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

Md. Code, Criminal Procedure § 2-204

This is the official text of Md. Code, Criminal Procedure § 2-204, part of Maryland’s Code, Criminal Procedure — sets the procedural rules for criminal cases.

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.

§2–204.

Official statutory text

(a) A police officer without a warrant may arrest a person if:

(1) the police officer has probable cause to believe that:

(i) the person battered the person’s spouse or another person with whom the person resides;

(ii) there is evidence of physical injury; and

(iii) unless the person is arrested immediately, the person:

1. may not be apprehended;

2. may cause physical injury or property damage to another; or

3. may tamper with, dispose of, or destroy evidence; and

(2) a report to the police was made within 48 hours of the alleged incident.

(b) If the police officer has probable cause to believe that mutual battery occurred and arrest is necessary under subsection (a) of this section, the police officer shall consider whether one of the persons acted in self-defense when determining whether to arrest the person whom the police officer believes to be the primary aggressor.

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.