Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB544 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0544
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 544
8	8	E1 5lr2321
9	9	HB 488/18 – JUD
10	10	By: Delegate Moon
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 22, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Judiciary
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Criminal Law – Third–Degree Assault 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of establishing that it is a misdemeanor to intentionally cause offensive 3
21	21	contact, engage in conduct tending to put another in fear of offensive contact, or 4
22	22	attempt to cause offensive contact; altering a certain list of convictions that are 5
23	23	eligible for expungement under certain circumstances; and generally relating to 6
24	24	assault. 7
25	25
26	26	BY adding to 8
27	27	Article – Criminal Law 9
28	28	Section 3–203.1 10
29	29	Annotated Code of Maryland 11
30	30	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
31	31
32	32	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
33	33	Article – Criminal Law 14
34	34	Section 3–206 and 3–209 15
35	35	Annotated Code of Maryland 16
36	36	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
37	37
38	38	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 18
39	39	Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 19
40	40	Section 4–301(b) and 4–302(d) 20
41	41	Annotated Code of Maryland 21
42	42	(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 22
43	43
44	44	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 23
45	45	Article – Criminal Procedure 24
46	46	Section 10–110(a)(1) and (c)(2) 25
47	47	Annotated Code of Maryland 26
48	48	(2018 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 27 2 HOUSE BILL 544
49	49
50	50
51	51
52	52	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 1
53	53	Article – Criminal Procedure 2
54	54	Section 10–110(c)(1) 3
55	55	Annotated Code of Maryland 4
56	56	(2018 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 5
57	57
58	58	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
59	59	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
60	60
61	61	Article – Criminal Law 8
62	62
63	63	3–203.1. 9
64	64
65	65	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION , “OFFENSIVE CONTACT ” MEANS 10
66	66	NONCONSENSUAL PHYSIC AL CONTACT THAT A RE ASONABLE PERSON WOUL D FIND 11
67	67	TO BE OFFENSIVE . 12
68	68
69	69	(2) “OFFENSIVE CONTACT ” DOES NOT INCLUDE : 13
70	70
71	71	(I) CONTACT THAT RESULTS IN PHYSICAL INJURY ; 14
72	72
73	73	(II) CONTACT THAT CAUSES A RISK OF SERIOUS PH YSICAL 15
74	74	INJURY; 16
75	75
76	76	(III) A DOMESTICALLY RELAT ED CRIME, AS DEFINED IN § 6–233 17
77	77	OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ARTICLE; OR 18
78	78
79	79	(IV) A SEXUAL CRIME UNDER SUBTITLE 3 OF THIS TITLE. 19
80	80
81	81	(B) A PERSON MAY NOT : 20
82	82
83	83	(1) INTENTIONALLY CAUSE OFFENSIVE CONTACT ; 21
84	84
85	85	(2) ENGAGE IN CONDUCT IN TENDING TO PUT ANOTH ER IN FEAR OF 22
86	86	OFFENSIVE CONTACT ; OR 23
87	87
88	88	(3) ATTEMPT TO CAUSE OFFENSIVE CONTACT . 24
89	89
90	90	(C) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUIL TY OF THE 25
91	91	MISDEMEANOR OF ASSAU LT IN THE THIRD DEGR EE AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT 26
92	92	TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 90 DAYS OR A FINE NOT E XCEEDING $500 OR 27
93	93	BOTH. 28
94	94	HOUSE BILL 544 3
95	95
96	96
97	97	3–206. 1
98	98
99	99	(a) An indictment, information, other charging document, or warrant for a crime 2
100	100	described in § 3–202, § 3–203, or § 3–205 of this subtitle is sufficient if it substantially 3
101	101	states: 4
102	102
103	103	“(name of defendant) on (date) in (county) assaulted (name of victim) in the........ 5
104	104	degree or (describe other violation) in violation of (section violated) against the peace, 6
105	105	government, and dignity of the State.”. 7
106	106
107	107	(b) If the general form of indictment or information described in subsection (a) of 8
108	108	this section is used to charge a crime described in § 3–202, § 3–203, or § 3–205 of this 9
109	109	subtitle in a case in the circuit court, the defendant, on timely demand, is entitled to a bill 10
