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High court refers dispute over attorney grievance discovery rules to committee
The Maryland Judiciary's rules committee will revisit a recent change to discovery rules after the revision became a key issue in a pending attorney grievance proceeding.
Judge won’t halt public information requests in suit against Baltimore Co.
GREENBELT — A federal judge declined Wednesday to involve herself in a records dispute between Baltimore County and plaintiffs to a lawsuit alleging the police improperly handle sexual assault investigations. The county alleged in letters to the court earlier this year that the plaintiffs were filing Maryland Public Information Act, or MPIA, requests as a […]
It’s time to amend Maryland’s discovery rules
Discovery is an evil-though-necessary process and there should be better guidelines and rules governing the discovery process
Discovery moving HQ from Silver Spring to New York
Discovery Communications is moving its headquarters from Silver Spring to New York City by 2019. The relocation is dependent on the Discovery’s acquisition of Scripps Network Interactive. A national operations headquarters will also be opened at Scripps’ Nashville, Tennessee, campus. “The media industry is rapidly evolving, increasingly global, more consumer focused and more mult[...]
Governor’s office ordered to turn over some documents in juvenile lifers case
The governor’s office will have to turn over a half-dozen risk assessments prepared by the parole commission to plaintiffs challenging the parole system’s treatment of juvenile lifers, a federal magistrate judge has ruled. Other than the risk assessments, Judge J. Mark Coulson on Wednesday either sided with the state and denied the motion or said he will […]
Stay lifted in Baltimore police internal affairs records dispute
The Court of Special Appeals has lifted a temporary stay requested by a Baltimore police sergeant of a criminal trial after finding the officer does not have standing to ask the court to review the circuit court’s decision allowing him to be questioned about his internal affairs records. Sgt. Joseph Donato requested and received the stay last week as […]
Baltimore prosecutors: Role in hearing on access to internal affairs files ‘proactive’
Criminal defense attorneys celebrated a victory for transparency this week as they were given permission by a Baltimore city judge to attempt to introduce internal affairs records for a police sergeant into evidence in their clients’ cases. But statements from the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office claim that its “proactive” efforts led to a consolidated […]
Attorneys gain access to Baltimore police officer’s internal affairs records
Defense attorneys will seek to have evidence from more than 30 internal affairs records relating to a Baltimore police sergeant admitted in multiple criminal cases after a judge granted them access to the files last week. Attorneys for 20 defendants argued earlier this month in consolidated proceedings that records related to Sgt. Joseph M. Donato should […]
Prosecutors, defense lawyers begin to see impact of police body cameras
The impact of the widespread use of police body cameras is still uncertain, but as larger departments continue to put more cameras on the street, prosecutors and defense attorneys have a more immediate concern: how to find time to review all of the footage when it hits their desks. Natalie Finegar, deputy public defender in […]
Unsealed documents reveal discovery disputes in Freddie Gray cases
Nearly one year after vitriolic court filings began flying in earnest as litigation in the Freddie Gray cases ramped up, Baltimore City Circuit Judge Barry Williams is unsealing court documents.
Bankruptcy judgment entered after ‘astonishing’ discovery violations
A couple accused of running mortgage fraud schemes committed such “astonishing” discovery violations that the sanction imposed by a federal judge last week was a final judgment in the case. Vincent L. Abell, his wife, Marta Bertola, and their company, American Trust LLC, repeatedly destroyed and concealed electronic evidence in the bankruptcy proceedings. “They have […]
As discovery continues in Freddie Gray case, so will filing of defense motions
In the span of two recent business days, lawyers representing the Baltimore police officers charged in connection with the death of Freddie Gray filed one motion seeking to force city prosecutors to hand over information from their independent investigation and another motion accusing prosecutors of “judge-shopping” on a search warrant. With the discovery stage of […]
