New Court Ruling

Maryland Court of Appeals Rules that Indigent Defendants Entitled to Public Defenders at Initial Hearing Before Court Commissioner.

Maryland’s highest court ruled recently that poor suspects should have access to counsel at all bail hearings.

For those who cannot afford an attorney, this is very good news because instead of running the possibility of not being able to understand what is happening during your bail hearing, and being held in jail, you will be represented by a lawyer with experience who will represent you.

In a 4-3 decision issued on September 25, 2013, , the Court of Appeals found that indigent defendants should have access to public defenders when court commissioners set their bail. The ruling said suspects have that right “in any proceeding that may result in the defendant’s incarceration.”

The case is DeWolfe et al. v. Richmond, and can be found at this HERE.