110	110	of particulars. 11
111	111
112	112	(c) A charge of assault in the first degree also charges a defendant with assault 12
113	113	in the second degree. 13
114	114
115	115	(D) (1) UNLESS SPECIFICALLY C HARGED BY THE STATE, ASSAULT IN THE 14
116	116	THIRD DEGREE UNDER § 3–203.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE IS NOT A LESSER INCLUDE D 15
117	117	CRIME OF ANY OTHER C RIME. 16
118	118
119	119	(2) A CHARGING DOCUMENT OR WARRANT FOR A CRIME DESCRIBED 17
120	120	IN § 3–203.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE IS SUFFICIENT IF IT SUBSTANTIALLY STATES : 18
121	121
122	122	“(NAME OF DEFENDANT ) ON (DATE) IN (COUNTY) COMMITTED ASSAULT IN THE 19
123	123	THIRD DEGREE AGAINST (NAME OF VICTIM ) IN VIOLATION OF § 3–203.1 OF THE 20
124	124	CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE AGAINST THE P EACE, GOVERNMENT , AND DIGNITY OF THE 21
125	125	STATE.”. 22
126	126
127	127	[(d)] (E) (1) To be found guilty of reckless endangerment under § 3–204 of 23
128	128	this subtitle, a defendant must be charged specifically with reckless endangerment. 24
129	129
130	130	(2) A charging document for reckless endangerment under § 3–204 of this 25
131	131	subtitle is sufficient if it substantially states: 26
132	132
133	133	“(name of defendant) on (date) in (county) committed reckless endangerment in 27
134	134	violation of § 3–204 of the Criminal Law Article against the peace, government, and dignity 28
135	135	of the State.”. 29
136	136
137	137	(3) If more than one individual is endangered by the conduct of the 30
138	138	defendant, a separate charge may be brought for each individual endangered. 31
139	139
140	140	(4) A charging document containing a charge of reckless endangerment 32
141	141	under § 3–204 of this subtitle may: 33
142	142	4 HOUSE BILL 544
143	143
144	144
145	145	(i) include a count for each individual endangered by the conduct of 1
146	146	the defendant; or 2
147	147
148	148	(ii) contain a single count based on the conduct of the defendant, 3
149	149	regardless of the number of individuals endangered by the conduct of the defendant. 4
150	150
151	151	(5) If the general form of charging document described in paragraph (2) of 5
152	152	this subsection is used to charge reckless endangerment under § 3–204 of this subtitle in a 6
153	153	case in the circuit court, the defendant, on timely demand, is entitled to a bill of particulars. 7
154	154
155	155	3–209. 8
156	156
157	157	(a) Subject to [subsection] SUBSECTIONS (b) AND (C) of this section, a person 9
158	158	charged with a crime under § 3–202, § 3–203, § 3–203.1, § 3–204, or § 3–205 of this subtitle 10
159	159	may assert any judicially recognized defense. 11
160	160
161	161	(b) The discovery or perception of, or belief about, another person’s race, color, 12
162	162	national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or disability, 13
163	163	whether or not accurate, is not a defense to the crime of assault in any degree. 14
164	164
165	165	(C) A PHYSICAL INJURY OF A VICTIM RESULTING FROM A VIOLATION OF § 15
166	166	3–203.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE IS NOT A DEFENSE TO A C HARGE UNDER § 3–203.1 OF 16
167	167	THIS SUBTITLE. 17
168	168
169	169	Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 18
170	170
171	171	4–301. 19
172	172
173	173	(b) Except as provided in § 4–302 of this subtitle, the District Court also has 20
174	174	exclusive original jurisdiction in a criminal case in which a person at least 18 years old or 21
175	175	a corporation is charged with: 22
176	176
177	177	(1) Commission of a common–law or statutory misdemeanor regardless of 23
178	178	the amount of money or value of the property involved; 24
179	179
180	180	(2) Violation of § 7–104, § 7–105, § 7–107, or § 7–108 of the Criminal Law 25
181	181	Article, whether a felony or a misdemeanor; 26
182	182
183	183	(3) Violation of a county, municipal, or other ordinance, if the violation is 27
184	184	not a felony; 28
185	185
186	186	(4) Criminal violation of a State, county, or municipal rule or regulation, if 29
187	187	the violation is not a felony; 30
188	188
189	189	(5) Doing or omitting to do any act made punishable by a fine, 31
190	190	imprisonment, or other penalty as provided by the particular law, ordinance, rule, or 32
