NEW LAWS ALERT FOR HOWARD COUNTY, OCTOBER 1st, 2013 !

 www.charlesjeromeware.com. " Here to make a difference."  This blog is not intended as legal advice, but for informational purposes only.

 In Maryland, a long list of new laws went into effect on Tuesday, October 1st, 2013.
 The following are some of these new laws which will most likely impact the daily lives
 of most residents in Howard County :
 1.  HANDHELD DEVICES.  In Maryland, using a handheld device (cellphone, etc.) while driving has been a "secondary offense" ; meaning that drivers must first be committing another offense such
as speeding or negligent driving in order to be ticketed for using the handheld device. That has now changed.  Effective October 1st, 2013, using a handheld device while driving became a " primary offense " : which means drivers can get a ticket if they are using the device ( phone), even if they are not breaking any other traffic laws. The fine ranges from $ 75 for the first offense to a maximum of $ 175 for the third offense and over.

2. SEAT BELT LAW. The new Maryland seat belt law makes it a " primary offense" to drive or to be a
 passenger in the front seat of a vehicle without a seat belt. The fine is $ 50.

3. TOLL BOOTH VIOLATIONS.  Drivers who go through toll booths at bridges or on the Intercounty Connector without paying the toll could eventually face problems with their vehicle registration. Initially, drivers are notified of the past-due tolls by mail and have 30 days from the mail date to pay. If the driver pays in time, the case is closed. However, if after that no payment is received, Maryland Transportation Authority (MTA) will issue a $ 50 ticket on top of the original toll; which the driver can challenge in court or pay up. Finally, if the citation (and ticket) are then not paid, the driver's vehicle registration will be flagged for nor-renewal or suspension.

4. GUN LAWS.  The new gun laws require, inter alia, safety training and fingerprinting to purchase a handgun, and they limit bullet magazines to 10 rounds of ammunition. A total of 45 different assault
weapons are also banned from sell and purchase in the state.

5. CYBERBULLYING.  A new cyberbullying law, also known as " Grace's Law", makes it a
 criminal offense to use an interactive computer service, such as Twitter of Facebook, to cause
" serious emotional distress on a minor" or causes the minor to fear for his or her life or physical
safety.

6. LAWN CARE. There are new laws in effect concerning the manufacture and distribution of
fertilizer for lawns in Maryland. The stated goal is to protect the Chesapeake Bay from run-off
damage.

7. WORKPLACE PREGNANCY. This new law is designed to insure that pregnant women cannot be denied certain reasonable accomodations at work.
{ This blog is for informational purposes only, and is not intended as legal advice for anyone. Consult
  your attorney for legal advice and consultation}

8. DEATH PENALTY. There is no longer the death penalty in Maryland.

9. DRUGS. Certain chemicals used "recreationally", such as "Spice" and "K2", are now designated
 as controlled dangerous substances (CDS)  and are thus illegal in Maryland.