Author: Joan Bellistri

Law Library Director for the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library

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lawlibrary Maryland Law

New Maryland Laws in Effect Today, October 1, 2016

The 2016 supplement to the Maryland Code has arrived in the law library reflecting the more than 300 laws that will go into effect today. “Noah’s Law”  or the Drunk Driving Reduction Act of 2016 is mentioned in most news stories on the new laws. “Noah’s Law”(SB945/CH512) requires “the Motor Vehicle Administration to require a person who is convicted of specified offenses relating to driving under the influence of alcohol to participate in the Ignition Interlock System Program for specified periods of time….” Now the first offense rather than the second will require use of the device.

The Justice Reinvestment Act (SB1005/CH515) creates the Justice Reinvestment Oversight Board and makes changes that relate to sentencing, criminal penalties, and inmate rehabilitation. One of the many changes pertains to expungement. New code section 10-110 of the Criminal Procedure Article will allow for the expungement of certain misdemeanors after 10 years. However, this and most of the provisions will not take effect until next October 1, 2017.

SB771/CH579 puts restrictions on certain consumer debt collection actions including  “that certain actions may not revive or extend a certain statute of limitation and  prohibiting a debt buyer or a certain collector from initiating a certain consumer debt collection action unless the debt buyer or the collector possesses certain documents.”

The provision that there be corroborating witness in a divorce action as states in section 7-101 of the Family Law Article was removed per SB359/CH379 and HB274/CH380.  The disability of a parent in a child custody action was addressed by SB765/CH423. It states that “in any custody or visitation proceeding, the disability of a party is relevant only to the extent that the court finds, based on evidence in the record, that the disability affects the best interest of the child; requiring in a specified custody or visitation proceeding, the party alleging that the disability of the other party affects the best interest of the child to bear a specified burden of proof…”

For a detailed summary of the laws passed by the 2016 session see the 90 Day Report:  A Review of the 2016 Session prepared by the Department of Legislative Services or check out the article in the Baltimore Sun today, “New Maryland laws go into effect today.”

 

 

 

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask A Lawyer In The Library: July 2016

 

The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by The Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes. No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk. Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery. For more information, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.

In addition to the weekly program in the courthouse, the program is offered monthly in branches of the Anne Arundel County Public Library. These programs are held in the evening from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with the lottery at 4:15 p.m. This was the second month for the Eastpost Annapolis-Neck Community Library. The Eastport program will continue on the last Tuesday of the month with the next date on August 30. The program at the Glen Burnie Regional Library will resume on August 17 after its summer break. The Glen Burnie program is offered on the third Wednesday of the month.

Twenty six people took part in the program this month and were able to speak with an attorney to request assistance with issues such as leases, bankruptcy, power of attorney, trusts and estates, patents, mortgages and procedure. Volunteer attorneys were Mike Ragland, retired from Bell, Ragland, Gauges & Paltell; Chris Boucher; Dan Mellin of Hillman, Brown and Darrow; Paul Farmer of Gormley Jarashow Bowman; Jimmy Praley of Lessans, Praley & McCormick; and Elizabeth Pfenson and Kelly Kylis of Brassel, Alexander and Rice.

Paul Farmer
Mike Ragland
Chris Boucher
Dan Mellin

 

This month issues included topics such as leases, bankruptcy, power of attorney, trusts and estates, patents, mortgages and procedure.

More information about the program is available at http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library. The Ask A Lawyer In The Law Library program is a limited legal advice service. The program is not a substitute for representation. If you need an attorney to represent you, you can contact the Anne Arundel Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service.

Questions about foreclosure? The law library hosts the MVLS Foreclosure Brief Advice Clinic on the third Wednesday of the month for 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The next Foreclosure Clinic will be on August 17.

Do you have a family law matter? Family law issues are best addressed by the Family Law Self Help Center, which is also located in the library. For more information, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/family-law.

Do you have a criminal law matter? Criminal Law matters are best addressed by the Office of the Public Defender. Information about the Office of the Public Defender is available at http://www.opd.state.md.us/.

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask A Lawyer in the Library Expands to the Eastport Annapolis-Neck Community Library

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Carole Brown and Joan Bellistri

Eastport Annapolis-Neck Community Library offered its first “Ask a Lawyer in the Library” program on June 28, 2016.  The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by the Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service.

