Maryland

Murder Defendant Claims MRI Scan Indicates He Didn’t Kill; Judge Disallows Evidence

A former Army Ranger accused of killing a colleague claims a functional MRI scan indicates he was telling the truth when he asserted his innocence. The defendant, Gary Smith, has long maintained that fellow Army Ranger Michael McQueen committed suicide, the Washington Post reports. Smith’s lawyer argued in a pretrial…

Aug 28, 2012 10:30 AM CDT

4th Circuit Agrees to Hear Pregnancy Center Case En Banc

The Richmond, Va.-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to rehear en banc a case involving a law that requires anti-abortion pregnancy centers to post ads encouraging clients to consult with medical professionals. The court set a Dec. 6 oral argument date for the rehearing after a divided…

Aug 16, 2012 5:28 PM CDT

ACLU Asks Law Enforcement Agencies to Explain How Automatic License Plate Reader Data Is Used

The American Civil Liberties Union asked police agencies throughout the country on Monday to provide information about how data from automatic license plate readers in patrol cars and next to roadways is being used. Similar information requests were made by the national ACLU and individual chapters in more than 35…

Aug 1, 2012 1:00 PM CDT

Chief Justice’s Stay Order Suggests Court Will Consider Constitutionality of DNA Tests for Arrestees

An order by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. is allowing Maryland police to continue collecting DNA samples from those who are arrested for serious crimes. Roberts said there is a “fair prospect” that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn an April ruling by Maryland’s highest court, which found the…

Jul 31, 2012 2:34 PM CDT

Ex-Client Sues Duane Morris, Says Senior Partner’s Failure to Disclose Conflict Cost Him $92M

A former chief executive officer of SecureNet has sued Duane Morris for malpractice, contending that a senior partner of the over 700-attorney law firm failed to disclose a conflict when representing him in his 2010 sale of a controlling interest in the credit card processing company. Plaintiff Marc Potash says…

Jul 18, 2012 3:45 PM CDT

Are Pit Bulls Inherently Dangerous? Motion Asks Maryland High Court to Reconsider Strict Liability

Owners of pit bulls in Maryland are grappling with a state high court decision holding that the breed is inherently dangerous. State lawmaker Heather Mizeur, who backed unsuccessful legislation to overturn the April decision, tells the Baltimore Sun that she has heard from pit bull owners who are getting eviction…

Jul 12, 2012 1:28 PM CDT

Former BigLaw Clients Helped Small Offit Kurman Add Nearly 80 Attorneys Since 2001, Partner Says

Founded by two brothers in 1987, a small Maryland-based law firm known as Offit Kurman grew gradually over the years but still had only 10 attorneys in 2001. But rapid BigLaw expansion and a recessionary economy in which other legal partnerships have struggled helped fuel a growth explosion at his…

Jun 18, 2012 3:55 PM CDT

Law Firm Apps Let New Clients Send Case Info to Their Attorneys ‘Neatly Wrapped Up in a Gift Box’

Long willing to spend on radio, television, billboard, bus bench and telephone directory advertising, personal injury lawyers are increasingly turning to technology for to make a cutting-edge appeal to clients. Among them are several firms in Maryland that have created customized smartphone applications to help clients compile an electronic file…

Jun 6, 2012 8:58 PM CDT

Jailed Tuesday on Unexpected Murder Charge from 1975, Defendant Sees Case Dismissed on Thursday

Earlier this week, Bobby Coley showed up at the Montgomery County, Md., sheriff’s department to clear up what he understood to be a minor arrest warrant that was standing in the way of his application for a custodian job at a local hospital. Imagine his surprise to discover that he…

Jun 1, 2012 8:03 PM CDT

Maryland’s Highest Court OKs Same-Sex Divorce

Same-sex couples can’t get married in Maryland yet. But those who marry elsewhere can now get divorced there. The Maryland Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, ruled Friday that same-sex couples who have a valid marriage from another state can divorce in Maryland. The court, in a 7-0 ruling…

May 22, 2012 9:26 PM CDT

Man Charged in Decades-Old Murder After Estranged Wife Gives Authorities Permission to Search

Authorities in Elkridge, Md., didn’t have probable cause to search the lot around Robert Arnold Jarrett Jr.’s home after his then-wife disappeared in January 1991. Nor could they get his permission to do so. But after he and his second wife separated, he moved elsewhere. Last month, she gave authorities…

May 10, 2012 11:04 PM CDT

New Md. Law May Be First in Country Banning Employers From Seeking Workers’ Social Media Passwords

In what could be the first such law in the country, Maryland has enacted a bill that would prohibit employers from demanding personal passwords to social media sites such as Facebook from job applicants and workers. State lawmakers last week almost unanimously approved making such information private, in response to…

Apr 10, 2012 9:12 PM CDT

After Seeing Dashcam Video of Deputy Shooting Family Dog, Jury Awards $620K in Civil Rights Case

Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins says his deputy “has felt bad … since day one” about shooting a family pet of Roger and Sandi Jenkins (no relation) on Jan. 9, 2010 at their Taneytown, Md., home. But that doesn’t mean Timothy Brooks did anything wrong by defending himself against their…

Apr 4, 2012 3:55 PM CDT

States Mull Possible Law to Ban Public Employers from Asking Applicants for Facebook Password

In at least two states, Illinois and Maryland, lawmakers are pondering possible legislation to prohibit public employers from asking job applicants to turn over their passwords to their private Facebook accounts. While applicants, of course, can always say no to such requests, it’s difficult to do so when a job…

Mar 20, 2012 7:08 PM CDT

Md. Top Court Rules Poor Defendants Entitled to Lawyers at Bail Hearings; PD Says He Can’t Comply

Updated: Ruling on statutory grounds, Maryland’s top court has held that indigent defendants have a right to state-provided legal representation at bail hearings. The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that the Public Defender Act gives defendants the right to legal representation. The opinion (PDF) did not address constitutional arguments.…

Jan 5, 2012 3:56 PM CST