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Maryland State Law Questions and
Answers (Expert Solutions)
Q: Probable Cause ANS 🗹🗹: The minimum amount of evidence needed to arrest
Q: Proof beyond reasonable doubt ANS 🗹🗹: Minimum amount of evidence needed to
convict
Q: Reasonable Suspicious ANS 🗹🗹: facts and circumstances that would lead a
reasonable police officer based on training, knowledge, and experience to believe a
crime is being committed or was committed
Q: No ANS 🗹🗹: Do you need a warrant if you have probably cause someone committed
a felony?
Q: Sources of criminal law ANS 🗹🗹: Case law: laws based on decided cases, Terry v
Ohio
Statutory Law: laws drafted by legislature
Common Law: English law carry overs
Q: The two highest courts in Maryland ANS 🗹🗹: The court of appeals and court of
special appeals
Q: Actus Reus ANS 🗹🗹: The actual criminal act or omission of a required act
Q: Mens Rhea ANS 🗹🗹: the mental state of a criminal mind
Q: What is a crime? ANS 🗹🗹: Prohibited conduct
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Q: Who determines what is a crime? ANS 🗹🗹: General Assembly in Maryland
Q: The elements of a crime ANS 🗹🗹: actus reus and mens rea
Q: What is Actus Reus ANS 🗹🗹: The act or the omission of an act
ex Breaking and entering is the actus reus of burglary
Hitting someone is the actus reus of 2nd deg assualt
Q: What is Mens Rea ANS 🗹🗹: state of mind or intent
Examples
Mens rea of 1st degree burglary is the intent to commit a crime of violence or commit a
crime of theft
Q: General Intent ANS 🗹🗹: The intent to do what the law prohibits
It is not neccessary for the state to prove the defendant intended the consequence
Ex
4th deg burglary - general intent to break and enter
Q: Specific Intent ANS 🗹🗹: The intent to accomplish the precise act the law prohibits
State must prove the defendant intended for the consequences of his or her actions to
occur
Example
1st deg burglary - specific intent to commit theft or crime of violence
Q: Who issues search warrants, and who usually does arrest warrants ANS 🗹🗹: Judges
issue search warrants, Court commissioners issue mostly arrest warrants
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Q: Common Law Crimes ANS 🗹🗹: originated in case law of England and American
colonies prior to Revolution
Unless specifically repelled or changed by state, common law crimes still exist
Max penalty - nothing that is cruel or unusual
Q: Statutory Crime Law ANS 🗹🗹: body of law created by acts of the legislature
Max Penalty is set by legislature
Examples: sex offender registry, car jacking
Q: Misdemeanor ANS 🗹🗹: offenses generally punishable by fine, imprisonment in the
local detention center up to 18 months, or statutorily defined as a misdemeanor
Always always charged in district courts
Statue of limitations: One year and one day to charge
Q: Felony ANS 🗹🗹: a crime of more serious or grave nature
Generally punishable by imprisonment in division of corrections or statutorily defined
as a felony
Most felonies are charged by way of indictment
Statue of limitations: None in Maryland
Q: Inchoate Crimes ANS 🗹🗹: "Incomplete crimes"
There is full preparation but crime does not finish or missing an element
Maryland State Law Questions and
Answers (Expert Solutions)
Q: Probable Cause ANS 🗹🗹: The minimum amount of evidence needed to arrest
Q: Proof beyond reasonable doubt ANS 🗹🗹: Minimum amount of evidence needed to
convict
Q: Reasonable Suspicious ANS 🗹🗹: facts and circumstances that would lead a
reasonable police officer based on training, knowledge, and experience to believe a
crime is being committed or was committed
Q: No ANS 🗹🗹: Do you need a warrant if you have probably cause someone committed
a felony?
Q: Sources of criminal law ANS 🗹🗹: Case law: laws based on decided cases, Terry v
Ohio
Statutory Law: laws drafted by legislature
Common Law: English law carry overs
Q: The two highest courts in Maryland ANS 🗹🗹: The court of appeals and court of
special appeals
Q: Actus Reus ANS 🗹🗹: The actual criminal act or omission of a required act
Q: Mens Rhea ANS 🗹🗹: the mental state of a criminal mind
Q: What is a crime? ANS 🗹🗹: Prohibited conduct
, Page | 2
Q: Who determines what is a crime? ANS 🗹🗹: General Assembly in Maryland
Q: The elements of a crime ANS 🗹🗹: actus reus and mens rea
Q: What is Actus Reus ANS 🗹🗹: The act or the omission of an act
ex Breaking and entering is the actus reus of burglary
Hitting someone is the actus reus of 2nd deg assualt
Q: What is Mens Rea ANS 🗹🗹: state of mind or intent
Examples
Mens rea of 1st degree burglary is the intent to commit a crime of violence or commit a
crime of theft
Q: General Intent ANS 🗹🗹: The intent to do what the law prohibits
It is not neccessary for the state to prove the defendant intended the consequence
Ex
4th deg burglary - general intent to break and enter
Q: Specific Intent ANS 🗹🗹: The intent to accomplish the precise act the law prohibits
State must prove the defendant intended for the consequences of his or her actions to
occur
Example
1st deg burglary - specific intent to commit theft or crime of violence
Q: Who issues search warrants, and who usually does arrest warrants ANS 🗹🗹: Judges
issue search warrants, Court commissioners issue mostly arrest warrants
, Page | 3
Q: Common Law Crimes ANS 🗹🗹: originated in case law of England and American
colonies prior to Revolution
Unless specifically repelled or changed by state, common law crimes still exist
Max penalty - nothing that is cruel or unusual
Q: Statutory Crime Law ANS 🗹🗹: body of law created by acts of the legislature
Max Penalty is set by legislature
Examples: sex offender registry, car jacking
Q: Misdemeanor ANS 🗹🗹: offenses generally punishable by fine, imprisonment in the
local detention center up to 18 months, or statutorily defined as a misdemeanor
Always always charged in district courts
Statue of limitations: One year and one day to charge
Q: Felony ANS 🗹🗹: a crime of more serious or grave nature
Generally punishable by imprisonment in division of corrections or statutorily defined
as a felony
Most felonies are charged by way of indictment
Statue of limitations: None in Maryland
Q: Inchoate Crimes ANS 🗹🗹: "Incomplete crimes"
There is full preparation but crime does not finish or missing an element
