HB0626 • 2026

Custodial Interrogation of Minors - Admissibility of Statements (Exonerated 5 Act)

Children

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegates Acevero , Ivey , Alston , Fair , Fennell , Martinez , McCaskill , Ruff , Simpson , Stinnett , Taylor , Turner , Woods , and Woorman
Last action: 2026-02-02
Official status: In the House - Hearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Custodial Interrogation of Minors - Admissibility of Statements (Exonerated 5 Act)

Establishing a certain rebuttable presumption that a statement made by a minor during a custodial interrogation is involuntary and is inadmissible in a juvenile or criminal proceeding against the minor if the law enforcement officer intentionally used information known by the officer to be false in order to elicit the statement.

What This Bill Does

Establishing a certain rebuttable presumption that a statement made by a minor during a custodial interrogation is involuntary and is inadmissible in a juvenile or criminal proceeding against the minor if the law enforcement officer intentionally used information known by the officer to be false in order to elicit the statement.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-02 House
Hearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-30 House
First Reading Judiciary
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Custodial Interrogation of Minors - Admissibility of Statements (Exonerated 5 Act)

Official Summary Text

Establishing a certain rebuttable presumption that a statement made by a minor during a custodial interrogation is involuntary and is inadmissible in a juvenile or criminal proceeding against the minor if the law enforcement officer intentionally used information known by the officer to be false in order to elicit the statement.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0626*

HOUSE BILL 626
E2, E3 6lr0927
HB 165/25 – JUD
By: Delegates Acevero, Ivey, Alston, Fair, Fennell, Martinez, McCaskill, Ruff,
Simpson, Stinnett, Taylor, Turner, Woods, and Woorman
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Custodial Interrogation of Minors – Admissibility of Statements 2
(Exonerated 5 Act) 3

FOR the purpose of establishing a certain rebuttable presumption that a statement made 4
by a minor during a custodial interrogation is involuntary and is inadmissible in a 5
juvenile or criminal proceeding against the minor under certain circumstances; and 6
generally relating to the admissibility of statements made by minors during 7
custodial interrogation. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 10
Section 10–926 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15

Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 16

10–926. 17

(A) IN THIS SECTION , “CUSTODIAL INTERROGAT ION” RETAINS ITS 18
JUDICIALLY DETERMINED MEANING. 19

(B) (1) THERE IS A REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION THAT A S TATEMENT 20
MADE BY A MINOR DURING A CUSTODIAL INTERROGATION IS INVOLUNTARY AND IS 21
INADMISSIBLE IN A JU VENILE OR CRIMINAL P ROCEEDING AGAINST TH E MINOR IF 22
2 HOUSE BILL 626

THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER INTENTIONALLY USED INFORMATION KNOWN BY 1
THE OFFICER TO BE FALSE IN ORDER TO ELICIT THE STATEMENT. 2

(2) THE PRESUMPTION DESCR IBED IN PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 3
SUBSECTION MAY BE RE BUTTED BY CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE THAT THE 4
STATEMENT WAS VOLUNT ARY AND NOT MADE IN RESPONSE TO THE FALS E 5
INFORMATION USED BY THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO ELICIT TH E 6
STATEMENT. 7

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 8
October 1, 2026. 9