When to Use Maryland Sentencing Guidelines Worksheet

A recent email from the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy (MSCCSP) stated that:

The Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy (MSCCSP) has recently become aware of some confusion about whether misdemeanors are eligible for the sentencing guidelines. To clarify, Maryland’s sentencing guidelines are not limited to felonies.

Generally, cases are guidelines-eligible and require a worksheet when the offense carries the possibility of incarceration—including misdemeanors and traffic offenses—and the case is either originally prosecuted in a circuit court or is the result of a jury trial prayer or an appeal from the District Court and a Pre-Sentence Investigation has been ordered. A full list of the types of sentencing scenarios that do and do not require a guidelines worksheet can be reviewed here.