(BALTIMORE, Md., 1/26/2023) – The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is urging community members to call on lawmakers to pass HB38, a bill that aims to ban no-knock warrants in the state of Maryland.
TAKE ACTION: Fill Out This Form And Call On Maryland Lawmakers to Support HB38
https://action.cair.com/a/ban-no-knock-warrants-in-md
No-knock warrants are dangerous and unnecessary police procedures that result in injuries and deaths. Police departments across nation execute thousands of these warrants each year, putting themselves and the community in danger. HB38 would ban these warrants.
Introduced in the House of Delegates by State Delegate Gabriel Acevero, this bill repeals the authority to issue and execute a no-knock search warrant and alters the procedures for issuing and executing a search warrant. As introduced, the bill would:
1) Establish that a search warrant may not authorize an officer executing the warrant to enter a building, apartment, premises, or place to be searched without first announcing the officer’s purpose and authority;
2) Specify that a search warrant may be executed only between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; and 3) requires an officer executing a search warrant to give reasonable notice to alert any occupants prior to entering the premises to be searched under the warrant’s authority.
SEE: Maryland Bill Would Ban No-Knock Warrants
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2023/01/maryland-bill-would-ban-no-knock-warrants/
During a House hearing Tuesday, CAIR testified in part:
“Judges are expected to thoroughly review requests for no-knock warrants, but a Washington Post investigation found that they frequently rely on the word of police officers and rarely question the merits of the requests for authorization. No-knock warrants have been authorized and executed with horrifying consequences for decades. According to Campaign Zero, nearly thirty states and over twenty cities have implemented legislation or ordinances restricting or prohibiting the use of no-knock warrants. These warrants may aim to leverage the element of surprise to help secure evidence, but securing evidence should not be prioritized over protecting lives jeopardized by this tactic.”
No-knock raids are often used to target members of minority communities. Breonna Taylor was killed in a no-knock raid.
SEE: Breonna Taylor killing: A timeline of the police raid and its aftermath
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/02/22/us/no-knock-raid-breonna-taylor-timeline/index.html
Louisville police’s ‘no-knock’ warrants most often targeted Black residents, analysis shows
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR Office in Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, [email protected], 410-971-6062