Sentencing Guidelines Worksheet Changes, 2020

The Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy (MSCCSP) has transitioned to the use of an automated, web-based application, called the Maryland Automated Guidelines System (MAGS). MAGS is being used for completion and electronic submission of guidelines worksheets in all 24 jurisdictions. In February 2020, the MSCCSP deployed MAGS: Version 9.0 of the Maryland Sentencing Guidelines Worksheet. Version 9.0 implemented the following change:

Modification to Part A of the Offender Score

Pursuant to the revised instructions for scoring part A of the offender score, the defendant’s relationship to the criminal justice system (CJS), adopted in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) effective February 1, 2020, the MSCCSP revised the Maryland Sentencing Guidelines Worksheet to allow for part A of the offender score to differ across offenses in multiple offense sentencing events. If there is more than one instant offense and the offender was in the CJS at the time one or more offenses occurred, but not in the CJS at the time additional offense(s) in the sentencing event occurred, the person completing the sentencing guidelines worksheet shall assign a score of 1 to those offenses that were committed while the offender was in the CJS. The person completing the sentencing guidelines worksheet shall assign a score of zero to those offenses that were committed while the offender was not in the CJS.

The Maryland Sentencing Guidelines Worksheet was further revised to provide space for three total offender scores, one corresponding to each offense entered on the worksheet. When worksheets are completed via MAGS or the Guidelines Calculator Tool and part A of the offender score differs between offenses, a score of 0 points will be marked with a blue circle, and the total offender score and individual offense guidelines range associated with 0 points will be recorded in blue. A score of 1 point will be marked with a green circle, and the total offender score and individual offense guidelines range associated with 1 point will be recorded in green.