Who Authorized This? A Private Nonprofit Is Now Appointing Attorneys in Maryland Custody Cases
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews A Seattle-based nonprofit with no Maryland legislative authorization, no independent...
Court Reform
One Signature, No Judge: How Maryland Lets a Single Accusation Freeze a Custody Case
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews A commissioner — not a judge — can issue a protective order in Maryland based on one...
Maryland Ranks Last in Court Reporter Pay. No One Is Tracking What That Costs Litigants.
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews On May 26, 2026, New York's Court of Appeals confronted a transcript so defective it was...
The Case That Wouldn’t End
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland’s judiciary often presents itself as a model of stability, professionalism, and...
Maryland Bans Hotel Placements, Rolls Out New Tech — But Is Foster Care Finally Fixed?
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews After a scathing September 2025 legislative audit exposed deep failures in Maryland’s...
Released Hours Before Killing, Ellicott City Case Raises Questions About Maryland’s Public Safety System
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews A woman in Ellicott City is dead, and new details show the danger was already in the...
How Maryland Family Courts Can Build Case Records Without a Parent Present
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews | Father & Co. A recent federal disability-rights ruling involving a Maryland parent...
Analysis: What Maryland Could Change to Prevent ADA Access Failures in Family Court
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews | Policy Analysis The recent federal ruling granting disability accommodations to a...
Maryland Lawmakers Move to Codify Standards for Custody Evaluators
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews As the 2026 legislative session gets underway, lawmakers in Annapolis are once again taking...
Former Rockville Attorney’s $4.2M Fraud Case Raises Questions About Oversight and Accountability
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews A former Rockville attorney who once marketed herself as a trusted guide through bankruptcy...
Maryland Judiciary to Launch Unified Case Search Portal January 9
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews The Maryland Judiciary will roll out a new, integrated online platform—the Maryland...
Why Does Maryland Keep Releasing Violent Offenders? And Why Don’t Domestic Violence Victims Matter?
By Michael Phillips Maryland is facing a crisis—one that lawmakers, judges, and bail commissioners never seem to take...
Justice Cannot Be Blind to Invisible Disabilities
By Michael PhillipsOriginally published in The Daily Record, October 24, 2025 When Congress passed the Americans with...
Maryland Family Courts vs. Invisible Disabilities: Rights Denied, Families Punished
In Maryland, family court is supposed to protect children and preserve parental rights. Instead, it’s become the one...