RaquinMercer Law Offices
“The Defense Never Rests.”

Judge Bair

MAJOR CHANGES NEEDED FOR THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM

Judge George B. Rasin, Jr. served as the sole circuit judge in Kent County, Maryland, from 1960 until 1987. In criminal cases, he was known as a “hanging judge” and when he came to Baltimore City to sit specially during the summers in the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s (there...

LET’S STOP THROWING AWAY JUVENILE LIVES

In my most recent blog, I examined how judges decide whether to have serious cases involving 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds handled in juvenile court or as adult criminal cases.  For a variety of reasons—including the fact that, although the juvenile court has...

DISCRETIONARY DECISIONS IN JUVENILE COURT

Last time, we saw how juvenile delinquency cases are heard in Montgomery County, with a look back at the unique history here.  Today, I examine how these judges have extraordinary discretion to essentially make or break the lives of juveniles in the county.  Before...

DJS: ONE-STOP JUVENILE JUSTICE IN MARYLAND

In Maryland, all things “delinquency” flow through the Department of Juvenile Services.  If you are a parent seeking a peace order in a juvenile case, you would go there.  If you are a police officer who has arrested a juvenile, you know to go there.  If you are an...

IS THERE EQUAL JUSTICE FOR JUVENILES IN MARYLAND?

In Maryland, any child under the age of 18 who does something that would be a crime if committed by an adult has thereby committed a “delinquent act” and is subject to the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court. Some children, as you might expect, commit serious...

A RETIRED JUDGE FOR RACIAL JUSTICE

The Maryland Constitution is quite clear on this subject:  all state court judges must retire at age 70.  This has been in the organic state law for over a century and a half.  There have been attempts in the past to raise the so-called age of “constitutional...