Legal Question in Criminal Law in Maryland

On a first offense it is possible to keep his record clean and get probation before judgment. His best chance for that is with a lawyer, either private, like myself, or the public defender. He should make arrangements with a lawyer now, rather than wait to the last minute.

When a person is arrested, a commissioner makes a preliminary assessment of the risk to public safety and the risk of failure to appear. If your boyfriend has ever failed to appear, even for a non-jailable traffic ticket, then the commissioner might have set a bail. The commissioner's decision is reviewed by a judge, if the person does not post bail in the meantime.

Usually, a person without a prior record would be given a chance to avoid having a conviction for simple posession of narcotics. However, the maximum penalty for possession of marijuana is a year in jail.