Maryland Law Blog

Courtesy of ABC2News.com, charges of felony solicitation against a former Anne Arundel County teacher have been dropped. However, the former high school teacher remains charged with exchanging naked pictures with a student. The teacher worked with Anne Arundel County students for seven years before becoming allegedly too close to a Broadneck High School senior. She taught English, was an advisor for student government, and also a girls’ basketball coach. Three of her years teaching in Anne Arundel County were spent at North County High and four at Broadneck High.

According to charging documents, the relationship began in 2010 when the teacher asked the victim if he would send her naked pictures of himself. If he would do so, she would send pictures of herself to the student. Police acted on an anonymous tip. Once the allegation was made, the spokesman for Anne Arundel County Public Schools said the teacher was removed from the classroom.

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Courtesy of The Washington Post, and reported on February 5, 2013, Rick Curl will plead guilty to child sexual abuse in Montgomery County Circuit Court on February 21, 2013. Curl’s former swimming student Kelly Currin has informed investigating detectives that in 1983, when she was 13, the abuse began, and it did not stop until she turned 18. She told investigators the abuse began with fondling and kissing and when she was 15, it began involving sexual intercourse. Curl, now age 63, was charged with child sexual abuse in October, 2012.

Last week, a memorandum about the agreement to plead guilty was filed in Rockville Circuit Court. No details about possible probation or incarceration are included in the memorandum. But under Maryland law Curl could be facing a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Defense attorneys for Curl and state’s attorneys will be able to present their own recommendations at the Montgomery County Circuit Court hearing. There will also be an opportunity at that time for victim impact statements.

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As reported by DelMarvaNow.com, a former Wicomico County Sherriff’s Office Deputy was recently indicted by a Wicomico County grand jury for sex crime charges. The 44-year-old is charged with using his position as a school resource officer to allegedly sexually abuse a student, and the former deputy now faces charges for second-degree assault and a fourth-degree sex offense. Court documents reveal that the man met the victim through his position at Parkside High School when the female student was 15 years old.

The sexual abuse progressed from “sexual activities” to the pair having sexual intercourse at the 44-year-old’s home. At the request of the Wicomico County Sherriff’s Office, the state police launched an investigation into the allegations of sexual abuse. The alleged abuse took place between June 1999 and June 2002, according to a Maryland State Police interview with the victim.

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A 24-year-old resident of Hyattsville, MD charged in two sexual assault cases in Hyattsville and Mount Rainier has pleaded guilty to multiple charges before the Prince George’s County Circuit Court. The Hyattsville Patch reports that the man pled guilty to charges of first-degree rape, a fourth-degree sex offense, and a second-degree assault in two different cases. The May arrest of the defendant came as area police agencies were investigating a series of sexual assaults and rapes in the vicinity of the Northwest Branch Hiker Biker Trail system in the beginning months of this year.

The first-degree rape guilty plea stems from a Jan. 28 attack in Mount Rainier in which a woman claimed she was attacked and raped at the Queenstown Apartments. The guilty pleas from the fourth-degree sex offense and second-degree assault charge stem from a Feb. 23 incident in Hyattsville in which a woman was attacked, but able to escape, near Jamestown Road. These charges were brought by the Hyattsville City Police Department, who later arrested the 24-year-old after he was spotted on the street by the victim from the February attack.

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A Maryland prostitution sting that combined the efforts of federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and local and state police departments netted 23 arrests. The Baltimore Sun reports that this Jessup, MD joint sting operation was part of an effort to target human trafficking, and the men arrested allegedly solicited sex from undercover officers along U.S. 1.

An HSI spokeswoman states that while the arrests were on state charges and the men have not been implicated in human trafficking, they will be interviewed by federal investigators to try and garner information that may help crack a prostitution ring.

