PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Baltimore Circuit Court Judge John Nugent has denied an attempt by Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans to dismiss a lawsuit filed against him and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office by the Maryland Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The ACLU filed the suit in March 2022 against Evans and the department to obtain public records that illustrate a disturbing trend in which black residents of Calvert County are subjected to highly invasive searches by police officers.
RELATED: ACLU Suing Calvert Sheriff’s Office Over Public Records Request Fees
These invasive search practices include full body searches, strip searches, and manual body cavity searches.
The ACLU has also accused the Sheriff of violating Maryland’s Public Information Act by charging $12,000 to see the documents.
Under the 2021 Anton’s Law Amendment to the MPIA, records of complaints against police officers should be easier to obtain, meaning that a charge that high could be a potential violation of the law.
In April 2022, attorney Carl N. Zacarias, representing Sheriff Evans, attempted to convince the courts to throw the case out.
Earlier this month, Judge Nugent promptly rejected the request, meaning the lawsuit will continue as planned.
In response to Judge Nugent’s ruling in the dismissal attempt, Maryland ACLU’s Legal Advocacy Coordinator Dara Johnson commented:
“We look forward to continuing this action to ensure real access for communities to public information on police misconduct.”
The ACLU will be represented in court by Attorneys Deborah Jeon, Adam Abelson, and Justin Lewis.
When asked earlier into the proceedings, a Calvert County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson declined to comment on any pending litigation efforts.
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com.
Coming soon to Calvert: P.G., Waldorf and Lexington Park
Yep. More crime and guns Heading this way. Feel sorry for the liberals who have a rock to fight with
You are spot on ! All while Our elected officials sit idly by and do nothing to stop the demise of our county . Woke is here 👎🏿
Oh, I hope not! This is ridiculous! We live in a great county and so now we have to pamper the thugs that run through breaking the law.
So because they are black that makes them thugs?!
No, because they are thugs make them thugs. All these lefty “blame as racist” tricks are done.
I beg to differ with your clear generalization. Calvert is a respectable county with low crime and good schools. And in fact, the county and the schools system includes black/African American people that contribute to society. In my teen days (graduated 3.8gpa, etc.) in Calvert, my cousin and I were walking the boardwalk of North Beach. We were snatched up by two white male county officers, and then taken to a nearby crime scene where property was stolen at a white woman’s home. We got the privilege of having the officers flash the blinding flashlights directly in our faces as they told us to remain looking forward as the women approached the window of the car. She says “that’s not them.” Then they replied ok. Hopped in the car with us and dropped us back off at the boardwalk telling us to carry on. You may not get it, but WE (you and I) don’t live in two different worlds. So for thugs and officers, accountability is for everyone.
Yep. More crime and guns Heading this way. Feel sorry for the liberals who have a rock to fight with
It would be nice to see the search stats, it’s worth it if they are 50% positive. I see people of all colors that are obviously blitz’d out of their mind or have that look. If you go out of your way to look like a criminal you should expect the repercussions. I dress to impress my clients so it’s unlikely I fit in with their usual suspects. Police are free to search me any time they want.
How does one go out of there way to look like a criminal? Lol. What a joke.
Can they look on your butt to?
Volunteering for a manual cavity search… Nice try. Get a boyfriend.
Calvert Co sheriff office has been abusing the people of Calvert Co for 20+ years. I grew up here and I am Thrilled to hear this 🙌 . Maybe they will even get an indictment. They need to learn being a cop doesn’t make you powerful all of the sudden. They all need psych Evals. It’s basically just a street gang at this point.
You need to re-think this. 80% of all crimes to include drugs, murder, attempted murder, robberies, and break-ins are committed by those people. I have been in jail for a DUI and witnessed those people bringing drugs into the jail, hidden inside of themselves. No wolves here to cry out. CCSO keep doing what you’re doing. Check out Lexington Parks track record.
Please leave and never come back. We don’t need any more racist idiots in this area we already got plenty of them. I don’t get how it’s 2022 and people that think like you still exist. I’d trust any of “those people” over some racist idiot like you any day of the week. This website shouldn’t allow such blatantly racist comments to stay up on the site. Unbelievable.
