Maryland Law Blog

Crystal meth, or methamphetamine, is a powerful psychological and physical stimulant that is highly addictive. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has focused more attention on meth-related crimes in recent years, and the passing of the Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 placed a number of restrictions on all forms of methamphetamine.

The possession of crystal meth under federal and state laws is a very serious crime. Penalties may include up to $500,000 in fines and a prison term for as long as a life sentence. For the sale of crystal meth, an offender may receive a fine of up to $1,000,000 and the prison sentence depends on the amount of the drug sold or intended to be sold. Possession of crystal meth and/or the chemicals used to produce the drug is illegal. The fines and prison terms for possession, regardless of the amount of drugs or chemicals in possession, can be the maximum amount allowed under Federal Sentencing Guidelines for the federal drug crime.

The federal mandatory penalties for crystal meth possession are:

• Five or more grams: Mandatory minimum of five years in prison with a maximum term of 40 years.
• Fifty or more grams: Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison with a maximum of life in prison.

In the state of Maryland, possession of any illegal drug, besides marijuana, is considered a felony. Therefore, anyone facing a charge for possession of crystal meth may receive a maximum potential sentence of four years and a fine of up to $25,000. The legal term “possession” in Maryland means you simply have or have control over the drug, and they don’t have to be physically on a person at the time of arrest; for example, they can be found in an individual’s car or home.

Both the state and federal penalties for possession of crystal meth are severe, and a conviction can mean a negative impact on one’s personal and professional life, in addition to the legal consequences. The Bethesda meth offense lawyers with the law firm of Alpert Schreyer can help defend any MD resident against excessive penalties for a meth charge and will seek alternatives to incarceration. Call (866) 444-6363 for a free consultation.

The man that killed a young girl in a fatal Maryland DUI accident has pled guilty and will now serve time in prison, according to an ABC7 report. A Maryland resident, his wife, and two granddaughters were driving down Interstate 270 when their jeep was hit from behind by the drunk driver, resulting in the death of one of the granddaughters. The man was speeding at the time of the accident, going approximately 88 to 99 mph. Though the driver in this case pled guilty to MD vehicular manslaughter charges and is serving eight years in prison, the family has now hired an attorney to sue the owners of the restaurant where the driver was reportedly served 17 beers before getting into his Land Rover and causing the deadly crash.

Maryland is one of the few states that do not allow bars or restaurants to be sued for irresponsibly serving alcohol to customers, but the family of the deceased little girl hopes to change the law with this suit. Presently, 37 states have laws which allow restaurants and bars to be sued by victims and families of drunk drivers; Maryland and Virginia are two states that don’t. The grandfather of the 10-year-old girl hopes that tougher laws will hopefully prevent more innocent people from being killed, and urges bartenders and those who serve alcohol to be more conscious of what they are doing. This case may lead to other parties, in addition to the drunk driver, being held responsible and partially to blame for DUI accidents.

Though DUI accidents can have serious consequences, including lost lives, the Waldorf DUI attorneys of Alpert Schreyer believe anyone facing Maryland drunk driving charges deserves the opportunity for a fair trial. Drunk driving charges can adversely impact a person’s personal and professional life, so it is extremely important that you hire an experienced, aggressive DUI defense attorney to help you achieve the best possible outcome in your case. Please call (800) 489-1577 for a free consultation with one of our top rated DUI defense lawyers today.

A 27-year-old teacher at Rockville’s Montrose Christian School has been arrested for various sex offenses, according to Delmarvanow.com. The Pennsylvania woman has been accused of having sex with a 16-year-old student in an inappropriate relationship that lasted from the fall of 2010 to January of this year. Following an anonymous tip received by school officials, the teacher was arrested on February 9 by Montgomery County Police, and is now charged with two counts each of sexual abuse of a minor and a fourth degree sex offense.

Online court records show that the 27-year-old was released after posting a $250,000 bond. The Rockville school released a statement announcing the teacher will no longer teach at the school.

Under Maryland law, a fourth degree sexual offense is considered a nonviolent sexual offense, and involves sexual contact or a sexual act with a person 14 or 15 years of age. Though the young woman in this case isn’t charged with a sexual crime that was violent in nature, any sex crime conviction in the state of Maryland is a very serious offense with life-altering consequences. A sex crime conviction may carry different penalties, including mandatory registration as a sex offender or imprisonment.

