ANNAPOLIS ENACTS MAJOR CHANGES ON CIVIL CLAIMS TIED TO PAST ALLEGED SEXUAL ABUSE OF MINORS; ARE ALL THE CHANGES CONSTITUTIONAL?
In April 2023, Governor Wes Moore signed into law a bill greatly expanding-- prospectively and retroactively-- the right of individuals to bring civil claims for sexual abuse which they allege occurred when they were minors. There is not a more sympathetic group of individuals than those who suffered abuse as minors at the hands of adults in positions of authority. The fact that the bill’s lead sponsor had his own personal experience with such abuse makes the legislative push for change even more understandable. At the same time, the breadth of the changes, particularly those that apply retroactively, raises legitimate…