The Role of Witness Statements in a First-Degree Assault Case

Let’s start with the obvious: assault in the first degree is a serious, potentially life-ruining charge. Not only can it land you in hot legal water, but the charge alone can destroy your reputation. A conviction? Forget it. And it’s not hard to get charged, either. According to Maryland Code 3-202, you can be charged…

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Of COURSE Maryland Has Traffic Ticket Quotas

Police officers should give traffic tickets based on whether drivers actually violate the law, and not because the officers are ordered to have a quota of tickets. Writing traffic tickets should not be a way to fund police departments or local governments. Law enforcement should be independent from any government funding to ensure the integrity…

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Driving Under the Influence of Recreational Cannabis

By July 4, 2023, anyone in Maryland who is old enough to drink will legally be able to possess and use up to an ounce and a half of cannabis. They’ll also be able to grow two plants. Maryland legislators are trying to figure out the logistics of enabling this new right. The initial focus…

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Touched a Neck in a Fight? First Degree Assault Charges for You

Can you be charged with a first-degree felony in Maryland just for placing your arm around the neck of a spouse, date, relative, friend, or anyone? The answer is maybe. If the placement is considered “pressure” and you intended to place your arm where you did, and the placement impedes the normal breathing or blood…

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What Exactly Can I Do With an Ignition Interlock Device?

Do you remember getting grounded as a kid? Do you remember what it was like to lose certain privileges you took for granted, and just how hard it was to deal with? Sometimes you don’t realize how much you need something before it’s taken away, and that doesn’t change as you grow up. As adults,…

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The Art of Picking a Jury for Your Domestic Violence Case

Few things in life can be more stressful than sitting on trial and facing several, expensive years behind bars. Really, just that sentence raises the blood pressure. Ideally, only those who truly committed a crime are ever on trial (let alone convicted), but that just isn’t how it happens. If you are accused, you have…

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