Topics Laws and Legislation Crime Maryland General Assembly


By City Paper

Heightened public concern over misconduct by law enforcers has spawned two bills in the Maryland General Assembly proposed by Baltimore City Hall that would crack down on law-breaking cops. House Bill 363 would prohibit a “law enforcement officer, while acting in the course of the officer's official duties, from committing a misdemeanor or felony that carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment of more than 1 year,” and a violator would be guilty of felony misconduct in office, with a maximum 10-year sentence to run consecutive to whatever term of confinement is imposed in the originating crime. It is scheduled for a hearing on March 12 before the House Judiciary Committee. House Bill 384 would strip law enforcers convicted of a felony or misdemeanor carrying a maximum sentence of more than a year, or had such a conviction set aside, from the right they currently have to a hearing under the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights, a law designed to protect officers accused of misconduct from overzealous punishment. Its hearing before the House Appropriations Committee is scheduled for March 10.