Courts Archives

Maryland School Systems Navigate Recent Federal Decisions on Transgender Athlete Policies

A new US Supreme Court decision and recently launched investigation by the US Department of Education into multiple Maryland school systems could complicate local education policy implementation. Local administrators though remain committed to balancing the protection of all students while staying in compliance with federal laws and regulations. A recent US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision allows states to enforce laws restricting transgender students from participating on girls' athletic teams while related litigation continues. Although Maryland…

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July 9, 2026

Courts / Public Safety and Corrections / Summer Conference

Appellate Court of Maryland Opinion to Curb Police “Stop and Frisk” Policies

Court limits police authority to stop individuals based solely on firearm possession post New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen decision. A recent decision from the Appellate Court of Maryland carries policy implications for law enforcement agencies across the state. In Steven Hicks v. State of Maryland, the court held that police officers may no longer stop an individual based solely on the belief that the person is carrying a handgun. Instead, officers must…

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June 29, 2026

Courts

Judge Orders Reinstatement of Harford County Council Member to Vacated Seat

Under the direction of the Appellate Court of Maryland, Harford County Circuit Court Judge W. Michel Pierson ruled that Aaron Penman must be restored to his elected seat on the Harford County Council. A recent ruling by the Appellate Court of Maryland, directed the reversal of a prior court order that had ultimately lead to Aaron Penman's removal from the Harford County Council seat that he was elected to fill. The case began in 2023…

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June 23, 2026

Courts / Government Liability and Courts

SCOTUS Orders List Includes Under-the-Radar Decisions With Broad Impact

Tracking decisions during a US Supreme Court term is vital to staying on top of implications for counties, but not all decisions with local government impacts make the headlines. The orders list can be a very useful tool to catch the most recent decisions quickly, particularly those where sweeping guidance for lower courts is issued without argument. Recent activity at the U.S. Supreme Court underscores why local governments need to closely track not just major…

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May 5, 2026

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2026 Session: Recap and Wrap-Ups

Catch up on all of the latest outcomes of the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session with wrap-ups on important county-related bills in each policy area. Maryland’s 448th legislative session unfolded under significant fiscal pressure. Lawmakers closed the fiscal 2027 gap, preserved reserves, and fully funded principal commitments, such as the Blueprint, but did not resolve the larger structural deficits projected for the years ahead. That budget pressure shaped debates across nearly every policy area, from…

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April 17, 2026

County Budgets / Courts / Government Liability and Courts / Winter Conference

#MACoCon Recap: County Officials Highlight Financial Risk From Wrongful Convictions Cost Shift

State legal experts discuss exactly how wrongful convictions cases are processed in Maryland, with county officials highlighting that "there's not a single county actor that is involved in this" process, despite the State shifting 50 percent of the cost to counties. This shift came last session along with a number of other state costs to counties, as the General Assembly sought to once again correct for perennial gaps in state revenue. During the 2025 MACo…

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December 18, 2025

Courts / Government Liability and Courts / Policy Deep Dive / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues

Roadmap for Maryland Recordation and Transfer Taxes Compliance

The Maryland State Bar Association has developed a revised guide to the multiple facets of Maryland's system of recordation and transfer taxes, as an aid to practitioners in real estate and land records. The 2025 revision updates documents last prepared in 2002, and covers both State and county-level tax systems, and the varying administration across the state. Maryland levies both State and county taxes on real estate transactions, both those that effect a sale (the…

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December 4, 2025

Courts / Government Liability and Courts

MD General Assembly Seeks Guidance to Modernize Two-Party Consent for Recording Audio

The Judiciary Committee in the Maryland House of Delegates is looking to update laws requiring two-party consent to record audio in order to grapple with the explosion of cellphone and Ring cameras. In a hearing last week, the Judiciary Committee in the Maryland House of Delegates discussed existing two-party consent requirements for recording audio and how to modernize those standards to potentially capture consent for video recording. As the law stands audio requires consent but…

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November 25, 2025

County News / Courts / Health and Human Services / News You Can Use

MD Office of Overdose Response Demystifies Opioid Restitution Fund

Maryland’s Office of Overdose Response has released a new Opioid Restitution Fund Primer to help explain how opioid settlement funds are used statewide. The Maryland Office of Overdose Response's (MOOR) Opioid Restitution Fund (ORF) Primer helps counties, partners, and the public better understand how settlement dollars from opioid litigation are being managed and distributed across the state. The Primer offers a comprehensive, plain-language overview of the state’s opioid restitution structure, tracing the origins of settlements…

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November 5, 2025

Courts / Public Safety and Corrections

MD Supreme Court Hears Case on Court-Ordered Sanctions Against MD Health Department

A case before the Maryland Supreme Court will weigh whether monetary sanctions are permissible in order to compel legal compliance by the Maryland Department of Health. The agency has been regularly found in contempt of court for lack of adherence to a state law that requires them to admit, within a certain time, individuals found not competent to stand trial. In a case between plaintiffs represented by the Maryland Office of the Public Defender (OPD)…

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November 5, 2025