Bill > SB294

This bill requires courts and parties involved in criminal or juvenile delinquency cases to protect the identifying information of victims of sexual assault or stalking, meaning their names or any other details that could reasonably identify them. Specifically, if a court filing or record contains such identifying information, it cannot be disclosed or made available for inspection to anyone not directly involved in the case (a nonparty), unless there's a compelling reason (good cause) proven to the court. This protection applies to both electronic and paper documents, including charging documents, and requires that all identifying information be removed (redacted) before disclosure, with a limited exception for disclosure to the victim or their representative. Furthermore, upon written request from a victim of sexual assault or stalking, the court must redact their identifying information from existing filings or records. This bill also defines "victim of sexual assault" as someone alleging sexually assaultive behavior or a crime under a specific section of the Criminal Law Article, and "victim of stalking" as someone alleging stalking as defined in another section of the Criminal Law Article.

Justice

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0294?ys=2026RS