Md. Landlord Ordered Jailed For Lead Paint Hazards

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Maryland officials say a Baltimore landlord has been ordered to report to jail for failing to fix lead-paint poisoning hazards in his rental units.

Officials said Thursday that a city Circuit Court judge ordered Cephus Murrell of Catonsville jailed for contempt of court until he fixes the lead-paint risks in all of his units or pays to relocate the tenants to safe housing. The decision was made at a hearing Wednesday after the landlord failed to comply with a previous order to fix the units or face jail time.

Horacio Tablada, land management director for the Maryland Department of the Environment, says the action against Murrell comes as the result of years of enforcement actions by the state, including repeated citations and at least $30,000 in fines.

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