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Baltimore County officials flag Annapolis bills that could change complaint handling and trial boards
Summary
Staff and board members summarized several bills in Annapolis that would change how complaints are handled, who may chair trial boards and the statute of limitations for administrative complaints; the board asked staff to track case numbers and bill progress.
County staff briefed the Police Accountability Board on a set of bills filed in Annapolis that, if enacted, would alter how police complaints are handled in Maryland and how local trial boards are staffed.
Staff identified several measures discussed in the meeting: a Senate bill read as "SB 6625" that would automatically remove certain unfounded or exonerated complaints from an officer's record after three years; a House bill (read in the meeting as HB 01222) to allow officers to file complaints against other officers through the PAB rather than exclusively through Internal Affairs; a House bill (read as HB 0139) that would require Internal Affairs to complete investigations within nine months of receipt; and a House bill (read as HB 0186) to permit attorneys licensed and residing in the relevant jurisdiction to chair trial boards in that county.
Staff also described legislation to toll the "year-and-a-day" statute of limitations until any criminal investigation or case against an officer is resolved, so ACC review would not be forced to precede criminal proceedings and risk missing evidence. Staff told the board that Baltimore County generally meets existing internal timelines, but the proposed changes would add statutory deadlines or alter adjudicative practice.
"There is legislation that would toll the statute of limitations until any criminal investigation or case against an officer is resolved before that deadline begins to run," staff said, adding that staff would provide the committee with bill numbers and links in the meeting minutes.
Board members asked staff to provide case numbers and links and to track bill progress; staff agreed to include the details in the minutes and provide updates at future meetings. The board did not take legislative positions at the meeting.
