Judicial Review of Final Decisions

Under the Ethics Law, a person aggrieved by a Final Decision of the Ethics Board may file a Petition for Judicial Review of that Decision in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. See City Code, Art. 8, Section 5-8

Chapter 200 of Title 7 of the Maryland Court Rules govern this kind of judicial review.

In a nutshell, the Petitioner will have the opportunity—in both a written memorandum and during a court hearing—to tell the court why he or she believes the Ethics Board's Final Decision is wrong, and the Ethics Board will have the same opportunity to defend its Decision. Typically, the court will only review the documentary and oral evidence produced at the Ethics Board's hearing on the matter—known as the "record"—and new evidence is not allowed. 

After the court hearing, the judge may decide to affirm, reverse, or modify the Ethics Board's Final Decision, or may remand the matter back to the Ethics Board for further proceedings. 

This process may take a few months depending on several factors, including how quickly the parties submit their written arguments and how quickly the court can schedule a hearing.