Rovin v. State

Summary

The Supreme Court of Maryland affirmed summary judgment for the State on claims arising from Valerie Rovin’s arrest, imprisonment, and prosecution for alleged juror intimidation. The Court held that a neutral judicial officer’s arrest warrant created a strong presumption of probable cause, reinforced by the deputy’s full disclosure and reliance on prosecutorial advice, and that Rovin did not establish any exception sufficient to overcome that presumption. The Court also held that probable cause defeated her free-speech and related constitutional claims and that the juror-intimidation statute was not unconstitutionally vague.