Maryland Law Blog

The federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, or JJDPA, tries to protect young people by requiring officials to avoid holding them in the same jail or prison as adults. The law prohibits states from keeping young people in the same jail or prison as adults for more than six hours (or 24 hours in rural areas), whether they are waiting to see a judge, to be “booked,” or are serving a sentence after being convicted. The purpose of the JJDPA is to prevent minors, or juveniles, from dangers like abuse or suicide, which are more likely to occur if imprisoned alongside adults.

In the past several years, however, Maryland jails and prisons have violated the JJDPA requirement several times, according to The Daily Record. In 2009, for example, 287 separate violations occurred, in which young people were kept in adult facilities for more than six hours.

After working with the federal government and facing the loss of federal funding for jails and prisons, Maryland cut its rate of JJDPA violations down to just 83 violations in 2010. Over half of the remaining violations, however, occurred in just nine different facilities. Maryland officials are now focusing on these facilities to ensure they also comply with the law.

Several Maryland criminal laws require or allow a sentence of jail or prison time if a person is convicted. Being convicted of a crime may also mean facing other penalties, like fines, probation, or community service. If you’ve been charged with a crime in Maryland, the experienced Maryland criminal defense attorneys at Alpert Schreyer can prepare you for the road ahead and fight for the best possible outcome in your case. For a confidential consultation, call Alpert Schreyer today at 866-444-6363.

Baltimore is still one of the top five cities in the U.S. when it comes to murder rates, according to The Baltimore Sun. The information comes from a report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In general, the rate of violent crimes dropped nationwide last year, and Baltimore was no exception. Overall, violent crimes went down 5.5 percent in 2010 as compared with 2009, while crimes involving property were down 2.8 percent. Baltimore also saw lowered crime rates: violent crimes in the city dropped 3.6 percent, and property crimes went down 3 percent. However, despite the decrease in crime, Baltimore still maintained the fifth-highest murder rate in the country last year behind New Orleans, Flint (Michigan), St. Louis, and Detroit.

The FBI data indicates that there were 223 homicides in Baltimore in 2010, down from 238 the year before, thus giving Baltimore one of its lowest murder-rate years ever. The number of rape cases increased 57 percent, but police believe this jump was caused by new and more accurate classifications of sexual assault cases, many of which had been misclassified not to include rape in previous years. Robberies in 2010 decreased 10 percent, and the Baltimore police commissioner has stated that reducing robberies even further will be a priority for city police in the coming year.

While crime statistics paint an overall picture, they cannot show how difficult and overwhelming it can be when you are charged with a crime. The experienced Maryland criminal defense attorneys at Alpert Schreyer understand how criminal charges affect individuals and their families. They will examine your case carefully and know how to fight for the best possible outcome in your case. For a confidential consultation, call Alpert Schreyer, LLC today at 866-444-6363.

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office begins its summer DUI patrols this week, according to a recent article on TheBayNet.com. During the summer months, sheriff’s deputies will conduct increased patrols, known as “saturation patrols,” as well as increased DUI checkpoint locations.

The purpose of the increased patrols, according to the sheriff’s office, is to decrease the number of accidents and injuries caused by drunk driving. Summer means more driver’s education students on the road, many of whom have not yet learned to make the best choices to avoid a Maryland car accident. Summer also means more pedestrians and bicyclists on the roads. Cracking down on drunk drivers will help protect all those who are out on the roads in summer, according to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office also stated that it plans to implement a “zero tolerance” policy at the planned checkpoints and during the increased patrols. Drivers who have a blood alcohol content (BAC) over 0.08 percent will be arrested, regardless of their actual level of impairment. Although a Maryland DUI arrest does not always lead to a conviction, even an arrest can have a serious impact on your record, making it more difficult to get to school or work and taking up time and money in fighting the charges.

If you have been arrested for or charged with drunk driving in Maryland, please don’t hesitate to contact the experienced Maryland DUI attorneys at Alpert Schreyer, LLC. We will examine your case in detail and fight hard to win the best possible outcome. To learn more, call Alpert Schreyer, LLC today at 866-444-6363 for a free and confidential consultation.