FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2017

PRESS RELEASE

Court of Special Appeals Affirms Judgment of Michelle Arthur

FREDERICK – The Court of Special Appeals of Maryland affirmed the judgment of Michelle Arthur in an unreported Opinion filed on September 18, 2017.

A Notice of Appeal was filed on November 7, 2016. The defendant raised 3 issues on appeal. First, the Court of Special Appeals found no error by the trial court in ruling that the prosecutor did not dismiss the first charging document for the purpose of circumventing the 180 day rule. Secondly, the Court ruled that the postponement of the trial from June 9 to August 30 because the prosecutor was in another trial was reasonable. Thirdly, the Court ruled that the trial court did not err in denying the defendant’s motion for judgment of acquittal.

Michelle Arthur, 45, was convicted of 3 counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor and 1 count of Third Degree Sexual Offense following a jury trial on August 30, 2016. On November 1, 2016, she was sentenced by the Honorable Julie S. Solt to a total of 25 years in the Division of Correction, with all but 10 years, suspended. Thereafter, she will serve 3 years of supervised probation, and must register as a sexual offender. The State was represented by Chief Assistant State’s Attorney Lindell Angel.

Michelle Arthur was 35 years old when she began sexually abusing a 15 year old boy, who was living in her home as a friend of her sons. She became pregnant when he was 15, had the child, and then became pregnant again when the victim had just turned 18. The abuse was ongoing throughout those years.

J. Charles Smith, III
State’s Attorney for Frederick County, Maryland