Md. Code, Criminal Law § 3-706
This is the official text of Md. Code, Criminal Law § 3-706, 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.
§3–706.
Official statutory text
(a) (1) This section applies to any writing, whether or not the writing is signed, or if the writing is signed, whether or not it is signed with a fictitious name or any other mark or designation.
(2) This section does not apply to a good faith reasonable notice of dishonor and warning of criminal prosecution under Title 8, Subtitle 1 of this article given by a holder of an instrument to the maker of the instrument.
(b) A person, with the intent to unlawfully extort money, property, or anything of value from another, may not knowingly send or deliver, or make for the purpose of being sent or delivered and part with the possession of, a writing threatening to:
(1) accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute; or
(2) (i) cause physical injury to a person;
(ii) inflict emotional distress on a person;
(iii) cause economic damage to a person; or
(iv) cause damage to the property of a person.
(c) A person who violates this section is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.
(2) This section does not apply to a good faith reasonable notice of dishonor and warning of criminal prosecution under Title 8, Subtitle 1 of this article given by a holder of an instrument to the maker of the instrument.
(b) A person, with the intent to unlawfully extort money, property, or anything of value from another, may not knowingly send or deliver, or make for the purpose of being sent or delivered and part with the possession of, a writing threatening to:
(1) accuse any person of a crime or of anything that, if true, would bring the person into contempt or disrepute; or
(2) (i) cause physical injury to a person;
(ii) inflict emotional distress on a person;
(iii) cause economic damage to a person; or
(iv) cause damage to the property of a person.
(c) A person who violates this section is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Dealing with a criminal defense matter in Maryland?
See all Maryland Criminal Defense lawyers
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.