ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland’s Supreme Court on Monday upheld the constitutionality of a state law that ended the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits following a report that exposed widespread wrongdoing within the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
The court upheld the 2023 law in a 4-3 ruling, saying the Maryland General Assembly had the authority to change the law as it did, after hearing arguments in September.
Opposition over the law’s constitutionality focused on an earlier 2017 law that established a cutoff age of 38 for victims to sue. The justices considered whether it was written in a way that permanently protected certain defendants from liability. The court concluded that the Maryland Legislature has the power to change such a statute, which it did in passing the 2023 law.
Statutes of limitation serve an important purpose. When a lawsuit is filed decades after an event, memories have faded and physical evidence may no longer be available. As a result, litigation is often based upon he said, she said and we know how that turns out. In most cases, the alleged perpetrator is found guilty. In addition, many people will be charged with a crime they have not committed and their lives as well as the lives of the members of their families will be significantly harmed. The law in this case is yet one more example of a law that is too broad and will catch many innocent people in its net. I can only hope no states follow this example. I also hope the U.S. Supreme Court will grant review of this decision and overturn it.
How will they explain why retired Officer Handsy has no recent victims? There were dozens back when he was an Explorer Scout Mentor, but not one since he retired 20 years ago? How is that possible?
Ms. PhysEd routinely hooked up with boys in her gym class for years… some as young as 14… but since she retired… nothing? Also, why no “victims” that were not in her HS Gym Class, ever?
Over and over we will find this? For every one person that has so much as a single recent victim, there will be 20 that have none? There will be thousands of people that loose lawsuits for events that took place 20+ years ago, but virtually nobody will face charges for anything recent?
The more ancient crimes get unearthed, the more “Lifetime Frightening and High” is exposed as a lie? Doesn’t matter what they did, who they did it to, or how often they did it, the supermajority eventually stop? Only a tiny percentage of people continue with that kinds of behaviors for life… and the majority of the ones that do, target adult women?
Even people that are exclusively attracted to preadolescent children get older, and with age comes wisdom, restraint, reduced libido, and very often, regret for past misdeeds.