Petitions for Writ of Certiorari - February, 2026

PETITIONS FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI

September Term, 2025

 

Granted February 6, 2026

Prince George's County, Maryland v. Joseph Watts – Case No. 56, September Term, 2025

Issues – Torts – 1) Did ACM err in finding that employment discrimination and retaliation claims are not torts? 2) Did ACM err in finding that the General Assembly did not intend for the Local Government Tort Claims Act (“LGTCA”) apply to statutory claims? 3) Did ACM err in not finding that the LGCTA statutory damages cap applies to Watts’ “Other Damages” award, which are damages indistinguishable from traditional tort damages?

Montay D. Shuler v. State of Maryland – Case No. 57, September Term, 2025

Issues – Criminal Law – 1) Does a defendant lose his right to an otherwise apt jury instruction on the voluntariness of his pretrial statement simply because it was offered for impeachment purposes or because the content of his statement is “exonerating”? 2) Is the “some evidence” standard for requesting a jury instruction on voluntariness indeed a “low threshold” under the totality of the circumstances in which the statement was made or must a defendant generate specific evidence of improper inducement, threats, or coercion?

The Council of Unit Owners of the Millrace Condominium, Inc., et al. v. Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler, P.A., et al. – Case No. 58, September Term, 2025

Issue – Torts - Malicious Use of Process – Can the victims of an action determined to be a bad faith SLAPP (Strategic lawsuit against public participation) suit pursuant to Courts & Judicial Proceedings § 5-807 maintain a cause of action for damages under the malicious use of process doctrine?

 

Granted February 20, 2026

Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC, et al. v. Tonda M. Baxter – Case No. 1, September Term, 2026

Issues – Commercial Law – 1) Does the definition of “credit grantor” contained in Maryland’s Closed End Credit Provisions (CLECs) (§§ 12-1001 to 1030 of the Commercial Law Article) encompass mortgage loan servicers like Petitioners, or is it limited to owners of the loan (including any subsequent assignees who purchased the loan)? 2) Given the CLEC’s carveout for fees associated with first-priority residential mortgage loans, did the telephone convenience fees that Petitioner charged Respondent violate the statute?

 

Denied/Dismissed February 23, 2026

The order denying or dismissing the petitions can be found here.

1201 W. Cross St. v. Gray Insurance Grp. – Pet. No. 386 
Abdelhady v. Savage – Pet. No. 414 
Adelakun v. Pillard – Pet. No. 363 
Agbara v. Okoji – Pet. No. 411 
Akinmurele v. Akinmurele – Pet. No. 365 
Akparewa, Alex Ologbo v. State – Pet. No. 344 
Bey v. Unguru – Pet. No. 425 
Biggs v. Harbor Hospital – Pet. No. 397 
Bolden v. Tu – Pet. No. 364 
Bopda v. Central Collection – Pet. No. 403 
Crawford, Marika v. State – Pet. No. 389 
Donohue v. Mavronis – Pet. No. 385 
Duncan v. Nelson – Pet. No. 388 
Easterday v. JP Morgan Chase Bank – Pet. No. 392 
Edwards, Shae-Von v. State – Pet. No. 409 
Enow, Ndokley Peter v. State – Pet. No. 416 
Fennell v. Fennell – Pet. No. 404 
Horne v. Horne – Pet. No. 400 
Horne v. Horne – Pet. No. 401 
In the Matter of Floyd – Pet. No. 315 
In the Matter of Reeves – Pet. No. 382 
In the Matter of Titherington – Pet. No. 423 
Jackson v. Baltimore Gas & Electric – Pet. No. 415 
Jerro-Hencken v. Hencken – Pet. No. 391 
Kendrick v. Clarke – Pet. No. 436 
Maharaj v. Smith Balooning – Pet. No. 405 
McClean v. Stancil – Pet. No. 424 
Mezu v. Mezu – Pet. No. 421 
Minso v. Waesche – Pet. No. 398 
Tesfaye, Yared v. State – Pet. No. 387 
Thompson v. Day – Pet. No. 426 
Vollmers v. Vollmers – Pet. No. 402
Walls, Bryant v. State – Pet. No. 406 
White, William A. v. State – Pet. No. 410