline number for police complaints connected callers to chats with ‘hot ladies’

Callers who dialed a complaint hotline for Baltimore police weren’t able to file an official grievance, though they were invited to engage in conversation. The 800 number listed on a website maintained by the police department’s public affairs office connected to an adult chat line, the Baltimore Sun reports. A…

May 7, 2014 4:09 PM CDT

Osprey so far prevails in battle to build nest in front of traffic cam

Transportation officials in Maryland are racing against the clock and Mother Nature as they struggle to remove an osprey nest that has repeatedly been constructed on an elevated platform directly in front of a traffic camera. The bird is a federally protected species, but state officials were told by the…

Apr 23, 2014 4:30 PM CDT