News outlets typically do not publish the names of victims of certain crimes, like sexual assault, including child victims. However, the victims’ names are available for anyone to see in publicly-accessible court documents. The process to remove those names is complicated; something advocates are working to change.
Senate Bill 111 and House Bill 458, currently moving through the Maryland General Assembly, would require that the names of minors who are victims of crime be redacted from public court documents. These bills are sponsored by Senator Charles Sydnor and Delegate N. Scott Phillips.
Advocates of the legislation note that it’s become increasingly easy to find out information about court cases. Given the widespread knowledge of the Maryland Judiciary Case Search website, and the public computers available in most courthouses, it isn't difficult to get the full details of a crime and names of victims. This could easily deter young victims from coming forward and reporting crimes, as they likely do not want their personal information and the details of what happened to them made publicly available for discussion.
MCASA's Executive Director, Lisae C. Jordan, Esq., spoke with The Baltimore Banner about this issue, noting that this change will be critical to help survivors of sexual violence:
“There’s really never a reason that we should be exposing kids to this sort of public ridicule or discrimination.”
Visit MCASA's website to learn more about our legislative priorities for 2024.
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