×
You've used up your 3 free articles for this month. Subscribe today.
Maryland Court of Appeals Announces Standard for Whether Scientific Evidence Is ‘Testimonial’ for Confrontation Right Purposes Under Article 21 of Maryland Declaration of Rights
by Douglas Ankney
Citing lack of clear guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Maryland Court of Appeals (“MCA” or “Court”) announced that issues of confrontation of witnesses will be determined under Article 21 of the Maryland Declaration of Rights (“Article 21”) and further announced the standard for …
Full article and associated cases available to subscribers.
As a digital subscriber to Criminal Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login
More from this issue:
- ShadowDragon: Inside the Social Media Surveillance Software That Can Watch Your Every Move, by Michael Kwet
- Report Chronicles Growing List of Exonerations, by Jayson Hawkins
- Racist Police Violence Reconsidered, by John McWhorter
- Excited Delirium Syndrome: Pseudo-Scientific Shield for Law Enforcement’s Violent Behavior, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
- Colorado Supreme Court: Warrantless Pole Camera Surveilling and Recording of Curtilage for Over Three Months Constitutes an Illegal Search, by Douglas Ankney
- Proliferation of Anti-Riot Laws Spurs Nationwide Legal Challenges, by Casey Bastian
- Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Two-Year Time Limit of § 590.01, subd. 4(c) Runs From Date of Court Decision, by Douglas Ankney
- How Law Enforcement Get Past Phone Encryption, by Anthony Accurso
- First Circuit: Defendant Entitled to Withdraw Plea Where Government Withdrew From Plea Agreement Based on Defendant’s Breach, by Douglas Ankney
- Law Proposed to End Sales of Private Data to Law Enforcement, by Anthony Accurso
- Wisconsin Supreme Court Announces Incapacitated Driver Provision of Implied Consent Statute Unconstitutional, by Douglas Ankney
- Law of Unintended Consequences: How Defunding the Police Leads to Salary Increases, by Casey Bastian
- Washington Supreme Court: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel for Failing to Object to Introduction of Inadmissible Evidence, by Douglas Ankney
- Is It Time to Stop Relying on the Cops?, by Casey Bastian
- Michigan Supreme Court: Parole-Revocation Prison Term Imposed as Result of Separate Wrongful Conviction Is Included in Compensation Under WICA, by Douglas Ankney
- Maine Supreme Judicial Court Reverses Denial of Suppression Motion and Vacates Murder Conviction, by Douglas Ankney
- D.C. Circuit Joins Seven Other Circuits in Holding USSG § 1B1.13 Doesn’t Apply to Compassionate Release Motions Filed by Prisoners, by Dale Chappell
- New Jersey Supreme Court Announces Framework for Requesting Criminal Background Check of Potential Juror and Calls for Judicial Conference to Explore Nature of Discrimination in Jury Selection Process, by Douglas Ankney
- First Circuit Orders New Trial Following Detailed Discussion of Entrapment Defense and When Courts Must Give Jury Instruction, by Douglas Ankney
- Maryland Court of Appeals Announces Standard for Whether Scientific Evidence Is ‘Testimonial’ for Confrontation Right Purposes Under Article 21 of Maryland Declaration of Rights, by Douglas Ankney
- NYPD Training Deprioritizes First Amendment Education in Policing Protests, by Casey Bastian
- USPS Reveals Social Media Surveillance Program, by Anthony Accurso
- California Supreme Court Announces Hearsay Regarding Nonpredicate Offenses in Psychological Evaluation Reports Inadmissible in SVP Probable Cause Hearings, by Douglas Ankney
- Rhode Island Supreme Court: Conclusory Statutory Language to Describe Purported Child Porn Image Used to Support Search Warrant Affidavit Invalidates Warrant, by Anthony Accurso
- When Life Is No Better Than Death, by Jayson Hawkins
- Texas Man Positively Identified by Six Eyewitnesses and Sentenced to Life Granted Actual Innocence Relief as Result of DNA Evidence, by Casey Bastian
- California Supreme Court Announces Suspended Execution of Sentence with Probation Imposed Is Not ‘Final’ so New Changes in Law Apply Retroactively on Appeal, by Dale Chappell
- Montana Supreme Court: Detainee Entitled to Pre-Sentence Credit for Time Served Regardless if Also Held in Connection With Another Matter in Another County, by Douglas Ankney
