It is never easy to confront charges of violent crimes. The charges may be the results of emotional conflicts, and there may be many factors in an alleged incident. When acts of violence were the results of extenuating circumstances or when they simply did not happen, it can be especially difficult to understand and fight the charges against a person.
People accused of crimes in the state of Maryland may not yet be aware that there are new potential charges and punishments for a specific class of crime. A 24-year-old Baltimore man is charged with violence against a pregnant woman as part of an investigation into a woman’s death.
The new crime on the books in the Bay State is known as Laura and Reid’s Law, passed by the government in Annapolis in the autumn of 2019. The names refer to a teacher in Howard County and her unborn son after she was killed in 2017. The felony charge of violence against a pregnant woman carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ time in prison.
The governor signed the bill into law in May 2019, and it went into effect four months later. This is the first time that the law has been applied in Baltimore, according to the attorneys in charge of the case.
Anyone accused of violence against a pregnant woman is always entitled to a defense and an attorney to assist with it. Legal representation is an essential part of the criminal justice system in Maryland and the rest of the United States, and criminal charges should always be met with the right response.