An Additional Certiorari Grant on Marijuana Odor

On Friday, the Court of Appeals of Maryland added one case to its docket for next term. The petition, which is from an unreported opinion by Judge Graeff, asks:

Michael Pacheco v. State of Maryland  – Case No. 17, September Term, 2018

Issue – Criminal Law – In light of Norman v. State, 452 Md. 373 (2017), Robinson v. State, 451 Md. 94 (2017), and Md. Code, Crim. Law § 5-601.1(a), does the smell of burnt marijuana emanating from a parked vehicle that contains a single occupant, plus the observation of suspected marijuana in an amount that is obviously less than ten grams, provide probable cause to arrest the occupant?

The Court of Appeals also recently accepted a certified question:

William Price, et al. v. Ralph M. Murdy, et al. – Misc. No. 1, September Term, 2018

Certified Question from the United States District Court for the District of Maryland

Question – Whether the Maryland Consumer Loan Law, Md. Code Ann. Com. Law § 12-302’s licensing requirement is an “other specialty” subject to Maryland’s twelve year limitations period under [CJP] 5-102(a)(6)?

To be argued in the September, 2018 session of Court.