Internal prototype — noindexed, not linked from public navigation yet.

Md. Code, Criminal Law § 2-103

This is the official text of Md. Code, Criminal Law § 2-103, part of Maryland’s Code, Criminal Law — defines crimes and punishments in Maryland.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

§2–103.

Official statutory text

(a) For purposes of a prosecution under this title, “viable” has the meaning stated in § 20–209 of the Health – General Article.

(b) Except as provided in subsections (d) through (f) of this section, a prosecution may be instituted for murder or manslaughter of a viable fetus.

(c) A person prosecuted for murder or manslaughter as provided in subsection (b) of this section must have:

(1) intended to cause the death of the viable fetus;

(2) intended to cause serious physical injury to the viable fetus; or

(3) wantonly or recklessly disregarded the likelihood that the person’s actions would cause the death of or serious physical injury to the viable fetus.

(d) Nothing in this section applies to or infringes on a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy as stated in § 20–209 of the Health – General Article.

(e) Nothing in this section subjects a physician or other licensed medical professional to liability for fetal death that occurs in the course of administering lawful medical care.

(f) Nothing in this section applies to an act or failure to act of a pregnant woman with regard to her own fetus.

(g) Nothing in this section shall be construed to confer personhood or any rights on the fetus.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.