When Police Are Called To A House
Md. Code, Crim. Proc. § 2-204 — arrest without a warrant for a battery at home, reported within 48 hours
The conditions. An officer may arrest without a warrant on probable cause that the person battered a spouse or someone the person lives with, there is evidence of physical injury, and unless arrested immediately the person may not be found, may cause injury or damage, or may tamper with evidence, where the report was made within 48 hours of the incident.
Mutual battery. If the officer has probable cause that mutual battery occurred, the officer considers whether one person acted in self-defense when determining whether to arrest the person believed to be the primary aggressor.
The offenses themselves, protective orders, and release conditions are set out in other sections that are not on this page. What happens in a particular case is a question for a licensed Maryland attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Md. Code, Crim. Proc. § 2-204 — Warrantless arrest for domestic battery
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maryland attorney.