- Colorado Supreme Court Announces Mandatory Lifetime Sex Offender Registration Unconstitutional for Juveniles With Multiple Adjudications, by Dale Chappell
- New Mexico Abolishes Qualified Immunity, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
- Missouri Supreme Court: IAC Where Guilty Plea Based on Counsel’s Assurance Defendant Eligible for Drug Treatment Program When, as Matter of Law, Ineligible, by David Reutter
More from Douglas Ankney:
- The Dramatic Increase in the Elderly Prison Population Is Fiscally and Morally Irresponsible, Oct. 1, 2026
- Second Circuit Affirms Denial of Qualified Immunity but Clarifies that 14th Amendment ‘Objective Reasonableness’ Is Standard of Review for Pretrial Detainee’s Claim of Sexual Abuse, Oct. 1, 2026
- California Supreme Court Announces Totality-of-Circumstances Framework Focused on Defendant’s Subjective Understanding Under § 1473.7(a)(1), Holding Immigration Consequences Advisement Is Relevant but Not Dispositive, Oct. 1, 2026
- Idaho Supreme Court Holds Conflicting Affidavits About Plea Acceptance Require Evidentiary Hearing on Ineffective-Assistance Claim, Oct. 1, 2026
- Tenth Circuit Vacates Award of Costs to Prison Officials, Revives Prisoner’s Claim Alleging Denial of Access to Functioning Toilets and Exposure to Other Prisoners’ Feces, Oct. 1, 2026
- Second Circuit Vacates Above-Guidelines Firearm-Trafficking Sentence Based on Failure to Assist Law Enforcement and Unexplained Reliance on Factors Already Included in Guidelines Range, Sept. 1, 2026
- Ninth Circuit Reverses Convictions, Holding Requirement That Defendant Testify Before Displaying Hand Tattoos Violates Fifth Amendment, Sept. 1, 2026
- Ohio Supreme Court Announces Postconviction DNA-Testing Orders Need Only Identify Statutory Reason to Satisfy R.C. 2953.73(D) “Reasons” Requirement, Sept. 1, 2026
- Federal Court Upholds Consultants’ Finding that Oklahoma Is Not Honoring Its Consent Decree to Provide Mental Health Treatment, Sept. 1, 2026
- Idaho Legislature Moves to Hide Execution Protocol from Judicial Scrutiny, Sept. 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court Announces Calling Known Recalcitrant Witness Before Jury Constitutes Reversible Error and Prosecutorial Misconduct Regardless of Whether Witness Expressly Invokes Fifth Amendment Privilege, Qualifying Contrary Precedent, June 1, 2026. Confrontation Clause/Rights, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Witnesses - Examination of, Self-Incrimination Clause, Plain/Harmless Error.
- Your DNA Was at the Scene, But You Weren’t: How Touch DNA Is Convicting the Innocent, June 1, 2026. DNA Testing/Samples, junk science, Wrongful Conviction, DNA Evidence, Evidence - Admissibility, Claim of Innocence.
- Hawaii Supreme Court Announces State Constitution Requires Law Enforcement to Record All Custodial Interrogations, Overruling Three-Decade-Old Precedent and Recognizing New Due Process Right, March 1, 2026. Constitution, state, Confrontation Clause/Rights, Self-Incrimination Clause, Custodial Interrogations, Video Recordings.
- Zombie Forensics: Discredited Science Stalking the Courtroom, Dec. 15, 2025. DNA Testing/Samples, junk science, Forensic Sciences, Opinions and Expert Testimony.
- SCOTUS Holds Sixth Amendment Requires Case-Specific Necessity Determination to Screen Child Witnesses, Rejecting Reliance on Mandatory State Statutes Based on Generalized Legislative Findings, Dec. 15, 2025. Sixth Amendment, Confrontation Clause/Rights, Video/Closed Circuit TV Testimony, Confrontation Clause.
- Police AI and “Sycophancy”: New Evidence Tools May Tell Cops Exactly What They Want to Hear, Dec. 15, 2025. junk science, Police State-Surveillance, Evidence - Integrity/Reliability of, Evidence - Failure to Disclose, Exculpatory Evidence - Disclosure Obligations.
- Beyond a Reasonable Doubt? Fingerprint Evidence’s Troubling Flaws, April 15, 2025. junk science, Wrongful Conviction, Fingerprint Evidence.
- Cops’ Lie-Detecting Delusion: They Can’t Spot Lies Based on Nonverbal Cues or ‘Abnormal’ Behavior—Yet Keep Lying to Themselves (and Ruining Lives) That They Can, April 15, 2025. junk science, Aberrant Behavior, Violent anti-social behavior, Lie Detector Tests.
- A Guilty Voice: Is Voice Analysis Junk Science or Reliable Evidence?, March 15, 2025. junk science, Evidence - Integrity/Reliability of.
- Study Confirms New York City’s ShotSpotter Deployment Was a Costly Misstep, March 15, 2025. junk science, Use of a Gun.





