Maryland federal courts postpone jury trials, grand juries as COVID-19 spikes
Federal jury trials and grand jury sessions have been put on hold until late January amid the latest wave of COVID-19 cases in Maryland.
Federal courts impose new COVID-19 restrictions as infections increase
In Maryland, everyone entering or occupying a public area in the federal courthouses in Baltimore and Greenbelt must wear a mask under order of Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar.
Online mediation here to stay, say Maryland lawyers, mediators
Like other legal issues, personal injury cases have been upended during the pandemic, forcing many cases to be delayed and those that went forward to be done online.
Retired cop put in chokehold by police takes case to Supreme Court
When José Oliva tried to sue after police put him in a chokehold and threw him to the ground, a federal appeals court ruled he was out of luck. He’s asking the Supreme Court to revive his lawsuit.
‘I should not have said that. Are there cameras in here?’: Judges disciplined for remarks in 2020
From calling a defendant an addict to making sexist remarks about a clerk, U.S. judges made — and were punished for — some outrageous comments in 2020.
Justice delayed: Virus upends court systems across US
BOSTON — Courthouses shuttered. Thousands of trials on hold. Legal deadlines pushed. The coronavirus pandemic has crippled the U.S. legal system, creating constitutional dilemmas as the accused miss their days in court. The public health crisis could build a legal backlog that overwhelms courts across the country, leaving some defendants behind bars longer, and forcing […]
Md. courts to suspend non-essential activities, postpone jury trials
Maryland courts will suspend all non-essential judicial activities effective immediately and suspend all jury trials beginning Monday in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera issued an order Thursday evening suspending out-of-state and out-of-country travel, requiring the minimization of in-state travel, and suspending professional development, committee meetings an[...]
Rules committee proposes written form, not court, to learn debtor assets
Creditors may soon be able to ask debtors to disclose their assets on a court form rather than require them to attend court or answer complex interrogatories, an idea that has been in the works for more than a year. A financial disclosure form that eliminates the need for a hearing is another step that would […]
Anne Arundel courts soon to plug in to e-filing
A Maryland Judiciary project to enable attorneys and litigants to file claims electronically in trial courts will begin Oct. 14 in Anne Arundel County, pending a vote by the state’s top court Thursday in Annapolis.
Editorial: A new era for Maryland’s Judiciary
The governor’s decision to put Judge Mary Ellen Barbera in charge of the Court of Appeals is one for the history books, as she will be the first woman to head the state’s Judiciary since its establishment in Colonial times.
Opinions – 4/18/13: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Constitutional Law Free speech in schools BOTTOM LINE: When a student wore shirts that displayed the Confederate flag in a community where racial tensions continued to exist, such speech threatened to disrupt school and school officials could prohibit or punish that speech without violating the student’s constitutional rights. CASE: Hardwick v. Heyward, No. 12-1455 (filed […]
Law digest: 2/21/13
MARYLAND COURT OF APPEALS Professional Responsibility, Disbarment: Disbarment was the appropriate sanction where attorney violated Title 16 of the Maryland Rules and many of the Maryland Lawyers’ Rules of Professional Conduct, including those involving the mishandling and misappropriation of client funds. Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland v. Paul Winston Gardner II, Misc. Docket AG No.[...]