Dorchester County committee seeks clearer notice when officers request trial boards

At a Dorchester County committee meeting, members asked police officials to create a formal process to notify the committee when a law enforcement officer requests a trial board and when the trial’s status or outcome changes.

The chair said the county has experienced a “breakdown in communication” between the point an officer requests a trial and when the trial is pending, and urged a mechanism to keep the committee informed. “We need a mechanism whereby we can improve that,” the chair said.

An agency official responded that the police department already uses a form when officers decline a pretrial settlement and suggested forwarding that form to the committee as a status update. “We could instill using that form — we could just forward a copy of it back to you,” the official said, adding they would speak with the lieutenant to start forwarding forms to the committee.

Committee members said both the fact that a trial was requested and the trial outcome matter for future disciplinary decisions. One member asked to be notified of trial board dates and locations because trial boards are generally open to the public unless an exception applies; police staff cautioned that dates can change frequently because of attorneys’ and judges’ availability.

Near the end of the meeting the committee voted to enter a closed session under the Maryland Annotated Code to discuss a complaint filed against a specific law enforcement officer and to receive legal advice. The chair cited the statutory provisions governing closed meetings and legal counsel. The committee then returned to open session, confirmed procedural follow-ups (including assembling an annual financial/ethics reporting form), and adjourned by unanimous voice vote.

Meeting minutes show the department committed to work with the committee to provide status forms indicating when officers elect a trial board and to notify the committee when dates are set; the transcript records no specific timeline for implementing the process.