Sign In
Free Newsletter
Baltimore man exonerated in 1991 murder after 30 years in prison
A 60-year-old Baltimore man will go free after serving almost 30 years in prison for a 1991 murder that state prosecutors now agree he likely did not commit. Paul M. Madison appeared briefly Tuesday at a virtual hearing in Baltimore City Circuit Court, where his conviction in the killing of William Richardson was vacated at […]
Baltimore murder conviction reversed due to prosecutor’s error
The prosecution’s challenge to an accused murderer's testimony came too late, a Maryland appeals court has held, overturning the man’s conviction and life sentence.
Juror’s comment showed she was tired, not biased
A man convicted of murder is not entitled to a new trial despite a deliberating juror’s statement that she would be willing to change her vote if it meant getting home sooner.
Top court reverses murder conviction
A Prince George’s County man convicted of murder will get a new trial after the state’s top court found that a prosecutor overstated the results of DNA testing during closing arguments.
Top 5: ‘I don’t think I can choose from among my children’
The Court of Appeals dominates the most-read legal affairs stories of the week — and only one story is related to an opinion. Gov. Martin O’Malley appointed a new judge to Maryland’s top court, which also took the rare step of withdrawing a decision it made in October. A Daily Record investigation into the judges’ […]
Court of Appeals withdraws decision, letting murder conviction fall
Maryland’s highest court has withdrawn a decision it took nearly three years to issue — which, in turn, erased the murder conviction the Oct. 25 decision had revived. Monday’s one-sentence order offered little explanation for the court’s rare step, saying only that “in light of” a motion for reconsideration it had received, the Court of […]
Week in review: 11/18/11
Caesars proposes ‘dramatic’ casino The development group led by Caesars Entertainment Corp. touted its proposed 260,000-square-foot casino on Russell Street as a “dramatic new gateway to downtown” Baltimore on Monday. Harrah’s Baltimore would include 3,750 slot machines, a steakhouse, a 400-seat buffet and a Baltimore-themed sports bar. Constellation merger delay Constellation Energy Gr[...]
Court of Special Appeals overturns murder conviction
A man convicted of murder is entitled to a new trial because his first jury heard, three times, that he was on parole at the time of the killing, the Court of Special Appeals held Monday. The court said the prosecutor should not have referenced Marquis Evans’ parole in opening statements or solicited testimony that […]
Letters to the Editor – 10/17/11
Given that The Daily Record was unable contact my attorney about the second vindication of my legal rights against a recalcitrant circuit court, I would like to comment about the article covering the Sept. 22 Court of Appeals decision (“Convicted murderer can question lab tech about DNA from 1973 case,” Sept. 26). This is not […]
Murder conviction overturned due to ‘Miranda’ violations
A murder suspect’s request that he not talk to police anymore until he spoke with a lawyer was an unambiguous invocation of his right to counsel, the state’s top court ruled Tuesday. The Court of Appeals granted Warren Lee Ballard a new trial Tuesday because a detective pushed him to keep talking after he had […]
Murder conviction falls due to MySpace page
Maryland’s top court has delved into the world of social networking in overturning a murder conviction and 50-year prison sentence. In a 5-2 decision, the Court of Appeals said a judge improperly admitted into evidence an incriminating threat to a would-be trial witness that was purportedly posted on the MySpace page of the defendant’s girlfriend. […]
Voir dire error dooms murder conviction
Prospective jurors must be questioned about any potential biases related to the alleged criminal act before them, the Court of Appeals has held in affirming a lower court’s decision to overturn a murder conviction. Previous rulings by the state’s highest court on mandatory voir dire questions have led some to “understandably believe that we have […]
