Tshiwala v. State

This is another case concerning the scope of Maryland Rule 4-345(a) which states: “The court may correct an illegal sentence at any time.” As in numerous other cases, we shall reject the appellant’s effort to expand the scope of Rule 4-345(a).

I

The appellant, Benoit Tshiwala, was charged in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County with a multitude of criminal offenses, which were apparently divided into three groups for purposes of jury trials. On August 3, 1999, a jury found Tshiwala guilty of attempted armed robbery, use of a handgun in a felony or crime of violence, first degree assault, and…