Four attorneys volunteered for the first night: Nathan Volke of the Law Offices of Laura E. Burrows; Carole Brown, Jimmy Praley of Lessans, Praley and McCormick; and Jerry Williams of Patel and Williams.

Jimmy Praley, Amanda Spino and Jerry Willliams
Jimmy Praley, Amanda Spino and Jerry Willliams

They were assisted by librarians Amanda  Spino of the Eastport Annapolis-Neck Community Library and Joan Bellistri of the Law Library. The attorneys were able to help with issues such as divorce, breach of contract and estate planning.

The “Ask a Lawyer” program  will continue monthly on the last Tuesday of the month. This is the second Anne Arundel County Public Library branch to offer the program with the other being  offered at the Glen Burnie Regional Library on the third Wednesday. The program is offered from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at both libraries. The next date for Eastport will be July, 26. The Glen Burnie program will resume on August 17.  It is also offered every Wednesday in the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

 

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lawlibrary

Family Law Self Help Center Expansion in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court

The Ribbon Cutting for the Anne Arundel County Family Law Self Help Center (FLSHC) was held on Friday, June 24, 2016.  The area dedicated to the Family Law Self Help Center which is located in the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library has just about doubled.  The result is increased privacy and access for those using the services of the center. The expansion was made  possible by a grant from the Access to Justice Department of the Maryland Judiciary. Family Law Division funds were used as well to supplement the grant.

Family Law Self Help Center moved to the law library 5 years ago on April 25, 2011.  Since that time the law library and FLSHC have worked together to serve the needs representing themselves in family law issues such as divorce, child custody, visitation and name changes.  The law library provides a self-help computer room and collection of materials written for the non-attorney. Librarians are able to guide Center users to appropriate resources when referred by FLSHC staff.

Law Library Intern, Chi Song, was responsible for the grant application and management; research and ordering of the workstations and computer equipment;  and the planning and reorganization of the law library, including the moving of thousands of books.

View the slideshow to see the before and after.  

The event was covered by the Capital. Please see the 6/27 online article, “Self-help family law center expands, thanks to grants” written by Lauren Loricchio for more information, pictures and a video. (It was also published  in the  print Capital  on June 28, 2016 but titled “Fulfilling a growing need.”)

 

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask A Lawyer In the Library – Wednesday Wrap-Up

paul-farmer-20150826

On Wednesday, April 27, 2016, Paul Farmer of Gormley, Jarashow and Bowman, was the “lawyer in the library” who assisted five people with legal issues such as estates, conspiracy, administrative appeals and collecting a judgment. 

The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by The Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes. No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk. Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery. The next program date is Wednesday, May 4 , 2016. For more information, including additional times and locations, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.

 

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lawlibrary Pro Bono

Homeless Resource Day 2016

The 9th Annual Anne Arundel County Homeless Resource Day was held on Saturday April 9, 2016. This was the eighth year that Anne Arundel County attorneys volunteered to provide legal assistance to those who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless.  This year, 15 attorneys provided 35 clients with legal advice on 41 different issues ranging from criminal records to wills. Criminal records can be a barrier to housing and employment making criminal records expungement the number one issue.    This year 8 people could be helped with clearing up their criminal records.  The Office of the Public Defender and Legal Aid were able to file more than 25 petitions for expungement. More statistics can be found here.

Many of the attorneys have volunteered for Homeless Day before, William Cooke and Jessica Wisner of the Office of the Public Defender; Anita Bailey, Kathleen Hughes, Lisa Sarro and Amy Siegel of Legal Aid; and Michelle Moodispaw, Gene Brennan and Kari Fawcett, all private practitioners.  This year we welcomed some new volunteers: Aimee West who clerked in Anne Arundel County and now practices in Prince Frederick; Adam McCormick another former law clerk and now with Lessans, Praley and McCormick; Lauren Wallace of the YWCA Domestic Violence Program

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and vice chair of the Local Pro Bono Committee; Sarone Solomon who is a Legal Aid attorney working for the new Maryland Courts’ Self Help Center; Jonathon Church, Anne Arundel County Deputy State’s Attorney; and Nickola Sybblis who volunteers in the Lawyer in the Library program.

Matthew Stubenberg of MVLS, who coordinated the the expungement clinic held at the Anne Arundel County Glen Burnie Regional Library in February, was on hand to help with expungement questions and Nasim Chatha of MVLS brought information for guests about MVLS services.

