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.
