Howard County State’s Attorney Rich Gibson is an advocate for fair and just laws. As such, he uses his voice and prosecutorial experience to weigh in on important issues affecting all Marylanders. As President of the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association, Gibson plans to address members of the Maryland General Assembly to encourage them to change state laws as it relates to restoring trust in the criminal justice system, holding violent offenders accountable and enhancing the services for victims of crime. Here are some of the legislative bills our office has testified on behalf of in 2023:
Firearm Safety – Storage Requirements & Youth Suicide Prevention, also known as Jaelynn’s Law (SB 0858)
Altering a certain provision relating to the storage of firearms and ammunition in a location that can be accessed by an unsupervised child; and requiring the Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services to develop a youth suicide prevention and firearm safe storage guide, with recommendations from a stakeholder committee.
TESTIFIED IN FAVOR OF/PASSED
Correctional Services – Incarcerated Individuals – Intake & Release, also known as the Reentry Success Act (HB 0877)
Requiring the Division of Correction provide certain mediation screening and access to incarcerated individuals and to work with incarcerated individuals to ensure access to medication, social service programs, and public transportation at the time of the incarcerated individual’s release; and requiring a State transit system to provide transit passes for released incarcerated individuals.
TESTIFIED IN FAVOR OF/Referral to Committee
Office of the Attorney General – Independent Investigations Division – Authority to Prosecute (SB 0290)
Expanding the investigative jurisdiction of the Independent Investigations Division to include a police-involved incident resulting in serious bodily injury to an individual that is not otherwise within the jurisdiction of the Division; authorizing the Attorney General to prosecute certain criminal matters under certain circumstances; etc.
OPPOSED/Passed
Criminal Procedure- Evidence – Admissibility of Creative Expression (HB 0940)
Providing that the creative expression of a criminal defendant or juvenile respondent is not admissible against the defendant or respondent unless the court makes certain findings; and defining “creative expression” as the expression or application of creativity or imagination in the production or arrangement of forms, sounds, words, movements, or symbols.
OPPOSED/Referral to Committee