HomeCategorySt Mary's County Archives - Page 2 of 6 - The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer

First degree assault in Maryland reaches twenty five years of incarceration. Most people think of the charge in terms of serious physical injury, but Criminal Law § 3-202 has a separate firearm route that produces felony exposure even when no one was hurt and no shot was fired. This guide walks through both routes, the related weapons counts under §§ 4-203 and 4-204 that typically stack on top, and the defense considerations specific to St. Mary's County, including the security clearance implications for the PAX River workforce.

A St. Mary's County domestic violence charge runs on two tracks at once. The criminal case proceeds in District Court under Maryland's standard assault statute, while a civil protective order petition under Family Law moves through interim, temporary, and final hearings on a separate timeline. This guide walks through both tracks, the trap of testifying at the protective order hearing, the federal firearm consequence under the Lautenberg Amendment, and the coordinated defense strategy that protects the defendant on both sides.

When a second degree assault is committed against a law enforcement officer, parole or probation officer, firefighter, EMT, or correctional officer in performance of official duties, and the conduct intentionally causes physical injury, Criminal Law § 3-203(c) elevates the offense to a felony with up to ten years of incarceration. This guide walks through the elements of the felony enhancement, the body camera defense that decides most cases, and the severe collateral consequences that follow conviction.