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According to Knoxnews.com, a Maryland man facing a sex crime charge recently committed suicide in a hospital parking lot in Tennessee. Police in Knoxville, TN report that they arrived at the University of Tennessee Medical Center on Alcoa Highway and discovered the man’s body in his vehicle with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. The 53-year-old man, a resident of Walkersville, MD, had been indicted on a sex-abuse charge in Frederick County, but had not yet served with the indictment. Investigators with the Maryland State Police did not provide any further details.

Knoxville authorities are unsure why the 53-year-old came to Tennessee to commit suicide as he had no known ties to East Tennessee.

Any person who faces charges for a sex crime in Maryland may face serious criminal penalties. The penalties for a sex crime conviction can include incarceration, fines, and registry as a Maryland sex offender for a person’s entire life. In addition, a conviction for a sex crime can cause irreparable damage to one’s personal and professional life. Facing such charges on one’s own can be a daunting and overwhelming experience without the help of a knowledgeable attorney.

The Bethesda sex crime defense lawyers with the law firm of Alpert Schreyer have an excellent track record of getting successful results for clients facing sex crime charges, and will work diligently to get you the best possible outcome in your case. Our legal team will ensure your lawful rights are protected. For a no-cost consultation regarding your specific case, please call (866) 444-6363.

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 an ABC 2 News report, a high school English teacher from Anne Arundel County was recently arrested and is now charged with sexually abusing three of his students. The charging documents indicate that the 29-year-old Glen Burnie High School teacher had inappropriate relationships with three female students. One of the alleged incidents happened with a former student who he met when he was coaching junior varsity basketball; the second occurred with a student who is still attending Glen Burnie, with the encounters happening in his classroom; and the third happened this school year with a 16-year-old girl, with encounters taking place in the teacher’s home, among other places.

According to reports, an assistant coach overheard a suspicious conversation with the third victim in which she discussed the trysts, and he immediately notified the high school’s principal who in turn notified the Department of Social Services. The teacher now faces numerous child sex charges and is being held on 3 million dollars bail. The case is alarming Maryland parents, and the head of the Baltimore Child Abuse Center urges parents to keep a close eye on their children, and if they are spending an inordinate amount of time with one adult, it could be a cause for concern.

The consequences of the crime of sex with a minor can include anything from imprisonment, heavy fines, mandatory sex offender registration, or probation. The state of Maryland has four categories of persons convicted of sexual offenses:

• An offender;
• A child sexual offender;
• A sexually violent offender; and
• A sexually violent predator.

If convicted, the suspect in this case would likely be a child sexual offender, which includes the crime of sexual abuse of a minor.

A sex crime accusation can be extremely damaging to a person’s reputation, especially as an educator. A strong legal defense can prove key in getting an optimal outcome in the case. The skilled Bethesda sex crime defense lawyers with Alpert Schreyer have years of experience defending those convicted of sex crimes and can help you get the best possible results in your case. For a free consultation, please call (866) 444-6363.

Recently, a man was arrested in Anne Arundel County in Maryland and charged with indecent exposure, reports WBAL TV. He was arrested after two teen girls reported he exposed himself to them.

On Wednesday, November 17, at about 3 p.m. a 16-year-old girl reported to police that a blue passenger vehicle stopped near her, and thinking the car was a friend’s, she went over to it. Allegedly she found a man not wearing pants and pointing to his exposed genitalia. The girl ran away and immediately called police. She reported the motor vehicle’s license plate number and gave them a description of the man.

As detectives were interviewing the teen girl, another call reported a similar incident occurring not far away from the first alleged instance. This time the victim was a 15-year-old girl who told police the man pulled his car up next to her and after getting her attention, gestured towards his exposed body.

Eventually, police officers located the man and took him into custody. Police investigators say the man may also be linked to a similar incident in the same area in October involving a 24-year-old woman. The man is being charged with three counts of indecent exposure and is being held on a $30,000 bail.

