Stakeholders and advocates in the fight to reform Maryland’s pretrial release process gathered at the University of Baltimore School of Law on Thursday, one day before members of the Maryland Judiciary’s rules committee were set to meet to discuss changes ...

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Maryland’s top court Monday approved procedural rules designed to ensure that defendants are represented by counsel at initial bail hearings; however, it delayed their implementation for an unknown amount of time.

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The state public defender will not seek to delay the effect of a high court decision that criminal defendants have a constitutional right to counsel at initial bail hearings, a ruling that could require the state to pay $28 million annually to provide the legal assistance.

Tagged with: maryland court of appeals Maryland Public Defender Paul B. DeWolfe Senate Budget and Taxation Committee

Maryland’s chief legal officer and its chief public defender are awaiting word from the U.S. Supreme Court on whether it will keep allowing the state’s police to collect DNA samples from people arrested for violent crimes, despite a Maryland high court ruling that bars the collections except when absolutely necessary to identify the arrestee.

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The Maryland Office of the Public Defender on Friday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to stop allowing police to collect DNA samples from people arrested for violent crimes, contrary to a ruling by the state’s highest court.

Tagged with: Baltimore case chief justice roberts collection decision dna doug gansler maryland Maryland Office of the Public Defender Maryland Public Defender Paul B. DeWolfe public defender stay Supreme Court

In an unsigned one-page opinion, Maryland’s top court has overturned an armed-robbery conviction nearly three years after it reversed the conviction of the man’s brother — and for identical reasons. Pablo Guillermo Lancaster and his brother, Jovan, were tried together ...

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ANNAPOLIS – Maryland’s top court has adopted a procedural rule for providing public defenders to indigent defendants at bail review hearings. The Court of Appeals’ rule, which took effect last Tuesday, follows the enactment last month of House Bill 261, ...

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ANNAPOLIS — Maryland’s top court has effectively decided to hold off on ordering that public defenders be provided to indigent suspects at initial bail hearings until the General Assembly acts on legislation that could make such an order moot. The ...

Tagged with: attorneys bail hearings chief judge robert m. bell Del. Tiffany T. Alston delay DeWolfe v. Richmond lawyers maryland maryland court of appeals Maryland Public Defender Paul B. DeWolfe rule

Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposed $1.1 million boost to the public defender’s budget next fiscal year is welcome, but falls short of the money the agency will need to comply with the decision that it must represent indigent defendants at initial ...

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