Source: thedailyrecord.com 4/7/25 ANNAPOLIS — Maryland lawmakers passed a measure Saturday to try to limit future liabilities from claims of sexual abuse at state and private institutions after thousands of people unexpectedly came forward with allegations of abuse, many of them in youth detention centers, putting potentially billions of dollars at stake for the state. The wave of cases targeting the state’s juvenile justice system resulted after Maryland eliminated the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims two years ago with the Catholic Church abuse scandal in mind. The measure, which now goes…
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MD: Lawmakers consider proposal to reduce potential of billions in sex abuse payouts
Source: marylandmatters.org 3/25/25 Supporters and opponents brace for courtroom fight if bill passes Facing the potential of multibillion-dollar payouts, lawmakers will consider legislation this week that would limit the state’s liability under the 2023 Child Victims Act. But advocates, legal experts and, not unexpectedly, attorneys for one group of nearly 5,000 plaintiffs who claim to have been sexually abused at the hands of state workers, say the proposed fix goes too far, and is likely unconstitutional. Even Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles), the author of both the original bill and…
Read MoreMD: Registered sex offenders living next to Maryland schools, parents outraged that it’s legal
Source: wsbt.com 3/18/23 BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Registered sex offenders living just feet from schools – it sounds like a parent’s nightmare. But WBFF found that it’s happening in Maryland, and it’s perfectly legal. Registered sex offenders living next to Maryland schools, parents outraged that it’s legal (WBFF) “I didn’t think that was possible,” said Casey Gerlach, a Baltimore County mother. “It’s terrifying,” added another Baltimore County mother Mary Frances Gensor. Maryland is home to about 6,500 registered sex offenders. According to the sex offender registry, nine offenders in seven locations live…
Read MoreMD: Maryland’s highest court upholds ending statute of limitations on child sex abuse lawsuits
Source: apnews.com 2/3/25 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…
Read MoreMD: Wilson would consider limits to landmark law compensating child sex abuse victims
Source: marylandmatters.org 1/22/25 The lead sponsor of a 2023 law that vastly expanded the ability of child sex abuse victims to sue their abusers and the institutions that protected them said Tuesday he is open to finding ways of limiting the financial jeopardy faced by state government. Negotiations to settle allegations against the state by 3,500 people could add additional strain on a budget that already required $3 billion in proposed cuts and tax changes to balance. Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles) said Tuesday that he has concerns about the looming…
Read MoreMD: Legislators warned of ‘enormous liability’ related to sex abuse lawsuits
Source: marylandmatters.org 1/20/25 Potential settlement could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions, potentially billions for 3,500 cases involving allegations of sexual abuse against state agencies An effort by Gov. Wes Moore (D) to resolve a $3 billion budget deficit could be hampered by hundreds of millions — potentially billions — in settlements related to a 2023 law that eliminated statutory limits on lawsuits filed by survivors of child sexual abuse. News of the potential liability under the Child Victims Act of 2023 came at the same meeting where members of the…
Read MoreMD: 13-year-old boy charged for sex offense on University of Maryland campus
Source: dcnewsnow.com 10/18/24 [ACSOL note: this shows the need to educate children in how to avoid violating the law] COLLEGE PARK, Md. (DC News Now) — A 13-year-old boy was charged with a sex offense at the University of Maryland (UMD), police said Thursday. … A student told police that around 11 a.m., she was walking in that area when a “young male” walked up to her and started to ask her questions. She said that during that conversation, the boy touched her inappropriately before running away and leaving down…
Read MoreMD: Report details ‘staggering’ church sex abuse in Maryland
Source: apnews.com 4/5/23 BALTIMORE (AP) — More than 150 Catholic priests and others associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused over 600 children and often escaped accountability, according to a long-awaited state report released Wednesday that revealed the scope of abuse spanning 80 years and accused church leaders of decades of coverups. The report paints a damning picture of the archdiocese, which is the oldest Roman Catholic diocese in the country and spans much of Maryland. Some parishes, schools and congregations had more than one abuser at the same…
Read MoreMD: Law would ban student sex offenders from Washington County Public Schools’ property
Source: heraldmailmedia.com 5/6/22 A proposed policy would ban students that are registered as sex offenders from taking classes on property owned by Washington County Public Schools The student can still take classes, but at another location off of school property. “I would just say that this is not one that you necessarily want to see come up on your policy committee agenda, but to me it seems that the main motivation here is that we are protecting our students by denying entry of student-registered sex offenders,” school board member Pieter…
Read MoreMD: Maryland judge commits suicide as feds moved in for child porn arrest
