DELEGATE MIKE MCDERMOTT PRESS RELEASE

‘Delegate McDermott’s Legislation Passes the House’
(ANNAPOLIS) -- Today the Maryland House of Delegates passed three bills sponsored by Delegate Mike McDermott (R-Worcester & Wicomico). 

One of the bills that passed, HB 709, the “Sheddy-Bennett Act,” alters the maximum penalty for being an accessory after the fact to murder in the first and second degree. A person convicted of being an accessory after the fact is subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years for a murder in the first and second degree. The bill is not retroactive and cannot be applied to any offense committed before October 1, 2013, when it would go into effect if signed into law. The bill is named after two homicide victims from the lower shore whose cases prompted the need for change in the law. “Ms. Sheddy and Ms. Bennett suffered a cruel death and for those who helped dispose of evidence and their remains to only receive a 5-year sentence was inexcusable”, said Delegate Mike McDermott. “This bill does not bring these victims back to their families, but it will help bring some sense of justice for future families who must endure such a tragedy in their lives.”

The second bill to pass, HB 147, will allow local law enforcement officers, upon approval of the Comptroller, to destroy contraband tobacco products. As Delegate Mike McDermott (R-Worcester & Wicomico) explains, “In the past the Comptroller’s office has collected contraband tobacco products from the local law enforcement offices, but because they cannot market them, they have stopped collecting them and the burden to transport them has fallen on the local law enforcement agencies. Storage room is running out as the local law enforcement agencies have no way to lawfully dispose of the products.”

A third bill, HB-719, was also passed by the House today. While current law allows the prosecution of anyone who intentionally makes a false bomb threat by either the county in which the communication was made or the county in which it was received, this can be difficult to determine. This bill extends the authority to prosecute to the county in which the destructive device or toxic material was allegedly located. “As criminals become increasingly mobile, deciding the location where a threat originated has become complicated”, stated Delegate McDermott.”This bill will allow for common sense application of the law at the location most impacted by these criminal acts.”