EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0145*
SENATE BILL 145
E2 4lr0642
SB 771/23 – JPR (PRE–FILED)
By: Senator Benson
Requested: September 14, 2023
Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2024
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Procedure – Petition to Modify or Reduce Sentence 2
(Maryland Second Look Act ) 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing an individual serving a term of confinement to petition a 4
court to modify or reduce the sentence under certain circumstances; providing that 5
a certain petitioner is entitled to assistance of counsel and, under certain 6
circumstances, representation by the Office of the Public Defender; authorizing a 7
certain person to apply to the Appellate Court of Maryland for leave to appeal a 8
certain order in a certain manner and within a certain period of time after a court 9
passes an order in accordance with the provisions of this Act; and generally relating 10
to a petition to modify or reduce a sentence. 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Criminal Procedure 13
Section 8–501 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 5. Petition to Modify or Reduce 14
Sentence” 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Criminal Procedure 20
SUBTITLE 5. PETITION TO MODIFY OR REDUCE SENTENCE. 21
8–501. 22
(A) (1) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY O THER PROVISION OF LA W, A PERSON 23 2 SENATE BILL 145
WHO IS SERVING A TER M OF CONFINEMENT MAY PETITION THE COURT T O MODIFY 1
OR REDUCE THE SENTEN CE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHE R THE PERSON FILED A 2
TIMELY MOTION FOR RE CONSIDERATION UNDER MARYLAND RULE 4–345(E) OR 3
WHETHER A PRIOR MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION WAS DENIED BY THE CO URT, IF: 4
(I) THE PETITIONER HAS S ERVED THE GREATER OF AT LEAST: 5
1. 20 YEARS OF THE TERM OF CONFINEMENT WITHOUT 6
APPLICATION OF DIMIN UTION CREDITS; OR 7
2. THE EQUIVALENT OF 25 YEARS OF THE TERM OF 8
CONFINEMENT WITH APP LICATION OF DIMINUTI ON CREDITS; AND 9
(II) AT LEAST 5 YEARS HAVE PASSED SI NCE THE COURT 10
DECIDED ANY PETITION PREVIOUSLY FILED BY THE PETITIONER UNDER THIS 11
SECTION. 12
(2) A PETITIONER SHALL FIL E A PETITION TO MODI FY OR REDUCE A 13
SENTENCE UNDER THIS SECTION IN THE CIRCU IT COURT FOR THE COU NTY IN WHICH 14
THE SENTENCE WAS IMP OSED. 15
(B) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (5) OF THIS SUBSECTION , A 16
COURT SHALL HOLD A H EARING ON A PETITION TO REDUCE OR MODIFY A SENTENCE 17
UNDER THIS SECTION. 18
(2) THE HEARING REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 19
SUBSECTION SHALL BE HELD AFTER THE COURT HAS DETERMINED THAT : 20
(I) THE PETITIONER IS EL IGIBLE TO FILE A PET ITION UNDER 21
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION; AND 22
(II) THE STATE’S ATTORNEY HAS SATISFIED THE 23
REQUIREMENTS FOR PRO VIDING NOTICE TO VIC TIMS OR VICTIMS ’ 24
REPRESENTATIVES UNDE R SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. 25
(3) IF A HEARING IS HELD UNDER THIS SECTION : 26
(I) THE HEARING AND THE COURT’S DECISION REGARDING 27
