MD HB1356

District Court commissioners would be prohibited from releasing defendants on personal recognizance or unsecured bail if the defendant was charged with a crime and released on unsecured bail within the previous 5 years, or previously failed to appear in court while on unsecured bail

Judges would retain authority to grant pretrial release for these defendants, but only on secured bail with additional conditions to ensure the defendant does not flee or pose a danger to others

Adds new subsection 5-202(h) to the Criminal Procedure Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: October 1, 2025