WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 877
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Chapter 877
(Senate Bill 111)
AN ACT concerning
Criminal Procedure – Protection of Identity of Minor Victim
FOR the purpose of requiring, with a certain exception, a party or nonparty making a
certain filing in a criminal or juvenile delinquency case to redact certain identifying
information relating to a minor victim that appears in the filing; authorizing the
Supreme Court of Maryland to adopt rules requiring or authorizing a person making
a redacted filing under this Act to also file an unredacted copy under seal providing
that a court or a party in a criminal or juvenile delinquency case may not disclose or
allow inspection of a certain court filing to a nonparty unless the court or the party
redacts certain identifying information relating to a minor victim that appears in the
filing, subject to a certain exception; and generally relating to protection of victims.
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – Criminal Procedure
Section 11–301
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement)
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article – Criminal Procedure
11–301.
(A) On motion of the State or on request of a victim or witness, during a criminal
trial or a juvenile delinquency adjudicatory hearing, a court may prohibit the release of the
address or telephone number of the victim or witness unless the court determines that good
cause is shown for the release of the information.
(B) (1) (I) IN THIS SUBSECTION TH E FOLLOWING WORDS HA VE THE
MEANINGS INDICATED .
(II) “IDENTIFYING INFORMATI ON” MEANS THE NAME OF , AND
ANY OTHER INFORMATIO N THAT COULD REASONA BLY BE EXPECTED TO IDENTIFY, A
MINOR VICTIM.
(III) “MINOR VICTIM ” MEANS A VICTIM OF A CRIME OR
DELINQUENT ACT WHO W AS A MINOR AT THE TI ME THAT THE CRIME OR DELINQUENT
ACT OCCURRED . Ch. 877 2024 LAWS OF MARYLAND
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(2) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY O THER LAW , ON NOTICE THAT AN
ELECTRONIC OR PAPER FILING INCLUDES IDENTIFYING INFORMATION OF A MIN OR
VICTIM, UNLESS THE COURT FIN DS BY CLEAR AND CONV INCING EVIDENCE THAT
THERE IS GOOD CAUSE TO ORDER OTHERWISE , A PARTY OR NONPARTY MAKING AN
ELECTRONIC OR PAPER COURT FILING, INCLUDING THE FILING OF A CHARGING
DOCUMENT , IN A CRIMINAL OR JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CASE SHALL REDACT AN Y
IDENTIFYING INFORMAT ION THAT APPEARS IN THE FILING THE COURT OR A PARTY
IN A CRIMINAL OR JUV ENILE DELINQUENCY CA SE MAY NOT DISCLOSE OR ALLOW
INSPECTION OF AN ELE CTRONIC OR PAPER COU RT FILING, INCLUDING A CHARGING
DOCUMENT , TO A NONPARTY TO THE CRIMINAL OR JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CASE
UNLESS THE COURT OR THE PARTY DISCLOSING OR ALLOWING INSPECTI ON OF THE
FILING REDACTS ALL I DENTIFYING INFORMATI ON THAT APPEARS IN T HE FILING.
(3) THE SUPREME COURT OF MARYLAND MAY ADOPT RU LES
REQUIRING OR AUTHORI ZING A PERSON MAKING A REDACTED FILING UN DER
PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION T O ALSO FILE AN UNRED ACTED COPY UNDER
SEAL.
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
October 1, 2024.
Approved by the Governor, May 16, 2024.