WHETHER TO MODIFY OR REDUCE THE PETITIONER ’S SENTENCE SHALL BE ON THE 28
RECORD AND IN OPEN C OURT; AND 29
(II) THE COURT SHALL STAT E THE REASONS FOR IT S DECISION 30
REGARDING WHETHER TO MODIFY OR REDUCE THE PETITIONER’S SENTENCE. 31
SENATE BILL 145 3
(4) A PETITIONER MAY WAIVE THE RIGHT TO BE PRES ENT AT A 1
HEARING HELD UNDER T HIS SECTION. 2
(5) A COURT MAY NOT HOLD A HEARING UNDER THIS S ECTION IF THE 3
COURT DETERMINES THA T THE PETITIONER IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO FILE A PETITION 4
UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION. 5
(C) (1) THE STATE’S ATTORNEY SHALL GIVE N OTICE TO EACH VICTIM 6
AND VICTIM’S REPRESENTATIVE WHO HAS FILED A CRIME VICTIM NOTIFICATION 7
REQUEST FORM UNDER § 11–104 OF THIS ARTICLE OR W HO HAS SUBMITTED A 8
WRITTEN REQUEST TO T HE STATE’S ATTORNEY TO BE NOTIFI ED OF SUBSEQUENT 9
PROCEEDINGS UNDER § 11–503 OF THIS ARTICLE: 10
(I) THAT A PETITION TO M ODIFY OR REDUCE A SE NTENCE HAS 11
BEEN FILED UNDER THI S SECTION; 12
(II) EITHER THAT THE PETI TION HAS BEEN DENIED WITHOUT A 13
HEARING, OR OF THE DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION OF THE HEARING; AND 14
(III) IF A HEARING IS TO BE HELD, THAT EACH VICTIM OR 15
VICTIM’S REPRESENTATIVE MAY ATTEND AND TESTIFY . 16
(2) A VICTIM OR A VICTIM ’S REPRESENTATIVE IS ENTITLED TO AN 17
OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEN D AND TESTIFY IN THE MANNER PROVIDED BY MARYLAND 18
RULE 4–345. 19
(D) A PETITIONER WHO HAS B EEN DETERMINED TO BE ELIGIB LE TO FILE A 20
PETITION UNDER SUBSE CTION (A) OF THIS SECTION IS E NTITLED TO THE 21
ASSISTANCE OF COUNSE L AND, IF INDIGENT, TO REPRESENTATION BY THE OFFICE 22
OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER. 23
(E) (1) FOR A PETITIONER WHO WAS SENTENCED TO A T ERM OF 24
CONFINEMENT FOR AN OFFEN SE THAT WAS COMMITTE D WHEN THE PETITIONE R 25
WAS A MINOR , THE COURT SHALL MODI FY THE SENTENCE IN A MANNER 26
REASONABLY CALCULATE D TO RESULT IN THE P ETITIONER’S RELEASE WITHIN 3 27
YEARS IF THE COURT F INDS THAT THE PETITI ONER HAS MATURED AND 28
REHABILITATED SUCH THAT RETENTION OF THE SEN TENCE IS NOT NECESSA RY FOR 29
THE PROTECTION OF TH E PUBLIC. 30
(2) FOR A PETITIONER WHO WAS SENTENCED TO A T ERM OF 31
CONFINEMENT WHEN THE PETITIONER WAS AT LE AST 18 YEARS OLD, THE COURT 32
MAY MODIFY THE SENTE NCE IF THE COU RT FINDS THAT RETENT ION OF THE 33
SENTENCE IS NOT NECE SSARY FOR THE PROTEC TION OF THE PUBLIC . 34
4 SENATE BILL 145
(3) A COURT MAY NOT MODIFY OR REDUCE A SENTENCE UNDER THIS 1
SECTION UNLESS THE C OURT PROVIDES THE STATE’S ATTORNEY AND EACH VIC TIM 2
OR VICTIM’S REPRESENTATIVE WHO REQUESTS AN OPPORTUN ITY TO BE HEARD THE 3
OPPORTUNITY TO OBJEC T TO THE PETITION TO MODIFY OR REDUCE THE SENTENCE. 4
(4) A COURT MAY NOT INCREA SE THE LENGTH OF A S ENTENCE UNDER 5
THIS SECTION. 6
(F) WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE COURT PASSES AN ORDER IN A CCORDANCE 7
WITH THIS SECTION , THE PETITIONER OR TH E STATE MAY APPLY TO TH E 8
APPELLATE COURT OF MARYLAND FOR LEAVE TO APPEAL THE ORDER IN THE 9
MANNER PROVIDED BY MARYLAND RULE 8–204. 10
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 11
October 1, 2024. 12