Criminal Procedure - Protection of Identity of Victim of Sexual Assault
Summary
HB613 expands Maryland’s existing court-filing privacy protections for crime victims by adding a specific category for victims of sexual assault. Under current law, courts may restrict disclosure of a victim’s or witness’s address or telephone number during trial, and filings involving minor victims must have identifying information redacted before being shown to nonparties. This bill extends that redaction requirement to cases and filings involving alleged victims of sexual assault, defined by reference to sexual offense provisions in the Criminal Law Article.
The bill generally prohibits a court or party in a criminal or juvenile delinquency case from disclosing or allowing inspection of an electronic or paper filing, including charging documents, to a nonparty unless all identifying information is redacted. It also creates a new process for existing filings: upon written request by a sexual assault victim, the court must redact identifying information from an existing filing, and the Supreme Court of Maryland must adopt rules to implement that process. The act takes effect October 1, 2025.
Impact
HB613 amends Criminal Procedure § 11-301 to broaden mandatory confidentiality protections in criminal and juvenile delinquency cases. It changes state law by adding sexual assault victims to the class of protected victims whose identifying information must be removed from court filings before disclosure to nonparties, and it authorizes post-filing redaction of existing records upon request. The bill also directs the Supreme Court of Maryland to establish procedural rules for implementing those redactions, affecting court administration, clerks, prosecutors, defense counsel, and public access to case records.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have a strongly protective and victim-centered purpose, with no recorded opposition, committee debate, or vote history provided in the materials. Its sponsorship by a large bipartisan-looking group of delegates suggests broad legislative support for strengthening privacy protections for sexual assault victims. Overall, the available context indicates a favorable sentiment toward the bill and its goal of reducing the risk of identifying victims through court records.
Contention
The main policy issue is the balance between victim privacy and public access to court records. The bill limits disclosure of filings to nonparties unless identifying information is redacted, and it allows a court to order otherwise only on a clear-and-convincing showing of good cause. Another point of implementation is the new requirement for the Supreme Court of Maryland to create rules for redacting existing filings, which may raise administrative questions for courts and litigants. No specific objections or competing viewpoints are included in the provided record.