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Baltimore defense attorney pleads guilty to obstruction of justice
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story misstated the facts the defendant admitted to as part of his plea agreement, which were detailed in a news release from the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. The Attorney General’s Office on Thursday issued a revised news release that removed previous references to threats of deportation […]
Hogan balks at reopening disputed MIA lease decision
ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Larry Hogan Wednesday flatly rejected a call for the Board of Public Works to reconsider a lease for the Maryland Insurance Administration headquarters after a contract appeals board said the lease ran afoul of procurement rules. A decision issued in late February by the Board of Contract Appeals found the state wrongfully […]
Long-time supporter of judicial elections backs 80% solution
ANNAPOLIS – A former elected judge and staunch long-time backer of contested circuit court elections spoke Wednesday in support of legislation that would retain the right of Maryland voters to elect the trial judges but only in limited circumstances. Attorney William H. “Billy” Murphy Jr. told a Senate committee that he relaxed his position in […]
Spending panel approves $2.9M each for 3 exonerees
ANNAPOLIS — Three men who were exonerated for the 1983 murder of a teenager in Baltimore will receive nearly $3 million each as compensation for their wrongful incarceration. The payments to Alfred Chestnut, Ransom Watkins and Andrew Stewart, approved by the Board of Public Works, come as the legislature works to create a formula to […]
Hogan to seek emergency funds to pay coronavirus costs
ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Larry Hogan Wednesday said he will submit emergency legislation that will allow him to use reserve funds to pay for costs related to the coronavirus. “It’s critical that we have the flexibility to access these resources,” Hogan said at the start of the Board of Public Works meeting. Currently, 21 Maryland residents […]
Montgomery Co. attorney is disbarred for multiple rule violations
Montgomery County attorney William Clark Planta has been disbarred by the Maryland Court of Appeals, which found that Planta was consistently unprepared for and late to hearings and that he misappropriated client funds in five cases. Planta, who was admitted to the Maryland bar in 1998, had maintained an office in Montgomery County. The court […]
Md. Department of Health approved for coronavirus testing
The federal government has approved the Maryland Department of Health to test for the disease caused by the coronavirus, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Tuesday. Until this approval, the state had been required to send its test samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Now Maryland’s State Public Health Laboratory can test for […]
Court affirms conviction for staged evidence find caught on body cam
An appeals court has upheld the conviction of a Baltimore Police Department officer whose controversial reenactment of an evidence find was captured on his body worn camera in 2017. Richard Pinheiro was indicted on charges of fabrication of physical evidence and misconduct in office and convicted by a judge at a bench trial. He was […]
House panel hears bill to strip governor of parole decision
ANNAPOLIS — Maryland governors would be stripped of the final say in parole decisions for inmates sentenced to life with the possibility of parole who have served 20 years in prison under legislation being considered by the House Judiciary Committee. House Bill 1219 is designed to ensure these inmates have a meaningful opportunity for parole […]
Legislation would improve Md.’s innovation economy, backers say
ANNAPOLIS — Maryland has fallen behind other states when it comes to supporting innovative technology companies, and several bills presented Tuesday to the Senate Finance Committee would help the state stay competitive, the bills’ backers said. Lawmakers heard proposals that would fund more technology infrastructure, help businesses apply for federal grants and expand makerspaces. “If [&[...]
Baltimore Legal Hackers discuss return of aerial surveillance program
When Jawan Richards was shot in the neck by a Gun Trace Task Force officer in early 2016, his attorney did not know that the entire incident had been filmed by a surveillance plane thousands of feet above the city.
Franchot says contract board ruling means MIA lease should be nixed
The owners of the property that lost the contract as a result of the violation contend the ruling voids the lease.
