Mitchell v. State

Charles Mitchell v. State of Maryland, No. 8, September Term, 2023. Opinion by Biran, J. STARE DECISIS – EXCEPTION FOR SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE LAW – The Supreme Court of Maryland abrogated, in part, its decision in Stewart v. State,

399 Md. 146

(2007), under the exception to stare decisis for cases that have been superseded by significant changes in the law. Case law subsequent to Stewart demonstrates that Stewart’s narrow reading of earlier cases involving disqualifying bias toward certain types of witnesses is incorrect. VOIR DIRE – DISQUALIFYING BIAS – CHILD-WITNESSES – The Supreme Court…