State v. Brand

State of Maryland v. Tavon Brand, No. 2441, September Term 2023. Opinion by Eyler, James R. Filed March 31, 2025. CRIMINAL LAW – POST CONVICTION – INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE In 2018, Tavon Brand, appellee, pleaded not criminally responsible (“NCR”) in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City to charges of murder in the first degree and related handgun offenses. The case was scheduled for trial on June 19, 2019. Trial counsel was unable to obtain an expert’s report supporting Mr. Brand’s NCR defense in time to satisfy a discovery deadline. On the day of trial, the trial court denied trial counsel’s…