LEGAL UPDATE: Maryland High Court Rules PIT BULLS "INHERENTLY DANGEROUS"

Maryland's highest court, the Court of Appeals, has decided that pit bull owners in the state of Maryland are absolutely accountable for the behavior of their dogs.

The Court's newest ruling in the case of Tracey vs. Solesky (No. 53, Sept. Term 2012) declares that pit bulls as a breed are "inherently dangerous", and that the owner of a pit bull or a cross-bred pit dog that attacks humans is strictly liable for damages, as is any landlord in Maryland who rents to a pit bull owner.

The Maryland Court of Appeals decision came out of a case involving a young boy who suffered life-threatening injuries when he was attacked by a pit bull.

In Prince George's County, Maryland, next to Washington, D.C., pit bulls have been banned in the County since 1997.

In Prince George's County, if a person happens to have a pit bull in their company they could be arrested. The maximum penalty for violating this law is 6 months in prison and a $1,000 fine.

In Maryland now, pit bulls are included in the category of "dangerous animals".

[usnews.msnbc.com/news/2012/05/02/Marylandcourtfindpitbulls"inherentlydangerous"; and see Maryland Court of Appeals case, Tracey vs Solesky, No. 53, September Term 2012: Strict Liability Adopted In Respect To Attacks On Humans By Pit Bull Dogs and Cross-Bred Pit Bull Dogs]