2016 Maryland Code
Criminal Law
Title 3 - Other Crimes Against the Person
Subtitle 3 - Sexual Crimes
§ 3-319. Rape and sexual offense -- Admissibility of evidence

(a) Reputation and opinion evidence inadmissible. -- Evidence relating to a victim's reputation for chastity or abstinence and opinion evidence relating to a victim's chastity or abstinence may not be admitted in a prosecution for:

(1) a crime specified under this subtitle or a lesser included crime;

(2) the sexual abuse of a minor under § 3-602 of this title or a lesser included crime; or

(3) the sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult under § 3-604 of this title or a lesser included crime.

(b) Specific instance evidence admissibility requirements. -- Evidence of a specific instance of a victim's prior sexual conduct may be admitted in a prosecution described in subsection (a) of this section only if the judge finds that:

(1) the evidence is relevant;

(2) the evidence is material to a fact in issue in the case;

(3) the inflammatory or prejudicial nature of the evidence does not outweigh its probative value; and

(4) the evidence:

(i) is of the victim's past sexual conduct with the defendant;

(ii) is of a specific instance of sexual activity showing the source or origin of semen, pregnancy, disease, or trauma;

(iii) supports a claim that the victim has an ulterior motive to accuse the defendant of the crime; or

(iv) is offered for impeachment after the prosecutor has put the victim's prior sexual conduct in issue.

(c) Closed hearing. --

(1) Evidence described in subsection (a) or (b) of this section may not be referred to in a statement to a jury or introduced in a trial unless the court has first held a closed hearing and determined that the evidence is admissible.

(2) The court may reconsider a ruling excluding the evidence and hold an additional closed hearing if new information is discovered during the course of the trial that may make the evidence admissible.