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What To Expect At Traffic Court
What to expect at traffic court
Receiving a traffic citation in Maryland is something you may have experienced in the past. You may have chosen to simply accept the citation and pay it.
But there could come a time when you get a traffic ticket for something you believe you are not guilty of and wonder what your options are. Alternatively, even though it is "just a traffic ticket," being found guilty of the traffic violation could affect your driving privileges or employment, giving you a reason to fight it.
You have two options and both involve requesting a hearing in traffic court.
Waiver hearings
Your first option is a waiver hearing, which is a hearing where you plead guilty to the charge but are given an opportunity to provide an explanation.
At a waiver hearing, you are given a chance to tell your side of the story to the judge. You can request that the judge reduce your fine, waive it altogether or put you on probation.
Although getting a chance to talk to the judge sounds promising, you also take a risk by requesting a waiver hearing. After hearing what you have to say, the judge could choose to increase your fine to up to $500.
Can The Police Track My License Plate?
Can the police track my license plate?
Have you seen cameras on the highway lately? As cameras are increasingly being removed from highways for the purpose of enforcing speed limits, they are being replaced with license plate readers, much to the concern of many Americans as they capture license plates regardless of guilt or innocence.
What are license plate readers?
License plate readers look like cameras, but they track license plates of all passing vehicles. They are mounted on highways, road signs, bridges, police cars and other city vehicles. And, they can take pictures of thousands of license plates a minute. The license plate numbers, along with the date, time and location of the picture, is collected in a database that is usually pooled with other databases. Currently, there are no rules or regulations for such databases, even though the vast majority of these data are for innocent motorists and their location and travel information.
Not restricted to law enforcement
Currently, these data could be used or sold to anyone for any purpose. It is not restricted to just law enforcement. Cities and law enforcement could sell this information to third-party aggregators that already create massive information networks on American citizens.
Where You Are Accused Of Distributing Drugs Matters
Where you are accused of distributing drugs matters
If you were arrested and accused of selling drugs, you likely know that you could potentially be in a lot of trouble. The penalties for a drug distribution conviction include fines and prison time. The harshness of these penalties depends in part on where you were when the alleged crime occurred.
Distribution in school zones
Distribution near schools, playgrounds and other places where children are likely to be present is treated more harshly under federal law than distribution elsewhere.
It is illegal to distribute drugs or intend to distribute drugs within one thousand feet of a public or private school, college, university or playground or within 100 feet of certain other places where children might be present such as youth centers, swimming pools or arcades.
It is not a defense that the accused did not know how close they were to a school or other location where children were likely to be present.
When Is Fleeing The Scene Of A Crash A Felony Crime?
When is fleeing the scene of a crash a felony crime?
It is easy to panic if you are in a car crash that might have seriously injured or killed the other driver. You do not know how to handle the situation, and your first instinct may be to flee.
Leaving the scene of an accident in a criminal offense. And, if you leave the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury or a fatality, you may have committed a felony crime.
Maryland law on serious hit-and-runs
Maryland statutes state that if a driver is involved in a crash that they know or should have known might have caused serious bodily injury to another, the driver must remain at the scene of the crash.
An injury is serious if there is a substantial risk of death, if it results in serious disfigurement, if it results in serious loss of function or if it results in serious impairment of function.
Violating this statute could result in a prison sentence of up to one year and/or a fine of up to $3,000. If serious bodily injury occurred, a violation of this statute is a felony and could result in a prison sentence of up to five years and/or a fine of up to $5,000.
Defending Bank And Mortgage Fraud Charges
Defending bank and mortgage fraud charges
We live in a post-2008 world that is still awash with fears of rampant financial frauds throughout the financial world, including throughout the mortgage industry. This means that Annapolis, Maryland, prosecutors are looking to charges for bank and mortgage fraud.
What is it?
Essentially, fraud is any misrepresentation or deception, so mortgage fraud is any misrepresentation or deception in a mortgage transaction. This can be on the front end or the back end, and it can be on the customer side or the employee side. Specifically, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, mortgage fraud is any material misstatement, misrepresentation or omission relating to the property or potential mortgage that an underwriter or lender relies on to fund, purchase or insure a loan.
Customer side fraud
Customer side fraud is often called fraud for housing because it is customers that commit fraud to attain housing in Annapolis, Maryland. It is fraud committed to get or maintain home ownership. Accordingly, the fraud is committed by misstating assets or income on a loan application; lying to, manipulating or enticing an appraiser to manipulate a property’s value or, in some other way, manipulating the underwriter or lender to get funding.
