State’s Attorney Delivers Robust Legislative Agenda Rooted in Accountability to Opening Day of the Maryland General Assembly

Baltimore, Md. (January 14, 2026) – Today, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates outlined the legislative priorities of his office at Opening Day of the Maryland General Assembly, while also offering a glimpse into the focus of State’s Attorneys from across the state as he enters his first legislative session as the President of the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association (MSAA).  

Outlining his third robust legislative agenda, State’s Attorney Bates emphasized his continued focus on fairness within the criminal justice system as his office’s top legislative priority with his support of the Court Commissioners | False Statements bill. This legislation, which was first introduced on behalf of the office in 2024 by 45th District Delegate Jackie Addison, seeks to curb the process by which District Court Commissioners can issue arrest warrants for individuals based solely on the statement of facts presented to them by an individual without evidence or the input of law enforcement or prosecutors. Known as the “T.I. Bill” following the arrest of rap artist T.I. in 2023 in an Atlanta airport due to a warrant issued for his arrest in Baltimore by an individual he had never met, this bill would seek to limit the authority of court commissioners while keeping in place a system that is often used by victims of crime who cannot seek justice through the more traditional means of law enforcement arrests. 

“As it currently stands, the court commissioner system is highly susceptible to abuse by individuals who may use this process as a weapon for personal vendettas,” said State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates. “Without oversight from prosecutors, court commissioners have no choice but to accept the allegations presented to them without question. This bill is the first step toward establishing best practices that strike a balance between providing victims with necessary support and preventing baseless warrants from being issued against innocent people.” 

Delegate Addison said that this bill is personal for her, as she has seen firsthand how the convoluted court commissioner process can upend lives.

“I am grateful to have collaborated with State’s Attorney Bates on this bill since its inception three years ago. I hope we can finally move it out of committee during this session, pass it in both chambers, and have it signed into law. This would allow the hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent individuals who are being targeted and harassed due to this loophole in the law to reclaim their lives and no longer worry about such actions being taken against them in the future,” said Delegate Jackie Addison.

The State’s Attorney’s Office agenda also includes bills such as the Ny’Kayla Strawder Act, a bill that was named after the 15-year-old victim who died from a fatal gunshot wound at the hands of a 9-year-old who obtained his grandmother’s firearm. April Gaskins was sentenced to four years of incarceration for not properly storing the firearm, which led to such dire consequences.  

This bill proposes an increased penalty for such an offense, with a term of three to five years of incarceration. 

This session, the State’s Attorney’s Office will also be opposing two juvenile crime bills. One seeks to repeal automatic charging of certain juvenile offenders as adults when they commit assault, sex, and firearm-related offenses, and the other attempts to expand access to juvenile records by city agencies such as the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) and the Mayor’s Office of African American Male Engagement. 

As President of MSAA, State’s Attorney Bates and his entire cohort, comprising 24 elected state’s attorneys from across Maryland, look forward to uplifting legislation that promotes public safety and equity while deterring the passage of bills that would deeply undermine those same principles.

Click here for the State’s Attorney’s full 2026 Legislative Agenda.