Indecent exposure by definition is the “intentional exposure of part of one's body (as the genitals) in a place where such exposure is likely to be an offense against the generally accepted standards of decency.” Indecent exposure is also referred to as public lewdness, sexual misconduct, or public indecency, and is prohibited in all 50 states. It is a sex crime that is a criminal offense and is punishable by fines and/or imprisonment. Many states require those convicted of indecent exposure to register as a sex offender, which can have life-changing consequences.

If you’ve been accused of a sex crime in Maryland, you have rights. The Bethesda sex offense defense lawyers at Alpert Schreyer, LLC believe that anyone, no matter what they are accused of, has the right to present their defense case in a court of law. We have successfully defended people accused of all types of Maryland sex-related crimes. Call us today at 1-301-262-7005 or 1-866-444-6363 to find out how we can help you.

The Washington Examiner recently reported that human trafficking in the form of “sex slaves” and “unpaid workers” has become a thriving crime industry in Washington, D.C. Four recent incidents, including a pimp selling his twelve-year-old foster daughter for sex, multiple pimp arrests, teenage prostitution, and underpaying illegal immigrants, have lead officials to believe that Washington D.C sex crimes are growing.

Human trafficking constitutes the recruitment, harboring, transport, or sale of another human for exploitive purposes, such as forced or underpaid labor or sex slavery. New laws in both Maryland and D.C. have aided government officials in understanding the scope of these crimes. However, some politicians fear that these crimes will spread to Virginia.

The growing problem has escalated to a new level. Activists last week were outraged when a known economist had not been charged with trafficking after she admitted to underpaying and threatening her domestic servant. She accepted a plea bargain that permitted her to pay $41,000 to the servant in back wages, if she admitted to lying to FBI during investigations. In this specific case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and a Department of Justice that solely works on human trafficking cases jointly chose not to pursue the charges.

Being accused of a sex crime is a serious matter. Due to the social stigma that typically follows these types of crimes, many people tend to overlook the fact that some individuals are wrongfully accused. If you have been charged with a sex crime in Maryland, you are innocent until proven guilty and still have rights. The experienced Maryland sex crime attorneys at Meng & Alpert, LLC can help build a strong defense and ensure that your rights are protected. Call 866-444-6363 for a free consultation regarding your case.

According to The Daily Times, the Maryland House of Delegates unanimously passed two more bills regarding sex offenders. The bills were passed in the House on March 23, 2010 and will now await Senate approval.

The House Bill 1046 mandates that a judge determines the pre-trial release of sex offenders arrested for any crime. This role was formerly allocated to the district court commissioner. The new bill also requires that the courts have access to an individual's pre-trial RAP sheet (criminal record) so that the judge is informed of past sex offenses and other crimes.

The second bill, House Bill 936, brings Maryland law into compliance with the federal Adam Walsh Act, which establishes a comprehensive national system for the registration of convicted sex offenders. House Bill 936 adds its own provisions to require homeless sex offenders, offenders convicted of indecent exposure and child pornography and offenders who repeatedly abuse children under the age of 14 to register on the Maryland registry. In addition, the bill expands the required information given on the sex offender registry to include places of employment, other residences and a clear description of their past crime.

If you have been charged with a sex crime in Maryland, you still have rights and are entitled to a legal defense. Because of these new bills and others like them, the laws circling sex offenders can be a complicated matter. The skilled and knowledgeable Maryland sex crime attorneys at Meng & Alpert LLC can help you understand your rights and build an aggressive defense for your case. Call our aggressive lawyers today at 866-444-6363 for a free legal consultation.

According to an article on Baynet, a federal grand jury issued an indictment against a 41-year-old man, who works for a Maryland trucking company, for allegedly transporting an eleven-year-old girl across state lines so that he could have sex with her. Based on the article, the girl was recovered hours after an AMBER alert was issued.

The parents of the young girl reported her missing on February 13, 2010. Law enforcement authorities then issued an AMBER alert for an orange tractor-trailer, in which the child was thought to be traveling. Later that day, a Tennessee highway trooper identified the orange tractor-trailer as it was pulling into a rest stop. The trooper arrested the suspect and found the missing girl in the truck. The suspect is being charged with intent to rape a minor and is being detained pending a trial. He faces a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison with a maximum sentence of life if convicted.

