An Alford plea is a type of guilty plea in criminal court where the Defendant does not admit to committing the crime, but acknowledges that the State has enough evidence to convict him or her. By entering an Alford plea, the Defendant is essentially admitting that they would likely be found guilty of the crime […]
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A “must appear” traffic citation in the State of Maryland is a type of traffic ticket that requires the recipient defendant to personally appear in court to address the charges. This means that the person who receives the citation must appear in person before a judge on the scheduled court date, and they cannot simply
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Under Maryland law, a person may not engage in what is known as disorderly conduct or what is sometimes referred to as disturbing the peace. Several different actions are considered to be criminal conduct under the relevant Maryland statute. See Md. Code Criminal Law 10-201. Disorderly conduct includes the willful and without lawful purpose obstruction or hindrance
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Malicious destruction of property is a property crime in Maryland in which a person willfully and maliciously destroys, damages, or defaces someone else’s property without the property owner’s permission. See Md. Code Criminal Law Ann. 6-301. Under recent changes to Maryland law, malicious destruction of property is a misdemeanor offense regardless of the value of
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First-degree assault is a felony criminal offense that is committed when a person causes or attempts to cause a serious physical injury to another person without legal justification. Conduct that would normally be considered a second-degree assault that is coupled with the use of a firearm is also considered to be an assault in the
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NEW RELEASE – Stephen P. Shepard recently received advanced level training, from the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys, on winning DUI cases using finger dexterity. It is critically important to understand that officers are trained that alcohol goes to the muscles and, if a person is impaired, the alcohol in the muscles will cause
Wanton trespass is a property crime that is committed when a person is present on the property of another after being notified by the owner of the property or a person under his or her authority to keep off the property and when there is no good faith claim of right to remain on the
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NEWS RELEASE – Stephen P. Shepard recently received advanced level training, from the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys, on attacking DUI reports and videos in DUI cases. To effectively attack DUI reports and videos, it is critical to know and use the officer’s NHTSA Manuals against him. Even the most experienced officers miss important
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An indictment is a charging document or written accusation that a prosecutor submits to a grand jury to aid the prosecutor in deciding whether or not to charge a person with a crime. If the grand jury finds that there is probable cause to believe that (i) a crime was committed and (ii) the Defendant
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With certain exceptions and limitations, the spousal privilege provides that the spouse of a Defendant on trial for a crime may not be compelled or forced to testify as an adverse witness against the Defendant spouse. See Md. Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings 9-106. It most commonly arises in cases of domestic violence or assault
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