Key takeaways

Maryland Supreme Court reverses gang conviction in 5-2 ruling

Justices say kingpin law applies only to leaders, not low-level actors

Law carries penalties up to 20 years and $1 million fine

Ruling clarifies statute’s scope for future prosecutions

A Montgomery County man convicted for standing next to a codefendant who spray-painted a gang symbol on a public wall had his conviction reversed last month by the Maryland Supreme Court, with the justices finding the law under which he was convicted was intended to apply only to gang leaders or “kingpins.”

The 5-2 ruling ordered the reversal of Jamal Antoine Williams’ conviction under § 9-805 of the Maryland Criminal Law Code and ordered his acquittal, determining state prosecutors failed to prove Williams exercised a l

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