The Maryland General Assembly created the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy (MSCCSP) in 1999 as an independent agency to support fair and proportional sentencing policy and to maintain the State’s voluntary sentencing guidelines for criminal cases sentenced in the circuit courts. The MSCCSP is responsible for collecting and automating the sentencing guidelines worksheets, maintaining the sentencing guidelines database, monitoring circuit court sentencing practice, adopting changes to the guidelines consistent with the sentencing practices of Maryland circuit court judges, and providing training and orientation to criminal justice practitioners who apply the sentencing guidelines.
News
August 22, 2025:
Proposed amendments to the sentencing guidelines were published in the August 22, 2025, issue of the Maryland Register (Volume 52, Issue 17). The purpose of the proposed amendments is to modify Regulation .12 under COMAR 14.22.01 General Regulations to in response to Senate Bill 152/House Bill 89 (2025), which provides that each animal harmed in violation of Criminal Law Article, Title 10, Subtitle 6, Annotated Code of Maryland, shall be considered a victim for the purposes of applying the multiple victims stacking rule (MVSR). Additionally, the proposed amendments modify Regulation.02 under COMAR 14.22.02 Criminal Offenses and Seriousness Categories to reflect (1) new and revised penalties from the 2025 Legislative Session and (2) minor edits to the table, including the addition of new CJIS Codes for several existing offenses. Comments on the proposed amendments will be accepted through September 22, 2025.
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