In September of 2013, the Maryland courts upheld DeWolfe v. Richmond. This ruling warrants impoverished defendants to have state-appointed counsel present at their initial appearance before a District Court commissioner. Since its implementation, funding required to meet the ruling’s stipulations has added to the already high costs of the judicial process.This paper reviews the history and current state of pretrial release both nationally and locally in Maryland. In addition, it investigates the issues related to pretrial detention and recommends a policy solution to Governor Hogan along with an analysis of the proposal.Reviews of case studies and data found that Maryland’s current pretrial laws have detrimental financial and social impacts. Many of the issues are related to the state’s use of money bonds as a condition of pretrial release. It is recommended Governor Hogan adopt a policy that limits the use of money bonds, repurposes District Court commissioners to conduct data-driven risk assessments to determine defendants’ release, and establishes a statewide pretrial supervision agency to ensure the publics’ safety and defendants’ appearance in court.