White-collar crime is a category of non-violent offenses typically committed by individuals or entities in the context of business, finance, or professional settings. Unlike traditional “street” crimes, white-collar crimes are characterized by their deceptive or fraudulent nature, often involving schemes to obtain financial gain through illegal means. Following is a discussion of some of the most common white-collar crimes. Fraud Fraud is one of the most common forms of white-collar crime, encompassing a wide range [...]

On October 1, 2020, changes to Maryland’s hate crime laws went into effect, giving prosecutors a broader reach when it comes to obtaining a conviction. From now on, if you are charged with a hate crime in Maryland, prosecutors no longer have to link your actions to hate alone. This is going to make for murky waters when it comes to being charged with this felony crime and you’re going to need a stellar criminal [...]

The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States protects individuals from self-incrimination. In other words, no person within the state of Maryland and throughout United States may be forced in any criminal matter to testify against himself or herself. This Amendment is in place to protect individuals, whether they are perfectly innocent or not – and there are very legitimate reasons to “plead the Fifth.” Still, there is a stigma associated with this [...]

For the last six years, SafeWise has compiled a list of the safest cities in each state. Their rankings are based on the FBI’s crime statistics data and population data from the US Census. This year, the 10 safest cities were: Taneytown Ocean Pines Hampstead Mount Airy Thurmont Centreville Glenarden District Heights Bowie Brunswick According to a 2020 State of Safety survey, though, “63% of Maryland residents are highly concerned about their safety every day.” [...]

Under the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, every criminal defendant has the right to receive a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury. The same right is also guaranteed in many state constitutions and state laws. In recent years, the right to a speedy trial has fallen to the wayside, as our nation’s courts suffer serious backlogs. Defendants are often left waiting for weeks and months simply to obtain a [...]

There is a tremendous amount of vitriol on the internet, and most of it is simple “trolling” – but in some cases, what you post online can lead to criminal charges. Maryland, for example, implemented Gracie’s Law back in 2013. The law is named after Grace McComas, a 15-year old, who killed herself in response to online bullies. The law imposed a $500 fine and a prison sentence of a year. In 2019, amendments to [...]

Being charged with any crime in Maryland needs to be taken extremely seriously. Even misdemeanors have serious consequences that can affect you for the rest of your life. The obvious consequence is being required to spend time in prison; however, there are long-term consequences that can affect your finances, your enjoyment of life, your rights, and your ability to work. According to Bowie City records, the most common criminal charges for through April 2020 all [...]