191	191	regulation defining the violation if the violation is not a felony; 33 HOUSE BILL 544 5
192	192
193	193
194	194
195	195	(6) Violation of § 8–103 of the Criminal Law Article, whether a felony or a 1
196	196	misdemeanor; 2
197	197
198	198	(7) Violation of § 8–203, § 8–204, § 8–205, § 8–206, § 8–207, § 8–208, or § 3
199	199	8–209 of the Criminal Law Article, whether a felony or misdemeanor; 4
200	200
201	201	(8) Forgery or violation of Title 8, Subtitle 6 of the Criminal Law Article, 5
202	202	whether a felony or misdemeanor; 6
203	203
204	204	(9) Violation of Title 27, Subtitle 4 of the Insurance Article, whether a 7
205	205	felony or a misdemeanor; 8
206	206
207	207	(10) Violation of § 9–1106 of the Labor and Employment Article; 9
208	208
209	209	(11) Violation of § 8–301 of the Criminal Law Article, whether a felony or 10
210	210	misdemeanor; 11
211	211
212	212	(12) Violation of § 2–209 of the Criminal Law Article; 12
213	213
214	214	(13) Violation of Title 2, Subtitle 5 of the Criminal Law Article; 13
215	215
216	216	(14) Violation of Title 11, Subtitle 5 of the Financial Institutions Article; 14
217	217
218	218	(15) Violation of § 10–604, § 10–605, § 10–606, § 10–607, § 10–607.1, or § 15
219	219	10–608 of the Criminal Law Article, whether a felony or misdemeanor; 16
220	220
221	221	(16) Violation of Title 7, Subtitle 3, Part III of the Criminal Law Article, 17
222	222	whether a felony or misdemeanor; 18
223	223
224	224	(17) Violation of § 20–102 of the Transportation Article, whether a felony or 19
225	225	misdemeanor; 20
226	226
227	227	(18) Violation of § 8–801 of the Criminal Law Article; 21
228	228
229	229	(19) Violation of § 8–604 of the Criminal Law Article; 22
230	230
231	231	(20) Violation of Title 8, Subtitle 2, Part II of the Criminal Law Article; 23
232	232
233	233	(21) Violation of § 16–801, § 16–802, § 16–803, or § 16–804 of the Election 24
234	234	Law Article; 25
235	235
236	236	(22) Violation of § 3–203(c) of the Criminal Law Article; 26
237	237
238	238	(23) Violation of § 11–208 of the Criminal Law Article as a second or 27
239	239	subsequent offense; 28
240	240	6 HOUSE BILL 544
241	241
242	242
243	243	(24) Violation of § 11–721 of the Criminal Procedure Article as a second or 1
244	244	subsequent offense; [or] 2
245	245
246	246	(25) Violation of § 3–1102(b) or § 3–1103 of the Criminal Law Article; OR 3
247	247
248	248	(26) VIOLATION OF § 3–203.1 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE. 4
249	249
250	250	4–302. 5
251	251
252	252	(d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the jurisdiction 6
253	253	of the District Court is concurrent with that of the circuit court in a criminal case: 7
254	254
255	255	(i) In which the penalty may be confinement for 3 years or more or 8
256	256	a fine of $2,500 or more; or 9
257	257
258	258	(ii) That is a felony, as provided in § 4–301(b)(2), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), 10
259	259	(11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23), (24), and (25) of this 11
260	260	subtitle. 12
261	261
262	262	(2) (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, a 13
263	263	circuit court does not have jurisdiction to try a case charging a violation of § 3–203.1, § 14
264	264	5–601, or § 5–620 of the Criminal Law Article. 15
265	265
266	266	(ii) A circuit court does have jurisdiction to try a case charging a 16
267	267	violation of § 3–203.1, § 5–601, or § 5–620 of the Criminal Law Article if the defendant: 17
268	268
269	269	1. Properly demands a jury trial; 18
270	270
271	271	2. Appeals as provided by law from a final judgment entered 19
272	272	in the District Court; or 20
273	273
274	274	3. Is charged with another offense arising out of the same 21
275	275	circumstances that is within a circuit court’s jurisdiction. 22
276	276
277	277	Article – Criminal Procedure 23
278	278
279	279	10–110. 24
280	280
281	281	(a) A person may file a petition listing relevant facts for expungement of a police 25
282	282	record, court record, or other record maintained by the State or a political subdivision of 26
283	283	the State if the person is convicted of: 27
284	284
285	285	(1) a misdemeanor that is a violation of: 28
286	286
