Courts Archives

Governor’s Recent Court Appointees Have County Government Experience

Governor Moore recently appointed three new members to court systems in Baltimore County, Montgomery, and Prince George's and each of them has meaningful county government experience. In a recent announcement, Governor Moore appointed three individuals to the Circuit Courts of Baltimore County and Montgomery, and the District Court in Prince George's. All three appointees have had unique touchpoints with local governments throughout their careers. A court membership that understands the legal dynamics around counties is…

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November 13, 2024

Courts / Energy / Winter Conference

Lack of Common Ground on Energy Project Troubles Stakeholders

A federal lawsuit was filed by Ocean City, MD concerning the proposed near-shore wind farm project intended to be located around 10 miles off the shore of the municipality coast in Worcester County. According to the Baltimore Banner, government officials in Ocean City, MD have filed a lawsuit in federal court concerning the approval process for a wind farm. The plaintiff, Ocean City, argues that the assessment violated a number of federal laws designed to…

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October 28, 2024

Courts

Library Partnership Improves Remote Court Access in Illinois

A pilot program in Illinois is creating resource hubs in public libraries for justice-involved individuals to access court resources remotely as a way to promote hearing attendance and compliance. The courts in Illinois have partnered with public libraries to make navigating the legal system easier. By establishing a piloting program consisting of 18 Court Access Library Centers, justice-involved individuals can participate in hearings remotely, study legal information and resources, and file official documents. These types…

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October 17, 2024

Courts / Public Safety and Corrections

SCOTUS Lets Anne Arundel County Gun Safety Law Stand

In a recent announcement, the Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear a challenge to a local gun safety law passed in Anne Arundel County in 2022, leaving the law in place. On Monday, the United States Supreme Court announced its disposition on a long list of certiorari petitions. A local case previously covered on Conduit Street, MD Shall Issue, Inc., et al. v. Anne Arundel County, MD, was declined without comment, allowing the…

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October 10, 2024

Courts / Elections / News You Can Use

Pennsylvania High Court Upholds Mail-In Ballot Rules Ahead of Presidential Election

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania left the state’s vote-by-mail laws intact weeks before the November 5 presidential election. The court’s decision to maintain the status quo came as it dismissed requests from voting rights groups and the Republican National Committee (RNC) to alter or clarify current voting procedures. Voting rights groups had sought to block a rule requiring mail-in ballots to include a handwritten date on the return envelope. However, the court, citing concerns over…

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October 7, 2024

Courts / Energy / Environment / General Assembly News / News You Can Use

Energy Providers Challenge Maryland’s New Consumer Protection Law

Several large energy companies have sued to block Maryland’s new law regulating the retail electricity market, claiming it restricts their ability to market renewable energy and violates their First Amendment rights. The law, set to take effect on January 1, 2025, introduces significant restrictions on how energy providers market renewable energy products. Under the new law, retail energy suppliers must source at least 51 percent of their renewable energy credits (RECs) from local or regional…

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October 3, 2024

Courts

Meta Agrees to Pay $1.4B to Texas in Facial Recognition Settlement

Meta settled a billion-dollar lawsuit over the use of facial recognition technology to power the "tag suggestion" feature, which was discontinued in 2021. In 2022 Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Facebook parent company, claiming it had used personal biometric data without permission. The primary allegation from the case focused on Meta's use of facial recognition software on photos uploaded to Facebook without the user's consent. The $1.4B settlement is considered the largest settlement…

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August 5, 2024

County News / Courts / Intergovernmental Relations / Public Safety and Corrections

Conduit Street Podcast: Legislative Progress and Challenges in Public Safety with Senator Will Smith

In this week's Conduit Street Podcast, Sarah Sample discusses major issues affecting public safety and health care for justice-involved populations.

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August 2, 2024

Courts

National Local Government Associations Weigh Recent SCOTUS Decisions

The 2023 - 2024 U.S. Supreme Court term has ended and a host of organizations are weighing the impacts on local governments. Earlier this month, the National League of Cities (NLC) released its assessment of the most recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings and how those decisions can affect the work of local governments. Additionally, the NLC in conjunction with the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the Local Government Legal Center (LGLC) hosted a webinar…

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August 2, 2024

Courts

Prince George’s Judge Tapped by Gov. Moore for MD Supreme Court

Judge Killough of the Prince George's County Circuit Court has been nominated by Governor Moore to fill the vacant position on the Supreme Court of Maryland. According to a press release late last week, Governor Moore has nominated Peter K. Killough to fill the vacancy in the Supreme Court’s 4th Appellate Judicial Circuit seat. From Gov. Moore: “Judge Killough is a public servant in every sense,” Moore said in a statement. “He has dedicated over a…

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July 30, 2024