Office of the State Prosecutor - Investigation of Threats - Judges

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0634*

SENATE BILL 634
E2 6lr2495
CF HB 1030
By: Chair, Judicial Proceedings Committee (By Request – Maryland Judicial
Conference)
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 20, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Office of the State Prosecutor – Investigation of Threats – Judges 2

FOR the purpose of authorizing the State Prosecutor to investigate threats against a judge 3
or a judge–elect; and generally relating to the investigation of threats by the Office 4
of the State Prosecutor. 5

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6
Article – Criminal Law 7
Section 3–708 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Criminal Procedure 12
Section 14–107 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2025 Replacement Volume) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – Criminal Law 18

3–708. 19
2 SENATE BILL 634

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 1

(2) “Local official” means an individual serving in a publicly elected office 2
of a local government unit, as defined in § 10–101 of the State Government Article. 3

(3) (i) “State official” has the meaning stated in § 5–101 of the General 4
Provisions Article. 5

(ii) “State official” i ncludes the Governor, Governor –elect, 6
Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant Governor–elect. 7

(4) “Threat” includes: 8

(i) an oral threat; or 9

(ii) a threat in any written form, whether or not the writing is signed, 10
or if the writing is signed, whether or not it is signed with a fictitious name or any other 11
mark. 12

(b) A person may not knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, 13
kidnap, or cause physical injury to a State official, a local official, a deputy State’s Attorney, 14
an assistant State’s Attorney, or an assistant Public Defender. 15

(c) A person may not knowingly send, deliver, part with, or make for the purpose 16
of sending or delivering a threat prohibited under subsection (b) of this section. 17

(d) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction 18
is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $2,500 or both. 19

Article – Criminal Procedure 20

14–107. 21

(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the State 22
Prosecutor may investigate: 23

(i) a criminal offense under the State election laws; 24

(ii) a criminal offense under the State Public Ethics Law; 25

(iii) a violation of the State bribery laws in which an official or 26
employee of the State, a political subdivision of the State, or a bicounty or multicounty unit 27
of the State was the offeror, offeree, or intended offeror or offeree of a bribe; 28

SENATE BILL 634 3

(iv) an offense constituting criminal malfeasance, misfeasance, or 1
nonfeasance in office committed by an offic er or employee of the State, of a political 2
subdivision of the State, or of a bicounty or multicounty unit of the State; 3

(v) a violation of the State extortion, perjury, or obstruction of justice 4
laws related to an activity described in this paragraph; [and] 5

(vi) a criminal offense related to voting in a municipal election under 6
§ 4–108.1 of the Local Government Article; AND 7

(VII) A VIOLATION OF § 3–708 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE 8
IF THE VIOLATION WAS COMMITTED AGAINST A JUDGE OR JUDGE–ELECT. 9

(2) The State Prosecutor may not investigate an offense alleged to have 10
been committed by the State Prosecutor or a member of the State Prosecutor’s staff. 11

(3) The State Prosecutor may investigate an alleged offense under 12
paragraph (1) of this subsection on the State Prosecutor’s own initiative or on request of: 13

(i) the Governor; 14

(ii) the Attorney General; 15

(iii) the General Assembly; 16

(iv) the State Ethics Commission; or 17

(v) a State’s Attorney. 18

(4) An individual who is advised by the State Prosecutor that the 19
individual is under investigation under paragraph (1)(iv) of this subsection may release 20
this information to the public, as well as any results of the investigation that pertain to the 21
individual. 22

(b) On request of the Gover nor, the Attorney General, the General Assembly, or 23
a State’s Attorney, the State Prosecutor may investigate criminal activity that is 24
committed: 25

(1) partly in the State and partly in another jurisdiction; or 26

(2) in more than one political subdivision of the State. 27

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 28
October 1, 2026. 29