Matthew Zernhelt, Esq.
Matthew Zernhelt has practiced at every level of court in the United States. He teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Law. He has won in the appellate courts against adversaries such as the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore City Law Department, and traditional corporate law firm adversaries. The appellate cases he has won have created new law in areas such as police accountability, drug policy, attorney privileges, access to government records, federal preemption, and more.
Matthew is passionate about criminal law and believes everyone is entitled to each and every one of their Constitutional rights. He holds the State and the justice system accountable at each and every stage of his clients’ criminal proceedings. He represents all criminal issues, including drug offenses, DWI arrests, assault allegations, gun charges, murder cases, and other matters.
Matthew is a co-founder of the Baltimore Action Legal Team (BALT) where he currently serves as the Legal Director. He continues to lead litigation for systemic change on behalf of the community, as well as develop access to legal education. Matthew started his litigation career at Maryland Legal Aid providing direct client representation, after being awarded the organization’s public interest fellowship. He worked for Maryland Legal Aid for several more years following his fellowship and maintained a pro bono practice with the organization after leaving. Matthew also has extensive experience developing restorative justice programs in Baltimore as the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization. During law school, he clerked for two years with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. Matthew went to law school at the University of Baltimore School of Law after studying criminal justice at the University of Maryland.
Meet the Team
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Beck Sigman
COUNSEL
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Catherine Wilkins
COUNSEL
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Julea Seliavski
LAW CLERK
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Cassandra Murphy
PARALEGAL
Matthew Zernhelt in the press.
The plot for ‘We Own This City’ Season 2? Baltimore continues to shield police misconduct.
“We are going to continue fighting for files of officers that threaten our communities. We fight for and demand our #Right2Access. We urge you to call on city leaders to demand transparency.”
Can prosecutors truly be progressive?
“The term “progressive prosecutor” is catchy, and it sounds needed, but is it more than a buzzword?”
Non-profit sues city law department over police misconduct records
“We’ve received nothing but obstruction in response,” Matt Zernhelt said.
BALT legal director Matt Zernhelt says they’ve found this is not an occasional occurrence but rather a pattern of practice.
Activist legal group says it’s making progress in face of Baltimore police stalling over use-of-force records
“Matt Zernhelt, who is leading the fight, said the agency took months to compile and review the documents, made inappropriate redactions, and is charging exorbitant fees.”
Baltimore legal group asks inspector general to investigate
“The FOP is the castle that protects police misconduct, but the Baltimore City Law Department is its moat,” BALT Legal Director Matt Zernhelt said.
Baltimore state’s attorney doesn’t practice the transparency she preaches
“The state’s attorney can and should help in police transparency, but Ms. Mosby has extended a law enforcement veil of secrecy. State’s Attorney Mosby must disclose records that further accountability of the Baltimore Police Department. Such transparency is long overdue.”
Transparency advocates sue Baltimore Law Department over police records requests
“‘The Baltimore Police Department and the Baltimore City Law Department have violated the law in their responses to every single request,’ the plaintiffs wrote.
‘Ultimately, not a single record has been handed over without a fight, which displays a true pattern and practice of obstructing disclosure and a failure to provide the public with what is already theirs as granted under the Maryland Public Information Act.’
The group is represented by Matthew Zernhelt, the legal director of the activist legal group Baltimore Action Legal Team.”
Getting “bad cop” records still means fee negotiations, court battles and wrangling with agencies and unions
“A recent ruling by a three-judge panel of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals has given supporters hope that law enforcement agencies will do more to comply.”
Baltimore State's Attorney Mosby was wrong not to release her ‘do-not-call’ list of trouble coups, appeals court rules
“[The state’s attorney] simultaneously told the public that she was fighting for one standard of justice, and she wanted to disclose the records to the public and show she was investigating the police. But when asked, she forced us to litigate.”
State’s Attorney Mosby releases names of Baltimore Police officers she won’t call to testify, but most are no longer with the department
“‘We know they won’t be testifying ... this is just performative transparency,’ said Matt Zernhelt, legal director of the nonprofit Baltimore Action Legal Team, which sued for the list.”
Implementing Anton’s Law in Maryland
“A recent ruling by a three-judge panel of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, the middle statewide appellate court, has given supporters hope that law enforcement agencies will do more to comply.”
Delayed trials, home detention and hundreds of dollars in ankle-monitoring costs
“‘When someone is put on home detention right now, it’s really a sentence to an indefinite trial date,’ said Matthew Zernhelt, legal director for the nonprofit group Baltimore Action Legal Team, or BALT, which pays home monitoring fees for about 100 people. ‘They’re paying indefinitely, or they’re sitting in jail in COVID conditions.’”