Refusing A DUI Breath Test In Maryland
Refusing a DUI breath test in Maryland
If a police officer suspects that you have been driving under the influence, they may ask you to blow into a breathe device. The purpose of a breathe test is to measure your blood alcohol content (BAC) level and determine whether it is over the legal limit of 0.08. A driver with a BAC level over the legal limit is presumed to be legally intoxicated and will likely be arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence.
What happens if I refuse a breath test?
Under Maryland’s implied consent laws, all licensed drivers are legally obligated to submit to a breath, blood, or urine test if asked to do so by an officer. If you refuse to take the test, your license will automatically be suspended for 270 days for first-time offenders and two years for second-time offenders and beyond.
While having your license suspended for any period of time can be an inconvenience, refusing a breath test can help you avoid a DUI conviction. Without the results from a breath test, prosecutors will find it challenging to prove that you were driving under the influence. However, keep in mind that even without these test results, prosecutors may present other evidence to show that you were intoxicated behind the wheel. This evidence may include police observation of your behavior and field sobriety test results.
Changes Coming To Maryland's Marijuana Laws
Changes coming to Maryland’s marijuana laws
As you’ve likely heard, Maryland voters recently passed a ballot measure resulting in big changes in Maryland’s marijuana laws. With these changes, Maryland will become the 21st state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.
Decriminalizing marijuana possession
Effective January 1, 2023, it is no longer a crime to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana. Rather, it is a civil violation resulting only in a fine of $100 or $250, depending on the specific amount possessed.
Legalizing marijuana possession
Beginning July 1, 2023, those 21 years of age and over will be able to lawfully possess up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Those under 21 years old will continue to be prohibited from possessing marijuana.
A person over 21 will also be able to legally grow up to two marijuana plants in their home. While Maryland marijuana law is changing, it will still be illegal under federal law and the laws of many other states to possess marijuana. This means that, even if you possess marijuana legally in Maryland, it may be a crime to bring the marijuana into a neighboring state.
Man Sentenced To Prison On Drugs And Gun Charges
Man sentenced to prison on drugs and gun charges
Using a firearm in connection with the sale or distribution of illicit drugs can result in a much lengthier prison sentence. A Baltimore man was recently sentenced to 125 months in federal prison because he allegedly used a firearm in three robberies and because he admitted that he committed the robberies to fund his drug trade.
The alleged crimes
The robberies were committed on August 4, 6 and 7 at three Maryland convenience stores. When each of the store clerks involved attempted to avoid the alleged robbers, one of them – the man who is receiving the lengthened prison term – allegedly pulled out a handgun and forced the clerk to walk to the cash register area.
The clerks were ordered to open the registers, and the robbers absconded with whatever cash was in the store.
According to news reports, on the evening of August 8, four Baltimore police officers were patrolling a neighborhood in an unmarked car. One of the officers said he spotted a partygoer whose appearance matched the physical description of one of the convenience store bandits.
No Matter What You Heard, The Victim Can't Drop Charges
No matter what you heard, the victim can’t drop charges
If you ever watch fictional crime shows, or live shows following law enforcement officers, you may think that victims can drop charges. After all, if victims can press charges, certainly, they can drop charges too, right?
Maryland law
In short, in Maryland, victims cannot drop charges that are filed. State attorneys have the power locally to file charges and also to drop them. So, a victim cannot just simply state, "No, I do not want to press charges," and then, magically erase charges, like in fictional shows.
Police officers can even present charges to a state attorney without a victim’s cooperation. However, a victim can be compelled to cooperate through a subpoena, and even jailed, if they refuse to comply.
What can victims do?
Alleged victims have the ability to make Annapolis, Maryland, police reports, aid in investigations and then, aid in subsequent trials. Whether an investigation, charges or a trial is pursued is decided by the police and state attorneys’ offices, not the victims themselves.
Jury Convicts Silver Spring Man On Gun And Drug Charges
Jury convicts Silver Spring man on gun and drug charges
Many suspected felons in Maryland keep a sharp eye out for police officers, and they are not hesitant about attempting to escape. Unhappily for them, the escape effort rarely succeeds. In a recent trial in Baltimore, the defendant had unsuccessfully attempted to escape from police when they attempted to arrest him.
The allegations
According to court records, two men were wanted by police on suspicion of related gun and drug charges. On July 25, 2019, Montgomery County sheriff’s deputies were investigating a recent shooting when they spotted a man who, they said, looked like one of the two men alleged to have been involved in the shooting.
When officers attempted to approach the two men, they allegedly ran. Officers followed and found one of the men hiding in an apartment building. The man was ordered to drop a black bag that he was carrying. The man refused and threw the bag into a nearby stairwell, where it was recovered by police. In it, police said they discovered a loaded 9mm pistol, 103 grams of marijuana packaged in four separate plastic bags, a scale and latex gloves. The man was under supervised release for a previous federal conviction.
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