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On Friday, March 12, 2010, Maryland legislators moved to toughen laws regarding sex offenders. According to an article on the Baltimore Sun, harsher terms will include truth-in-sentencing provisions for violent and repeat offenders, longer supervision after prison and an expansion of the state’s public registry. The House Judiciary Committee, a government organization that deals with crime legislation, approved seven out of the 75 bills introduced in order to address sex offenses.

"This will have a serious impact on sex offenders in the state," said House Judiciary Chairman, Joseph F. Vallario Jr.

Most adult and juvenile violent and repeat sex offenders, including first- or second-degree rape or other similar sex offenses will be required to have lifetime supervision in addition to having to register as a sex offender in Maryland and being added to Maryland’s existing sex offender registry. Some feel that lifetime supervision is a misnomer as offenders can seek an end to the supervision after five years if trained supervisors and a judge agree to it. The degree of supervision has not been allocated and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

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In examining possible reasons for why crime has showed a decrease in Maryland, a baltimoresun.com article reflects how the Division of Parole and Probation has paid more attention to known violent and sexual offenders. In this regard, “paying more attention” refers to assigning all sex offenders to specially trained agents, placing those offenders under required and strict probationary terms, and then monitoring them via GPS. In fact, every sex offender is placed on GPS monitoring for 90 days, during which time he or she is subject to harsh curfews and restricted movements.

Violent offenders are placed in the Violence Prevention Initiative and, along with sex offenders, are closely marked for violations. Based on the article, as of January 2010 and since the Parole and Probation has been implementing GPS monitoring of sex offenders beginning in February 2009, 231 sex offenders and 1,300 total offenders have been placed on GPS monitoring.

Anyone who has been convicted of a sex crime in Bethesda or who is facing such charges should be aware that many administrators are sponsoring a bill that would require courts to impose lifetime supervision on certain sex offenders. It is their belief that doing this would guarantee that offenders released into the community are properly monitored and more easily subject to incarceration for violations of strict conditions.

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According to a baltimoresun.com article, prostitution charges have been dropped against a man from Patterson Park, Maryland due to insufficient evidence. Apparently, two women accused of being prostitutes refused to testify against the defendant. Since no other witnesses were available, and due to additional information and evidence not being strong enough to stand on its own without witness testimony, the charges were dropped. In relation to this case, the Assistant State’s Attorney stated, “The evidence was insufficient to proceed with the charges.”

In the beginning, the man’s case was introduced to the public as one that was full of insurmountable evidence. Such claims can make the public quickly forget that all people are innocent until proven guilty. This particular situation serves as a reminder that just because a person is arrested for a particular crime, it does not mean that they committed any illegal action.

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A story from baltimoresun.com reported that a former Catholic priest faces child sexual abuse charges for alleged acts that took place over 30 years ago in Ocean City. The accused 64-year-old man is from North Carolina, which is the location where he has been arrested and where he is being held. According to the report, law enforcement received a complaint of the sexual assault this past spring regarding incidents that allegedly occurred between the years of 1977 and 1982. A spokesman for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests stated that a lawsuit filed against the arrested man in June relates to the same alleged victim who is from Baltimore County and is now in his 40s.

Sex crimes in Maryland, such as indecent exposure, rape, sexual assault, and prostitution, are all very serious offenses that can result in consequences that will forever affect the lives of a convicted individual and his or her family. These cases can be even more complex when allegations are made by children or if the alleged sex offenses are said to have involved child molestation. An accused individual does not need to be a priest to experience the negative affects of societal scorn, which often happens even before a sex crime case goes to trial. Any person charged with a sex crime risks having their reputation tarnished. Although some Maryland residents learning about the recent sexual abuse allegations may wonder if there are other victims whom have kept silent regarding this particular priest, it is important to remember that every person accused of such crimes is innocent until proven guilty.