If you are facing sex crime charges in Maryland, an experienced Bethesda sex crime defense attorney with the law firm of Alpert Schreyer can help. We are committed to protecting the rights of every client we defend and will work tirelessly to ensure your legal rights are protected throughout your case. To speak with a knowledgeable member of our law team, please call (866) 444-6363.

According to The Baltimore Sun, police have arrested the suspect in a shooting that left one man dead and another hospitalized. The 19-year-old suspect has been charged with first-degree and attempted murder for the shooting which occurred in the 5700 block of Nasco Place. The Sun reports that the suspect was in the backseat of a car with the two victims and shot both men during an argument. Currently, police do not know what caused the argument and are unable to confirm what the relationship is between the alleged shooter and the two men, though the sister of the surviving victim says the alleged shooter worked at a youth program that the deceased victim worked for as a mentor.

The arrested suspect has had prior run-ins with the law, having previously been charged with drug possession last fall and assault in 2008, though both cases were apparently dropped by prosecutors. If the young man in this case is convicted, he may face the possibility of life in prison without parole for the first-degree murder charge. An attempted murder charge in the state of Maryland can carry with it either life imprisonment for a first-degree attempted murder charge or up to 30 years in prison for attempted murder in the second-degree.

The Bethesda murder defense attorneys with Alpert Schreyer firmly believe that anyone facing murder charges deserves a fair trial and excellent legal representation to ensure his or her legal rights are protected. Our law team will work diligently to establish an aggressive defense that aims to either have the charges against you dismissed or severe penalties reduced. To see how we can assist you with your case, call (866) 444-6363 for a no-cost consultation.

According to a report from NBC Washington, a 19-year-old man has officially been charged in the robbery of a University of Maryland graduate student. The robbery took place on the evening of December 11 when the 19-year-old and another suspect approached the victim as he was walking into the Graduate Gardens apartment building in College Park. One of the robbers demanded the victim’s property and pulled out a silver handgun. The victim complied, and the suspects then left the area.

The suspect, a resident of Silver Spring, is facing a number of criminal charges, including armed robbery, assault in the first and second degree, credit card theft, and use of a firearm on the commission of a felony. Maryland police are still looking for the second suspect in the case and ask any person with information on the second perpetrator to call the University of Maryland Department of Public Safety at (301) 405-6973.

Robbery is an offense that Maryland takes very seriously and can carry with it severe penalties. Any MD resident found guilty of robbery may face up to 15 years in prison, and a charge for armed robbery increases the prison sentence to 20 years. Any offenses under the category of Maryland robbery, including carjacking, all involve the taking of property by force, and property can be considered anything from money to valuables.

The knowledgeable Maryland theft defense attorneys with Alpert Schreyer are committed to defending anyone charged with a theft-related crime and will help you in every step of your case, from the arrest to the trial. We have years of experience defending those facing criminal charges and will make sure your rights are protected. For a free review of your case, call (866) 444-6363.

The Supreme Court issued a very interesting ruling on January 23 regarding the use of GPS devices by law enforcement to track criminal suspects. The Los Angeles Times reports that the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the government needs a search warrant from a judge before it tracks any suspect using high-tech monitoring devices.

The Supreme Court justices did not agree with the U.S. Justice Department’s view that the use of a GPS device was a reasonable means of tracking a motorist on a public highway. This ruling represents a significant complication for law enforcement across the country as they are increasingly reliant on high tech surveillance, such as different types of GPS technology, to track and monitor suspects.

The ruling stems from a case in which the Supreme Court ruled that by secretly installing a GPS device to a vehicle owned by a drug suspect, both the police and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) violated the suspect’s Fourth Amendment rights. A GPS device was installed on a nightclub owner’s Jeep in Washington, D.C., which ultimately helped law enforcement link him to a suburban house that was used to stash money and drugs. The court deemed that the secret installation of the GPS device was considered a “search,” and the Fourth Amendment is intended to protect U.S. residents against government searches of private property. Overall, Associate Justice Antonin Scalia concluded that the installation of the device on the vehicle without a warrant was a trespass and therefore is considered to be an illegal search.

It is crucial that any Maryland resident facing drug charges, and thus severe penalties, ensure their constitutional and legal rights are protected throughout their case, from the arrest to the trial. The Waldorf drug crime defense lawyers with Alpert Schreyer, LLC will work diligently to ensure you receive a fair trial and work to get your charges dismissed or penalties reduced. For information on how we can help you with your case, please call (800) 489-1577 for a free and confidential consultation.