“Maryland committee advances rule to shield judges’ personal info”

In MD committee advances rule to shield judges’ personal info (Daily Record May 22, 2025), Rachel Konieczny reported on approval by the Maryland Standing Committee of Rules of Practice and Procedure of “a new rule intended to bolster protections for judges seeking to shield their personal information from the public.”

The Daily Record reports that: “The new rule, 16-942, extends the protections of the Judge Andrew F. Wilkinson Judicial Security Act — a 2024 law passed following the fatal shooting of Wilkinson outside his home in October 2023 — to publicly available court records.”

While the statute permits a judge to request that a publisher remove personal information about the judge or the judge’s family, Ms. Konieczny reports that “the bill does not cover judges’ personal information available in the state case search system or at courthouse kiosks.”

The proposed rule goes next to the Supreme Court of Maryland for review and possible approval.

As it relates to Maryland, I have reported on:

• Maryland Passes “Watered-Down Judicial Security Bill” – E-Discovery LLC
• “1 year after the murder of a Washington County circuit judge, what’s changed?” – E-Discovery LLC
• Maryland Bar Association Promotes Increased Judicial Security – E-Discovery LLC
• Maryland’s Protection of the Judiciary – E-Discovery LLC
• Maryland Bills to Protect Judges and Their Children – E-Discovery LLC

On the National level, please see:

• Families of Judges Come Under Attack – E-Discovery LLC
• “Article III Coalition” Formed to Protect the Judiciary – “Keep Our Republic” – E-Discovery LLC
• Judicial Conference of the U.S. – Inadequate Funding for Security – E-Discovery LLC
• Protecting the Judiciary – Bolch Judicial Institute – E-Discovery LLC