That bad math man…. It’s 50 50 with the white boys stealing and selling all them drugs to so don’t do that…. It’s more white people then black in Calvert county anyway
Yea but like the rest of the US, 15 % of the population committ 85% of the crime. Now that’s a fact
But you wouldn’t say it to “those people” faces coward
People of Calvert- Vote Contra!
Why do he can do nothing like he’s been doing since he started running? Remember he’s high up in the chain of command already and what’s his track record?
No don’t vote Kontra or Todd Ireland he’s a TYRANT!
you can’t even spell his name right
What do you mean those people. I’m a single parent who works and obey the laws. I have never been to jail so yes some of those people are bad. NOT ALL OF THEM
Liberals are crying because we don’t want our county turning into Charles County. Well here’s a simple solution, stay out of Calvert County with your drugs and BS, go commit your crimes somewhere else!
Or you could happily move since you don’t control Calvert county or the people coming in and out. 🙂
How about you can move to pg, dc, Baltimore, Lexington park? If you support high crime areas you can most definitely move to one
@Betti Boop —
But they can’t stay out. You see, after they destroy their own communities, it normal human behavior to want to escape that destruction and migrate to some place nice — but they don’t curb their behavior after they do, which is the issue.
Calvert will become the next P.G. County eventually. It’s inevitable, unfortunately.
A Baltimore Judge should know better. The crime in Baltimore is like no where else in the US. Calvert’s Sheriff’s Office has been tough on crime and why Calvert is a great place to live. Demoralize our law enforcement agency like you have in Baltimore City and you end up with Baltimore City crime. I’m all for the judicial system, just not the clown show they hold in Baltimore. Hats off to Calvert’s Sheriff’s Office for keeping us safe.
Keeping us safe? I wonder how safe all those African Americans that were unlawfully searched felt after having their rights stripped away from them. Yes that off duty drunk driving officer that killed that innocent girl was keeping her real safe right?
👌👍👍👍👍
@Coran Canoe —
You are correct. Calvert IS a great place to live. For now.
Sheriff Evans has as much chance of winning this as a Republican winning a lawsuit in D.C. — Zero chance.
You see, when progressives see a chance to destroy something they don’t like (Sheriff Evans), the process is the punishment. It really doesn’t matter if he wins or not. That is the playbook of the left. They know he’s retiring soon so they have to “Get ‘Em” on the way out the door.
Evans isn’t running, he’s retiring
I don’t see what the problem is. If the police aren’t doing anything wrong, they’ve got nothing to hide.
Agreed! Love how when the police are unlawfully searching us people are so quick to say it shouldn’t be a problem if you aren’t committing any crimes. But when it’s flipped they are so quick to defend them. If we shouldn’t have anything to hide certainly the police shouldn’t have anything to hide either. Right?
This have to be one of the most racist places on this planet. As a large land owner and former resident. I’ll never live there full time. I just use that place for recreation and to piss off my neighbors. It’s about time someone hold these people accountable.
I wish i had the luxury to not live here! Can’t wait to get enough money saved up to move!
Spot on! Its somehow acceptable to be blatantly racist against whites while pretending to be victims. Black pride is enforced but if you simply say that all lives matter you’re considered racist.
I don’t get how having more info on what our cops are actually doing can be a bad thing. We have a right to this information! If they aren’t doing anything wrong what is there to hide?
Vote for Ricky Cox for Sheriff. He has the demonstrated Leadership capabilities backed up by his resume. Deputies follow him because they want to, not because they have to. He relates well to the young deputies.