287	287	(i) § 6–320 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article; 29
288	288	HOUSE BILL 544 7
289	289
290	290
291	291	(ii) an offense listed in § 17–613(a) of the Business Occupations and 1
292	292	Professions Article; 2
293	293
294	294	(iii) § 5–712, § 19–304, § 19–308, or Title 5, Subtitle 6 or Subtitle 9 of 3
295	295	the Business Regulation Article; 4
296	296
297	297	(iv) § 3–1508 or § 10–402 of the Courts Article; 5
298	298
299	299	(v) § 14–1915, § 14–2902, or § 14–2903 of the Commercial Law 6
300	300	Article; 7
301	301
302	302	(vi) § 5–211 of this article; 8
303	303
304	304	(vii) [§ 3–203] § 3–203.1 or § 3–808 of the Criminal Law Article; 9
305	305
306	306	(viii) § 5–601 not involving the use or possession of cannabis, § 10
307	307	5–602(b)(1), § 5–618, § 5–619, § 5–620, § 5–703, § 5–708, or § 5–902 of the Criminal Law 11
308	308	Article; 12
309	309
310	310	(ix) § 6–105, § 6–108, § 6–205 (fourth degree burglary), § 6–206, § 13
311	311	6–301, § 6–303, § 6–306, § 6–307, § 6–402, or § 6–503 of the Criminal Law Article; 14
312	312
313	313	(x) § 7–104, § 7–203, § 7–205, § 7–304, § 7–308, or § 7–309 of the 15
314	314	Criminal Law Article; 16
315	315
316	316	(xi) § 8–103, § 8–206, § 8–401, § 8–402, § 8–404, § 8–406, § 8–408, § 17
317	317	8–503, § 8–521, § 8–523, or § 8–904 of the Criminal Law Article; 18
318	318
319	319	(xii) § 9–204, § 9–205, § 9–503, or § 9–506 of the Criminal Law Article; 19
320	320
321	321	(xiii) § 10–110, § 10–201, § 10–402, § 10–404, or § 10–502 of the 20
322	322	Criminal Law Article; 21
323	323
324	324	(xiv) § 11–303, § 11–306, or § 11–307 of the Criminal Law Article; 22
325	325
326	326	(xv) § 12–102, § 12–103, § 12–104, § 12–105, § 12–109, § 12–203, § 23
327	327	12–204, § 12–205, or § 12–302 of the Criminal Law Article; 24
328	328
329	329	(xvi) § 13–401, § 13–602, or § 16–201 of the Election Law Article; 25
330	330
331	331	(xvii) [§ 4–509 of the Family Law Article; 26
332	332
333	333	(xviii)] § 18–215 of the Health – General Article; 27
334	334
335	335	[(xix)] (XVIII) § 4–411 or § 4–2005 of the Housing and Community 28
336	336	Development Article; 29
337	337	8 HOUSE BILL 544
338	338
339	339
340	340	[(xx)] (XIX) § 27–403, § 27–404, § 27–405, § 27–406, § 27–406.1, § 1
341	341	27–407, § 27–407.1, or § 27–407.2 of the Insurance Article; 2
342	342
343	343	[(xxi)] (XX) § 8–725.4, § 8–725.5, § 8–725.6, § 8–725.7, § 8–726, § 3
344	344	8–726.1, § 8–727.1, or § 8–738.2 of the Natural Resources Article or any prohibited act 4
345	345	related to speed limits for personal watercraft; 5
346	346
347	347	[(xxii)] (XXI) § 10–301, § 10–306, § 10–308.1, § 10–413(e)(1), § 6
348	348	10–418, § 10–502, § 10–611, or § 10–907(a) of the Natural Resources Article; 7
349	349
350	350	[(xxiii)] (XXII) § 5–307, § 5–308, § 6–602, § 7–402, or § 14–114 of 8
351	351	the Public Safety Article; 9
352	352
353	353	[(xxiv)] (XXIII) § 7–318.1, § 7–509, or § 10–507 of the Real Property 10
354	354	Article; 11
355	355
356	356	[(xxv)] (XXIV) § 9–124 of the State Government Article; 12
357	357
358	358	[(xxvi)] (XXV) § 13–1001, § 13–1004, § 13–1007, or § 13–1024 of 13
359	359	the Tax – General Article; 14
360	360
361	361	[(xxvii)] (XXVI) § 16–303 of the Transportation Article; or 15
362	362
363	363	[(xxviii)] (XXVII) the common law offenses of affray, rioting, criminal 16
364	364	contempt, battery, or hindering; 17
365	365
366	366	(c) (1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a petition for 18
367	367	expungement under this section may not be filed earlier than 5 years after the person 19
368	368	satisfies the sentence or sentences imposed for all convictions for which expungement is 20
369	369	requested, including parole, probation, or mandatory supervision. 21
370	370
371	371	(2) A petition for expungement for a violation of [§ 3–203 of the Criminal 22
372	372	Law Article or] common law battery may not be filed earlier than 7 years after the person 23
373	373	satisfies the sentence or sentences imposed for all convictions for which expungement is 24
374	374	requested, including parole, probation, or mandatory supervision. 25
375	375
376	376	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FU RTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 26
377	377	October 1, 2025. 27
378	378