On February 3, the Supreme Court of Maryland upheld the constitutionality of the state’s Child Victims Act of 2023, permitting survivors of childhood sexual abuse to seek compensation from their abusers and the institutions that fostered their abuse without any limitation on when survivors can bring their claims.
The Court explained that when the Maryland General Assembly enacted the previous child sex abuse law in 2017 it did not clearly bind future legislatures, so the 2023 legislature had the power to remove the statute of limitations and could do so retroactively to allow survivors to bring their claims later in life. Chief Justice Matthew Fader wrote the opinion for the four-judge majority.
“This is excellent news for our many clients with claims for abuse they suffered as children,” said partner Andy Freeman. “There is lots of work ahead to prosecute those claims and obtain the justice survivors deserve, but the Supreme Court’s decision has opened a path forward.”
Navigating the claims process and recounting the trauma of sexual abuse can be difficult and can feel overwhelming, but the attorneys at Brown, Goldstein & Levy are here to help. We have vast experience litigating difficult sexual assault cases and have won million-dollar and multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for survivors. We currently represent scores of survivors with claims against the Archdiocese of Baltimore (including clients who signed releases with the Archdiocese in the past and one client who is the chair of the Creditors’ Committee in the Archdiocese’s bankruptcy), the Archdiocese of Washington, the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, numerous public and private schools, and other institutions. Learn more about our child sexual abuse practice area here.
If you believe you have a claim for childhood sexual abuse, do not hesitate to contact us for a confidential free consultation.
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, D.C. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.
