Maryland AG overrules racially discriminatory opinions

BALTIMORE — Maryland’s lawyer normal introduced Monday that he has overruled opinions that upheld or utilized unconstitutional racially discriminatory legal guidelines.

In an opinion addressed to Normal Meeting leaders, Lawyer Normal Brian Frosh formally overruled the opinions, saying that whereas modifications within the legislation might have made them unenforceable, “we acknowledge that the opinions proceed to function a reminder of the historical past of racial injustice perpetuated via the authorized establishments of our State authorities.”

Many relied on the restriction of interracial marriage and the doctrine of “separate however equal” in public amenities, the lawyer normal’s workplace mentioned in a information launch. Some reviewed opinions suggested that racially discriminatory legal guidelines ought to proceed to be enforced and others utilized discriminatory legal guidelines with out addressing the difficulty of their constitutionality, the workplace mentioned.

“We hope that our opinion at the moment will assist take away the stain of these earlier, dangerous and misguided works,” Frosh mentioned in an announcement.

The overview of opinions relationship again to 1916 was impressed by a overview by former Virginia Lawyer Normal Mark Herring, who reversed greater than 50 authorized opinions earlier than leaving workplace earlier this 12 months, Frosh’s opinion states.

Frosh, a Democrat, didn’t search reelection this 12 months and shall be succeeded in January by fellow Democrat Rep. Anthony Brown, who shall be Maryland’s first Black lawyer normal.