Judge Andrew Wilkinson championed justice throughout his career. Tragically, he was left defenseless on October 19, 2023, when he was murdered in front of his home by a disgruntled litigant. The man who killed Judge Wilkinson began searching the internet for the judge's personal information in July 2023. If measures had been in place to protect public officials like judges, and prevent parties from disclosing their personal information on the internet, his horrific murder could potentially have been prevented. At the time, however, no such protections existed.
Prompted in part by Judge Wilkinson’s death, numerous Maryland Senators introduced SB575, the Judge Andrew F. Wilkinson Judicial Security Act, during the 2024 legislative session. The House and Senate voted almost unanimously to pass the bill, with only one Senator, who sought an amendment, voting against it. Governor Wes Moore, who testified before the General Assembly in favor of SB575, signed it into law on May 9, 2024.
SB575 aims to enhance the protections for judges and their families by authorizing them to request government entities to remove or refrain from publishing their personal information on the internet or social media networks. The Office of Information Privacy can make similar requests as well. The bill also provides legal recourse for violations, and sets penalties for unauthorized disclosure. Additionally, it creates the Judicial Address Confidentiality Program to further shield the addresses of protected individuals and mandates cooperation between state and local agencies to maintain confidentiality. Finally, the bill forms the Task Force to Ensure the Safety of Judicial Facilities, which includes various judicial and law enforcement officials, to address security concerns in judicial environments.
Senator Will Smith, Chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee and one of the sponsors of SB575, will provide insight on the bill, including how Maryland’s law compares to other states and what other legislation related to judicial and attorney security he believes will be proposed in future session during the Senate Legislative Plenary, which will be held on Friday, June 7, 2024, at 9:45 am, during MSBA’s 2024 Legal Summit.
Senator Jeff Waldstreicher, Vice Chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee and Senators Chris West and Charles Sydnor, members of the Judicial Proceedings Committee will join Senator Smith during the session, to discuss SB575 and numerous other bills, including SB391,which amends the statute of limitations for sexual extortion, stalking, and revenge porn, SB744, a juvenile law reform statute, and SB827, addressing jury examinations and jury examination. It is also anticipated that they will address SB538, which pertains to damages in personal injury and wrongful death cases, SB680 which impacts determinations and settlements by the Attorney General in certain actions, SB365, which sets forth requirements for child custody evaluators, and SB327, which codifies factors the courts can consider when making custody determinations.
You can learn more about the education and networking opportunities available at MSBA’s 2024 Legal Summit and register to attend here.