O'Malley Creates Panel On Pretrial Reform

As Maryland faces a court-ordered deadline to begin providing defendants in criminal cases with a lawyer at every bail hearing, Gov. Martin O'Malley on Tuesday ordered that a panel study pretrial reform.

The Governor's Commission to Reform Maryland's Pretrial System will look at best practices from around the country and assess the use of a risk-assessment system to help determine who should be detained and who should be released before trial. Lawmakers failed to agree on a solution to address the court ruling in the last legislative session.

"The commission will foster the consensus we need to move comprehensive pretrial reform forward," O'Malley said in a statement announcing the new panel. His order directs the panel to identify ways to reduce detainment times and develop and issue legislative recommendations.

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