2021 Judicial Conference Program

Legislative Committee Hon. W. Timothy Finan, Chair Hon. Stacy A. Mayer, Vice Chair

PURPOSE

The Legislative Committee protects and promotes the Judiciary’s interests regarding new laws and initiatives.

MEMBERS

Hon. Kathleen G. Cox, Hon. Joseph M. Getty, Pamela Q. Harris, Hon. Melvin J. Jews, Hon. Andrea M. Leahy, Hon. John P. Morrissey, Hon. S. James Sarbanes, and Hon. Michael J. Stamm. Kelley O’Connor and Suzanne Pelz, Staff.

SUBCOMMITTEES

Criminal Law Subcommittee Civil Law Subcommittee

The Judiciary analyzed more than 2,700 bills during the 2020 Session of the Maryland General Assembly. Often in consultation with Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera and supported by her advocacy and that of Chief Judge John Morrissey and State Court Administrator Pam Harris, the Legislative Committee focused on 830 bills. Committee deliberations often benefited from the thoughtful analyses of its Criminal and Civil Law subcommittees as well as other Judicial Conference committees. In addition to the extraordinary efforts of the committee members, Judiciary representatives who made the trek to Annapolis on various issues included: Judge Alan Wilner, Chief Judge Matthew Fader, Judge Alexander Wright, Judge Laura Ripken, Judge Shannon Avery, Judge Vicki Ballou-Watts, Judge Stacy Mayer, Judge Nathan Braverman and Judge Nicole Pastore. The Committee also depends on numerous staff members of the Administrative Office of the Courts as well as the District Court for assistance in determining the fiscal impact of hundreds of legislative proposals. Bills of interest that failed this session included several measures that would have eliminated contested judicial elections, one that would have increased the mandatory retirement age of judges, provided for attorney security passes, created a pilot project for income-based fines in the District Court and a bill that would have provided collective bargaining rights for specified employees of the circuit courts and the District Court. In addition, a bill was introduced again this session which would have required the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy to include the sentencing judge among other data for each conviction of a crime of violence in its annual report. House Bill 75 would have also required the clerk of a court to include the name of the judge or magistrate who took judicial action when providing case information in Case Search. In addition, for the fifth year in a row, a bill was introduced which would have allowed cameras in the courtroom. All of these bills failed. Legislation also failed that would have allowed eligibility for individual charges within a case to be expunged as well as a measure that would have provided for automatic expungement of certain charges. While the expansion of the number or type of records eligible for expungement falls squarely within the policymaking purview of the legislature, these measures would have had a significant fiscal and operational impact on the Judiciary. Bills that were successful, but ultimately vetoed by the Governor*, would have affected the Maryland Judiciary Case Search. HB 1336 prohibited the Maryland Judiciary Case Search from in any way referring

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