Source: nypost.com 9/11/21 A Maryland judge fatally shot himself just as federal law enforcement showed up to his home to arrest him on child porn charges Friday morning, authorities said. Caroline County Circuit Court Judge Jonathan Newell, 50, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound by FBI agents at around 6:43 a.m., according to the Maryland US Attorney’s Office. The feds were at the judge’s Henderson home to arrest him on a complaint charging him with sexual exploitation of a child for allegedly filming teenage boys in the nude…
Read MoreMD: Maryland’s Most Wanted – Kevin, convicted of a sex offense
Source: foxbaltimore.com 6/22/21 BALTIMORE (WBFF) — A person convicted of a sex offense accused of failing to register and then skipping town is the focus of this week’s Maryland’s Most Wanted. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, 59-year-old Kevin … has been on the run for more than a year. Kevin, who was convicted of sexual assault in New Jersey in 2001, is now accused of failing to register. “There’s a reason the law requires these individuals to register,” said Deputy US Marshal Al Maresca. “It’s in the public interest.”…
Read MoreMD: Who is Meredith Martin? Ex-teacher acquitted of sex abuse after student lied
Source: meaww.com 6/15/21 ARUNDEL COUNTY, MARYLAND: A former Arundel County, Maryland, high school teacher, has been acquitted of charges of having sex with a student after it was found that the victim who made the allegations lied years ago while under oath in court. Meredith Susan Barry Martin, 39, who was also a former biology teacher at South River High School, was found not guilty of five counts of having intercourse while in a position of authority, one count of unnatural or perverted practice, and sex abuse of a minor. She was also found…
Read MoreMD: Maryland bans sex offenders from being students in pubic schools after Project Baltimore investigation
[foxbaltimore.com – 5/24/21] Baltimore County (WBFF) – Students throughout Maryland are now safer in school. Following a Project Baltimore investigation, Governor Larry Hogan has signed a new law making Maryland the first state in the country to ban registered sex offenders from being students inside public schools. … The new law bans convicted sex offenders from attending Maryland public schools, while setting up alternative means to educate them outside the classroom. Previously, sex offenders could receive special permission by school administrators to enroll. Now, this new law includes a penalty…
Read MoreMD: New Law Bans Montgomery County Landlords From Denying Housing To People Convicted Of Minor Crimes
[dcist.com – 4/20/21] Legislation touted as “ban the box” for rental housing passed the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday, with sponsors saying the bill will make it easier for individuals experiencing homelessness to find a place to live. … But the bill allows landlords to consider a tenant’s sex offender registry status in addition to any sex offense arrests or convictions. Read the full article Look for sex bills and laws in your state
Read MoreMD: Annapolis, MD (KB) Frederick County Delegate Jesse Pippy said he is sponsoring sex offender legislation
[wfmd.com – 2/9/21] Annapolis, MD (KB) Frederick County Delegate Jesse Pippy said he is sponsoring five pieces of legislation at the 2021 General Assembly in Annapolis. One has to do with the sex offender registry and expungement. “There has been a push recently to expunge certain offenses off peoples’ records,” he explained. Delegate Pippy said this bill will make sure that individuals who are on the sex registry are prohibited from getting their sex offenses expunged. Read the full article Bill search
Read MoreMD: Maryland mom fighting to create tougher laws against child sex predators (HB531 and SB333)
[wjla.com – 1/28/21] A Maryland mom is back at it in Annapolis at the State House next week working to create tougher penalties for child sex abusers. Annie Kenny is fighting to pass the Sex Offender – Lifetime Supervision bill. The 2021 versions are HB531 and SB333. We first told you about Kenny in 2019. Mom wants Maryland sex offender laws changed to better protect children. The bill would mandate that anyone convicted of sexually abusing a minor in the State of Maryland, which makes them a Tier III Registered…
Read MoreSCOTUS: Petition Maryland v. Rogers
Maryland v. Rogers addresses whether sex offender registration is “punishment” within the meaning of the Sixth and 14th Amendments. Jimmie Rogers pleaded guilty to a Maryland criminal law that provides that a person may not knowingly “take or cause another to be taken to any place for prostitution.” Because the victim’s age was not an element of the offense, the prosecution did not present evidence of her age. However, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services determined that the victim was a minor. After Rogers’ release from prison,…
Read MoreMD: Maryland High court rules sex offender registration qualifies as ‘punishment’
[By Guy Hamilton-Smith, an ACSOL board member, a 2019 JustLeadershipUSA fellow, and a contributor to The Appeal and Slate. You can read more of his writing on his website] The Maryland Court of Appeals — Maryland’s highest court — issued an opinion this week that, effectively, calls a spade a spade: that being listed on a sex offense registry constitutes punishment. In Rogers v. State, the appellant had been convicted of a crime that would require registration if the victim was a minor. However, the age of the victim was not an element of…
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