Mathias v. State

Eldridge and Cole, JJ., dissent and Cole, J., filed a dissenting opinion in which Eldridge, J., concurs at page 35 infra.

We shall here hold that a trial judge did not abuse his discretion when he denied the request of an accused on the morning of trial to change his election of a court trial to that of a jury trial.

In a court trial in the Circuit Court for Harford County appellant, Eugene Hugh Mathias (Mathias), was convicted of distribution of a controlled dangerous substance and conspiracy to distribute such substances. A divided panel of the Court of Special Appeals affirmed the conviction…