Vote Ricky Cox for Sheriff
Ricky Cox is a punk
The Voter’s should have elected Craig Kontra as there sheriff and just maybe this wouldn’t be happening. The Voter’s of Calvert need to hire this man as there next sheriff so that he can clean up the mess that’s been going on for decade’s. He was one of the Best Men on that Force which is exactly why he had to work double duty to try and get ahead simply because he would not go Low for anyone. I can tell you those he arrest will tell you what a good Man he is and how well he treated those he had to arrest. Also fair with everyone and when willing to help them get there lives straighten out and did too. He’s a Man of his Word and he’s always been that way. He will never be dishonest with anyone ever it’s just not within him to do that to anyone no matter what the case might be and I will tell you this there’s not a man that’s ever been on this Dept that will have one bad word to say about Craig either simply because there’s nothing bad to say. The word integrity comes to mind when I think of him. Calvert county will have the Very Best in this man as there next sheriff
Wow the calamity of BS from Washington woke has started to make it down to the liwer level of urban society. Stop the division!
@Harold Winnet —
Sorry, but you’re not saying anything here. Kontra treats people nice? He doesn’t lie? He’s fair? A man of his word?
Which one of those traits, if any, are going to keep the miscreants out of Calvert County?????
The answer: None.
Don’t misunderstand me though. There’s nothing wrong with those traits, but they won’t accomplish the mission. Criminals, like middle eastern terrorists, understand just one thing. Force
We’ve seen first hand the results around the country with certain places being soft on crime. The result: Those nice places are now war zones. That’s what being nice got them.
AND, if an alleged criminal happens to be black that gets busted in Calvert, no matter how you treat them, the risk increases of Kontra turning out being accused just like Sheriff Evans. Since the BLM movement, they’ve used their “blackness” to gain an advantage. This case seems to be no different than any other situation their trying to take advantage of.
One of the countries worse sheriff departments and has a lot to hide .
Great…glad to heat it. When will abuse end?
Police trying to hide how they protect and serve, I’m shocked!
There’s this thing called the Constitution. It guarantees certain inalienable rights to all citizens. Among those rights are the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the right against self incrimination, and unreasonable search and seizures.
If the cops of Calvert County are violating any of these, regardless of whether or not they’re “those people”, they need to be called out on it.
Everyone has the right to travel our roads. Even racist pieces of crap.
It’s not about being woke. It’s following the damn law. I bet you folks would be outraged if your family members were being illegally strip searched. But here’s the difference. You don’t have to worry about that because the cops all look like you. That’s called confirmation bias. They expect to find something on those people because their own bias tells them they will.
If they don’t find anything immediately, it probably means they hid it better.
With folks that look like them, where they don’t expect to find anything, there’s no compulsion to look any further.
Calvert has more than it’s share of crime and it’s not all from other places. The Maryland Case Search page is filled with criminals of all colors and many look just like you.
This is awful, just liberals trying to change things. I lived here for over 25 years.
No problem with the Calvert Sheriff’s office.
Wow the calamity of BS from Washington woke has started to make it down to the liwer level of urban society. Stop the division!
It’s been a long time coming. They need to check into the States Attorney’s office also. Something has to be done about this county treatment of people of color. I can’t wait to see how this ends. And the people who are screaming woke and liberals. Must be trolls because it’s about right and wrong. Your hoods are showing.
It’s when it’s convenient for them to sweep it under the rug and act like it’s not there that you know it is. Remember, innocent people have nothing to hide, right? So why would they stretch this further if they did nothing wrong? 🤡 Jumping through all those hoops just to waste more taxpayer dollars in the process. Oh and these vile comments? Clear representation of the room temp iq group that runs this county so no surprise, just disappointment.
Calvert Co sheriff office has been abusing the people 20+ years. I grew up here and I am Thrilled to hear this They think they’re powerful just because they have a gun an badge THEY NEED A WAKE UP CALL. if they where in dc Baltimore they wouldn’t kno what to do it would be like the movie training day 😂😂😂
Great! Please come looking into Charles County Maryland Sheriff’s ! Especially those on the Lexington Road. Bring the FBI, MBI, and Supreme Court Judge to administer justice.
If there’s nothing to hide show the records why try and throw the case out. You took the oath to serve and protect so …………………. Let all the people of Calvert County and state wide see.
It’s not just black people that they have been doing that to. Also, why isn’t Mike evans being prosecuted for all of the blatant law breaking and misuse of power? There should be way more charges against him. And hey, why is he getting paid retirement? What a joke.
Mike evans is a coward and that sheriff’s office is full of them especially that coward Wilson