2017 Maryland Code
Courts and Judicial Proceedings
Title 3 - Courts of General Jurisdiction -- Jurisdiction/special Causes of Action
Subtitle 8 - Juvenile Causes -- Children in Need of Assistance.
§ 3-827. Confidentiality of records [Amendment subject to abrogation]

  • (a) In general. --
    • (1) All court records under this subtitle pertaining to a child shall be confidential and their contents may not be divulged, by subpoena or otherwise, except by order of the court on good cause shown.
    • (2) This subsection does not prohibit review of a court record by:
      • (i) Personnel of the court;
      • (ii) A party;
      • (iii) Counsel for a party;
      • (iv) A Court-Appointed Special Advocate for the child;
      • (v) Authorized personnel of the Social Services Administration and local departments in order to conduct a child abuse or neglect investigation or to comply with requirements imposed under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act; or
      • (vi) The Baltimore City Health Department's Office of Youth Violence Prevention:
        • 1. If the Baltimore City Health Department's Office of Youth Violence Prevention is providing treatment or care to a child who is the subject of the record, for a purpose relevant to the provision of the treatment or care;
        • 2. If the record concerns a child convicted of a crime or adjudicated delinquent for an act that caused a death or near fatality; or
        • 3. If the record concerns a victim of a crime of violence, as defined in § 14-101 of the Criminal Law Article, who is a child residing in Baltimore City, for the purpose of developing appropriate programs and policies aimed at reducing violence against children in Baltimore City.
    • (3) Information obtained from a court record is subject to the provisions of §§ 1-201, 1-202, 1-204, and 1-205 of the Human Services Article.
    • (4)
      • (i) The Baltimore City Health Department's Office of Youth Violence Prevention shall be liable for the unauthorized release of a court record it reviews under this subsection.
      • (ii) Within 180 days after the Baltimore City Health Department's Office of Youth Violence Prevention reviews a court record under this subsection, the Baltimore City Health Department's Office of Youth Violence Prevention shall submit a report to the court detailing the purposes for which the record was used.
  • (b) Sealing of court records. --
    • (1) On its own motion or on petition, and for good cause shown, the court:
      • (i) May order the court records of a child sealed; and
      • (ii) Shall order them sealed after the child has reached the age of 21.
    • (2) If sealed, the court records of a child may not be opened, for any purpose, except by order of the court on good cause shown.
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