The Maryland Constitution requires that only one bill be enacted at each 90-day session – the budget bill.

The Maryland Constitution also requires that a defendant be represented by an attorney at a bail hearing.

Our Court of Appeals decided that this fall.

The estimated cost to provide such representation with public defenders under the current system is $30 million annually.

There is no money in the budget bill to meet that obligation.

However, there are already two proposals to change the bail system, at a cost below $10 million.

At today’s briefing, I sought to remind everyone why this issue is before us.

“Are there statistics about the benefit to the accused of having counsel at the bail hearing?”

The response: Those numbers are being worked on.