Joan Bellistri, Director of the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library, coordinates Homeless Day Legal Services and is on hand to help attorneys locate appropriate resources and referrals.

Overall, the number of people seeking legal assistance was much lower than in previous years.  It could be attributed to the new location of the event, the location of legal services in the building and the weather – snow in April!  However, as Lisa Sarro, of Legal Aid put it, “in terms of tangible results for clients, this was the best.”  Without the pressure of other clients waiting attorneys could spend more time with each client. Lisa stayed past the 4:00 end time when just about all other providers had packed up and left to help the last guest of the day with expungements.  The guest remarked that she had been trying to get help everywhere and didn’t really expect to get that help that she needed but was happy to say that she did.

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lawlibrary

Ask A Lawyer In The Library: Wednesday Wrap-Up

Mike Ragland
Mike Ragland

The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by the Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes. No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk. Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery. For more information, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.

On Wednesday, October 7, 2015, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you, Mike Ragland, retired, for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Four people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues such as wills, a roof warranty, and defamation. One person who had a pressing foreclosure question was referred to the MVLS Foreclosure Brief Legal Advice program helpline.

Do you have a question about foreclosure? The law library is hosting a monthly foreclosure clinic through the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS). The next clinic will be held on October 14, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the law library. The MVLS, walk-in, Foreclosure Brief Legal Advice program is held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. This program is held at the Office of Administrative Hearings, Administrative Law Building, 11101 Gilroy Rd., Hunt Valley, MD 21031. There are call-in hours in addition to the in-person hours. The helpline at 443-808-0076 is held on Monday and Wednesday, from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

The next program date is Wednesday, October 14, 2015.

More information about the program is available at http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library. The Ask A Lawyer In The Law Library program is a limited legal advice service. The program is not a substitute for representation. If you need an attorney to represent you, you can contact the Anne Arundel Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service.

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lawlibrary

Open Legal Services— The Nonprofit Law Firm Model Everyone Is Talking About | Young Lawyers Division

In his keynote address to the 2015 Court Technology Conference, Mark Britton, in his discussion of “The Innovation Imperative” mentioned OLS, a non-profit law firm in Utah.  The ABA Affiliate had an article in January, 2015:

There is something new in the legal world. A new law firm model has been getting a lot of attention lately, and for good reason

Source: Open Legal Services— The Nonprofit Law Firm Model Everyone Is Talking About | Young Lawyers Division

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer in the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

Paul Farmer
Paul Farmer

On Wednesday, August 26, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you, Paul Farmer of Gormley Jarashow Bowman, LLC., who volunteered for this program for the first time today. Six people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues such as contracts, administrative appeals, estates, and real estate. The next program date is September 2, 2015.

The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by The Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service.  Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes. No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk. Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery. For more information, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.

The Ask A Lawyer In The Law Library program is a limited legal advice service. The program is not a substitute for representation. If you need an attorney to represent you, you can contact the Anne Arundel Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service.

Need help with a District Court matter such as landlord/tenant, small claims (less than $5,000), consumer matters, or return of property (replevin and detinue).The District Court Self-Help Resource Center provides limited legal services for people who are not represented by an attorney. Services are provided in-person (in Glen Burnie and Upper Marlboro), on the phone and with live chat. More information is available at http://www.courts.state.md.us/legalhelp/districtctselfhelpctr.html

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer in the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

Dan Mellin
Dan Mellin

On Wednesday, August 19, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you, Dan Mellin of Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A., for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Four people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues such as contracts, unemployment, and real estate. The next program date is Wednesday, August 26, 2015.

The program was also held in the evening in Glen Burnie.  Sole practitioners Mary Albrecht-Jordan, Carole Brown and Todd Cagwin  were on hand to provide assistance
to 14 additional people who had questions on topics such as alimony, real estate, trusts, powers of attorney, mortgages, marriage, consumer and contract problems.  We welcome new program volunteers Carole and Todd and always appreciate the time of all of the program volunteers. This evening program well be held again next month on September 16, 2015.

Todd Cagwin and Mary Albrecht-Jordan
Todd Cagwin and Mary Albrecht-Jordan
Carole Brown
Carole Brown

The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by The Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes. No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk. Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery. The program is held in the evening from 4:30 to 6:30 p.mat the Glen Burnie Regional Library of the Anne Arundel County Public Library on the third Wednesday of the month from August through May. Sign-up begins at 4:15 p.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery.  For more information on these programs, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.