House Bill 21, introduced in the Maryland General Assembly, aims to reform the process by which District Court commissioners issue arrest warrants, seeking to limit their authority and enhance penalties for false reporting.
Sponsored by Del. Jackie Addison, the bill proposes that commissioners could only issue arrest warrants if the application comes from law enforcement or a prosecutor, with probable cause and specific conditions such as the defendant failing to respond to summons or being a danger to the community.
The bill seeks to amend two sections of Maryland law, Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings, Section 2-607, and Article – Criminal Law, Section 9-503, and also increases penalties for those making false statements to commissioners, raising the maximum prison sentence from six months to three years…