Inside the Hornbeck Deposition — and What It Means for Marylanders
By Michael R. Phillips | MDBayNews | Thunder Report Investigations
A long-running custody and legal battle between Maryland parents has now reached federal court — and a recent deposition may offer the clearest look yet at the competing narratives behind the case.
In February 2026, Sarah Hornbeck, the defendant in a federal civil lawsuit filed by Jeffrey W. Reichert, sat for a sworn deposition conducted by Reichert’s attorney. The questioning touched on events spanning more than a decade of litigation, including custody disputes, relocation issues, and a 2018 arrest.
For Maryland residents who rarely see how custody battles unfold once they move beyond family court, the deposition offers a rare glimpse into how deeply personal disputes can evolve into complex legal conflicts involving multiple courts and years of litigation.
The testimony also raises broader questions about the role of sworn testimony, documentation, and memory in disputes that can shape the lives of families for years.
The deposition is now becoming the focus of a new investigative sub-series within The Reichert Files, an ongoing MDBayNews-Thunder Report investigation examining how the case developed — and what it reveals about Maryland’s legal system.
A Key Moment: The 2018 Arrest
One of the most notable moments in the deposition came when Hornbeck was questioned about a March 2018 arrest in Charles County.
Under oath, she confirmed that the arrest involved charges including driving under the influence and assault on a law enforcement officer, stemming from what she described as a drug and alcohol incident.
When asked about the outcome of the case, Hornbeck testified that it resulted in probation before judgment, a Maryland legal disposition that allows a defendant to avoid a conviction if probation is successfully completed.
“I believe one year of unsupervised probation,” she said during the deposition.
But when Reichert’s attorney referenced court records indicating that the probation lasted two years and ended in August 2020, Hornbeck acknowledged that the timeline “sounds approximately correct.”
The timeline matters because the probation period overlapped with a time when disputes between the two parents were intensifying.
Questions About Earlier Legal Filings
Another exchange during the deposition focused on prior pleadings in the case.
Hornbeck was asked about earlier filings in which allegations related to the arrest had been denied.
When asked why those allegations were denied, Hornbeck responded simply:
“I don’t recall.”
In civil litigation, depositions often revisit earlier filings to clarify the record. Differences between earlier pleadings and later testimony are sometimes examined as cases move forward.
The Relocation Issue
The deposition also revisited disputes about relocation and travel involving the couple’s child.
Hornbeck testified that there was no written or oral agreement between the parties regarding relocation to Anne Arundel County in 2015.
She was also asked whether Reichert had consented to travel involving the child to Maine in 2016.
“I don’t recall,” she said when asked about consent for the trip, though she said she believed the child had visited Maine during that period.
Relocation disputes are among the most common sources of conflict in custody cases, particularly when parents live in different jurisdictions or when travel requires the approval of both parents.
Memory Gaps in the Testimony
Throughout the deposition, Hornbeck said she did not recall details about several events that occurred during the years of litigation between the parties.
These included:
- details of custody disputes between 2018 and 2020
- certain law-enforcement interactions
- specific circumstances surrounding earlier allegations.
At one point, Reichert’s attorney asked whether there was a reason she could not recall events from the period.
“No,” Hornbeck replied when asked whether she had a memory issue.
Memory gaps are not uncommon in depositions involving events that occurred years earlier, but attorneys often compare testimony with documentary records during discovery.
A Conflict That Spans More Than a Decade
The deposition underscores the extent of the legal conflict between the two parents.
What began as a custody dispute more than a decade ago has expanded into:
- multiple court proceedings
- criminal complaints
- protective order disputes
- and now a federal civil lawsuit.
During the deposition, Hornbeck’s attorney objected to several questions, arguing that the questioning was attempting to relitigate family-court matters.
Reichert disputes Hornbeck’s allegations and has filed claims in federal court.
The outcome of the case will ultimately be determined by the courts, but the deposition highlights the scale of the conflict and the complexity of the litigation.
Why the Case Matters for Maryland
While the Reichert case involves one family, it reflects broader issues that affect many Maryland parents navigating the court system.
Custody disputes frequently involve multiple legal proceedings across different courts, and cases can stretch on for years.
Legal experts often note that prolonged litigation can place significant emotional and financial strain on families.
The case also illustrates how disputes that begin in family court can eventually reach federal court when parties allege broader legal violations.
For Maryland residents, the case raises questions about:
- how custody disputes are resolved
- how courts handle competing allegations
- and how the legal system manages cases that span multiple jurisdictions and years.
The Reichert Files: Under Oath
The Hornbeck deposition marks the beginning of a new phase of the investigation into the Reichert case.
The Reichert Files: Under Oath series will examine sworn testimony connected to the litigation and compare it with court filings, timelines, and public records.
Upcoming articles in the series will examine:
- the pattern of “I don’t recall” responses in the deposition
- the timeline surrounding the 2018 arrest
- relocation disputes and custody orders
- and how sworn testimony compares with the broader documentary record.
Depositions are often where the details of long-running legal conflicts come into sharp focus.
For readers trying to understand the case, the testimony may offer the clearest window yet into how the dispute developed — and what questions remain unanswered.
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