Supreme Court of Maryland

Hollins v. State

December 23, 2024

Summary

The court held that the defendant presented some evidence supporting an inference that the alleged victim had a character trait for violence and could have been the initial aggressor. Although the trial court had discretion whether to give the requested inferential instruction, it abused that discretion by rejecting it solely because it was not a pattern instruction. The court reversed and remanded for a new trial; it did not reach the cross-examination issue.