Privacy Law Library

Judge Andrew F. Wilkinson Judicial Security Act

Wilkinson Judicial Security Act

Government records · Other

Named for a Maryland judge killed in 2023, this law lets judges and their families, or the judiciary's Office of Information Privacy on their behalf, demand that anyone who has published their home address, phone numbers, personal email, financial or ID numbers, children's names, schools, or similar details online remove it within 72 hours. It also creates a judicial address confidentiality program and criminalizes threatening publication.

Where

Maryland

Citation

Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. §§ 3-2301 to 3-2304 (personal information of judges) and 3-2401 et seq. (Judicial Address Confidentiality Program)

Status

In force

In force since

2024-06-01

Enforced by

Protected individuals and the Office of Information Privacy in the Administrative Office of the Courts (civil actions); State's Attorneys (criminal)

People can sue

Yes

Penalties

Persons who fail to remove information within 72 hours face declaratory and injunctive relief, damages, attorney's fees, and punitive damages for willful refusal (3-2303(e)). Knowingly publishing a protected individual's information that poses an imminent and serious threat and results in assault, harassment, trespass, or property destruction is a misdemeanor up to 18 months and $5,000 (3-2304).

Applies to

• Any person, including data brokers and websites, that publishes on the internet or social media the personal information of a protected individual (3-2303); governmental entities (3-2302)
• Protected individuals: current or retired Maryland judges and justices, federal judges and magistrate judges domiciled in Maryland, circuit court magistrates, District Court commissioners, and their resident spouses, children, and dependents (3-2301(e))