Casson v. Swogell

McAULIFFE, Judge.

“Publication” when used in the context of the law of wills means a declaration or other manifestation by the testator to a witness that the instrument is his will. We here determine that publication is not required for the valid execution and attestation of a will, but that publication may be shown as an alternative method of proving the proper execution of a will when the testator signed outside the presence of the witnesses.

On February 23, 1983, Katharine Korbien died while a patient at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore City. The next day Benjamin Swogell, the decedent’s…