2025 Judicial Education Course Catalog

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23 Wellness in the Court! Reducing Effects of Trauma for Everyone (Judges, too!) D I & 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Wear comfortable clothes! In this course, participants will learn about the brain’s structures and how we process stress and trauma. We will also learn about the effects of trauma on child development and adult behavior. Finally, we will explore best practices for litigants, witnesses, and ourselves to mitigate courtroom stress and trauma! Prepare to move as we incorporate yoga, breathing exercises, and other physical techniques for calming our central nervous systems. Coordinator: Hon. Shannon Avery FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 OFF SITE: FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT - BALTIMORE Historical Trials: The Freedom Trials D I & 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. The resistance to slavery before the Civil War took many forms, including the Underground Railroad, political organization and mobilization in the North, and occasional revolts. There was an additional, lesser-known form of resistance, the Freedom Trials. From colonial times on up to the infamous Dred Scott decision, enslaved persons brought legal actions against slave owners for their emancipation with surprising success. This year’s historic trials program will discuss the Freedom Trials with special attention to the trials in Prince George’s County, MD, and in St. Louis, MO. The program will also discuss the Dred Scott decision within the larger tradition of freedom suits. Coordinator: Hon. Stephen Sfekas

OCTOBER

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9 District Court Potpourri 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

You take a little of this, add to it A LOT of that, and BAM - you have District Court potpourri. Not unlike a District Court docket, this all-day course will take you on a wild ride. We will tackle many topics including, but not limited to, Protective Orders/Peace Orders/Extreme Risk Protective Orders and Emergency Petition hearings, sentencing issues, bail review hearings, landlord tenant issues, and more. Lastly, we will discuss recent changes in the laws and recent cases and their effect on the District Court. Coordinators: Hon. Ada Clark-Edwards; Hon Danielle Mosley TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21 4th and 6th Amendment Suppression Issues 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. This course will examine the rights protected by the Fourth and Sixth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the procedural safeguards in place to protect those rights, and how judges apply those procedural safeguards in trial courts. Participants will share tips and strategies for conducting pretrial evidentiary hearings under Rule 4-252. Other topics will include the current state of the law regarding the Exclusionary Rule and its various exceptions as well as the most recent jurisprudence on the right to counsel and the right of confrontation in Maryland courts. Coordinator: Hon. Robert Taylor OCTOBER 22 Enhancing Judicial Skills and Emerging Trends in Domestic Violence with Judicial College

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Judicial College of Maryland