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MONTRELLE DENARD BOWIE v. STATE OF MARYLAND
Criminal law — Writ of actual innocence — Error coram nobis Montrelle Denard Bowie, appellant, appeals from the denial, by the Circuit Court for Frederick County, of his “Motion for Daughtry.” Read the opinion
DONDRELL LEWIS THOMAS v. STATE OF MARYLAND
Criminal law — Mistrial — Prior-bad-acts testimony Following a jury trial in the Circuit Court for Talbot County, Dondrell Lewis Thomas, appellant, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession of cocaine, and possession of marijuana over 10 grams. Read the opinion
BABAK ERNEST ARFAA v. STATE OF MARYLAND, et al.
Criminal law — Malicious prosecution — Excusable neglect Babak Ernest Arfaa, appellant, sued the State of Maryland and the State’s Attorney for Harford County, appellees (collectively, “the State”), in the Circuit Court for Harford County. The complaint contained less than 40 words and alleged that the State had “maliciously [prosecuted] [Arfaa], ignoring exculpatory evidence, [...]
WILLIAM N. KARANJA v. STATE OF MARYLAND
Criminal law — Illegal sentence — Rule of lenity Following a 2004 bench trial in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, William N. Karanja, was convicted of two counts of second-degree rape (counts 1 and 5), two counts of second-degree sexual offense (counts 2 and 6), and other related offenses. Read the opinion
KEVIN YOUNG v. STATE OF MARYLAND
Criminal law — Illegal sentence — Plea agreement On May 16, 2022, Kevin Young, appellant, appeared before the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County and, in accordance with a plea agreement with the State, pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. On September 14, […]
JAMES BROWN v. STATE OF MARYLAND
Criminal law — Illegal sentence — Unfettered prerogative James Brown, appellant, appeals from the denial, by the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, of a motion to correct illegal sentence. Read the opinion
CYNTHIA MARIE VAN FOSSEN v. STATE OF MARYLAND
Criminal law — Sufficiency of evidence — Restitution Convicted by a jury in the Circuit Court for Somerset County of theft of property with a value of at least $1,500 but less than $25,000, Cynthia Marie Van Fossen, appellant, presents for our review two issues: whether there is “sufficient evidence that [she] intended to permanently […]
NAKEERE ANTHONY SAYERS v. STATE OF MARYLAND
Criminal law — Illegal sentence — Disputed testimony A jury, in the Circuit Court for Cecil County, convicted Nakeere Sayers, appellant, of one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession of fentanyl, two counts of possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, two counts of illegal […]
DAQWAN A. SAWYER v. STATE OF MARYLAND
Criminal law — Plain error — Illegal sentence A jury in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City convicted appellant, Daqwan A. Sawyer, of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, and use of a firearm in the commission […]
JUSTIN ANDREW WILSON v. STATE OF MARYLAND
Criminal law — Sufficiency of evidence — Reversible plain error Appellant Justin Wilson was found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment, all suspended but forty years, with five years of supervised probation. Read the opinion
KENON LEONARD v. STATE OF MARYLAND
Criminal procedure — Sufficiency of evidence — Physical contact A jury sitting in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County found Kenon Leonard, appellant, guilty of second-degree assault. Read the opinion
DONTE PATTERSON v. STATE OF MARYLAND
Criminal law — Statement suppression — Accomplice liability At the conclusion of a jury trial in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Donte Patterson, appellant, was convicted of second-degree murder, two counts of attempted second-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and various firearms offenses arising from a quadruple shooting on April 11, […]
