Criminal Law - Witchcraft - Exoneration

This resolution formally exonerates individuals convicted or executed for witchcraft in colonial Maryland before the American Revolution (pre-1776), acknowledging their innocence. It clears the names of those convicted or executed, restores reputations for those accused but not convicted (including those who fled or were banished), and offers an official apology to their descendants. The resolution addresses historical injustices rooted in superstition, community panic, and gender bias that led to wrongful prosecutions under outdated legal standards. It is a symbolic gesture with no legal effect on current cases, applying solely to pre-Revolution Maryland witchcraft trials.