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The Baltimore Sun reports in an article that the Supreme Court has begun discussion in the Maryland v. Shatzer case. The case relates to a child sexual abuse investigation from 2003, in which a man was questioned about molesting a young relative. He asked for an attorney, but he was not provided one, so the case was dropped. Later in 2006, the investigation began again and the man was again questioned. Even though he confessed to lewd acts with the boy in 2006 and was convicted, an appeals court decided that his confession was inadmissible due to the prior request for an attorney made in 2003.

At the heart of the case is the lack of distinction as to how long the request for an attorney should last when a suspect is being interrogated. Statements made by an accused person may be deemed inadmissible if they are made after requesting an attorney to be present and such statements are made when an attorney is not present. Therefore, as it stands currently, a break in custody, even if that break lasts for years, does not erase a request for an attorney.

According to the report, a Maryland Attorney General believes that allowing the decision to throw out Shatzer’s confession is likely to lead to chaos in police investigations. He stated, “A defendant who invokes anywhere at any time is forever immune from being questioned by the police.”

The main question at hand pertains to whether or not asserting or invoking the right to legal counsel lasts indefinitely, or if the invocation of such rights should have certain limitations, especially if there is a break in custody or a substantial lapse of time in between interrogations.

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A wjz.com article reports that five more women are claiming that a well-known rabbi in Baltimore sexually assaulted them or said inappropriate things to them, or committed both acts in some incidents. The 85-year-old rabbi was convicted in April of this year for molesting a woman in a Reisterstown funeral home. He was sentenced to a suspended one-year prison term.

Apparently, it was reported by The Sun that three of the women alleging inappropriate behavior contacted the newspaper and two of the other claims were submitted by other sources. It is interesting that these other five women waited until the rabbi was convicted of a separate sex crime before coming forward with their own allegations.

It has not yet been determined as to how these allegations will be presented in a court of law and what proceedings will take place. Even so, such accusations of sexual touching and verbal harassment should not be taken lightly by those making such claims or by the person being accused. In this particular case, the rabbi’s suspended one-year prison term may be compromised if he is convicted of committing more offenses than were originally revealed. The report did not mention whether these other alleged assaults took place before, during, or after the offense for which he was convicted.

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On May 16, 2009, the Annapolis newspaper, The Capital, published an article about an Annapolis man arrested for his involvement in a rape that occurred on August 26, 2000, in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Annapolis. The State’s Attorney’s Office said that evidence from DNA testing led to the arrest of a 26-year-old man from Annapolis. As law enforcement officials staked out the man’s place of employment to take him into custody, he apparently turned himself in at police headquarters. Charges against him include first-degree rape, first-degree sex offense, first-degree sexual assault, kidnapping, armed robbery, use of a handgun in a crime of violence and related charges not outlined in the article.

If a jury convicts him on all charges, the rape and sex offense convictions could result in life sentences, and the other charges could result in imprisonment for 20 to 30 years each. When the alleged crimes were committed, the accused was under 18 years old and a Maryland sex crime lawyer could appeal to have the case heard in juvenile court. However, under Maryland law, a defendant is automatically charged as an adult if they are older than 16 when the crime allegedly occurred and when they are charged with first-degree rape.

The Maryland sex crime charges allege that the accused approached the victim, who was then 39 years old, as she got out of her car. He allegedly first threatened her with a handgun and robbed around $30. According to local police officials, he then ordered the woman to go to the rear of a nearby home, ordered her to remove her clothes, and then raped her. After the man fled the scene, the woman went to her home, told a family member about the attack and called the police.

The chief investigator in the State’s Attorney’s office said that the DNA evidence connected with the Maryland sexual assault was resubmitted to Maryland State police officials in November 2007 as that agency received grant money to hire a private company to help clear the huge backlog in DNA evidence analysis.

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