2013 Maryland Code
COURTS AND JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS
§ 1-605 - Powers and duties of Chief Judge

§1-605.

(a) The Chief Judge of the District Court is the chief administrative officer of the District Court and responsible for the maintenance, administration, and operation of the court in all its locations throughout the State.

(b) The Chief Judge of the District Court may make administrative regulations for the governing of the District Court, subject to and not inconsistent with the rules of the Court of Appeals.

(c) The Chief Judge of the District Court may assign a judge of the District Court to sit temporarily in a county other than the judge’s county of residence.

(d) In addition to the powers and duties granted and imposed in subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section, or elsewhere by law or rule, the Chief Judge of the District Court shall:

(1) Appoint a chief clerk of the District Court, a chief administrative clerk for each district, and other personnel of the District Court pursuant to Article IV, § 41F of the Maryland Constitution;

(2) Approve the appointments of commissioners of the District Court pursuant to Article IV, § 41G of the Maryland Constitution;

(3) Establish uniform record-keeping procedures for the District Court;

(4) In conjunction with the Motor Vehicle Administrator, establish uniform procedures for reporting traffic cases in the District Court, including procedures for promptly notifying the Motor Vehicle Administration of each citation within the jurisdiction of the District Court that is issued to a minor licensed in the State charging the minor with a moving violation as defined in § 11-136.1 of the Transportation Article;

(5) In conjunction with the State Comptroller, establish a system for the collection and remittance of costs, fines, penalties, and forfeitures collected by the District Court;

(6) Approve in writing the destruction of pleadings, papers, or files proposed for destruction pursuant to § 2-205 of this article;

(7) On the recommendation of the administrative judge of any district, approve in writing the invalidation and destruction of certain warrants for arrest, if the administrative judge certifies to the Chief Judge that:

(i) Each of the warrants is more than 3 years old;

(ii) The warrant was properly delivered to an authorized law enforcement agency for execution and service, which was not effected;

(iii) Each of the warrants was issued by a judicial officer of the District Court for:

1. The arrest of the defendant in order that the defendant might stand trial on a misdemeanor offense;

2. The failure of the defendant to appear for trial for a misdemeanor offense, as directed by the District Court;

3. The failure of the defendant to make a deferred payment of a fine or costs as ordered by the District Court for a misdemeanor offense; or

4. A violation of a probation order of the District Court entered in a misdemeanor offense; and

(iv) The administrative judge believes that the invalidation and destruction of the arrest warrant is consistent with the ends of justice;

(8) After consultation with police administrators and the Motor Vehicle Administrator, design arrest - citation forms that shall be used by all law enforcement agencies in the State when charging a person with a criminal, civil, or traffic offense, except for:

(i) Violations by juveniles listed in § 3-8A-33(a) of this article;

(ii) Violations of parking ordinances or regulations adopted under Title 26, Subtitle 3 of the Transportation Article; and

(iii) Other violations as expressly provided by law;

(9) Authorize the use of a single document for issuance of more than one, separately numbered, citation;

(10) Specify appropriate means, such as a signature on a citation, electronic signature, or data encoded in a driver’s license or identity card issued by the Motor Vehicle Administration, to be used by:

(i) The police officer issuing a citation to execute it by certifying under penalties of perjury that the facts stated in the citation are true; and

(ii) The person to whom a citation is being issued to acknowledge its receipt;

(11) Authorize a citation to include a summons to appear; and

(12) Cause the District Court to print or otherwise make available uniform motor vehicle citation forms and any other uniform statewide citation forms for offenses triable in the District Court.

(e) Notwithstanding any provision of the Transportation Article, a police officer may dispense with the acknowledgment of a person receiving a citation that contains a summons as provided in subsection (d)(11) of this section and regulations adopted by the police officer’s agency.