| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. |
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| 4 | 4 | | [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. |
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| 5 | 5 | | *hb0109* |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | HOUSE BILL 109 |
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| 8 | 8 | | E2, E1 5lr0961 |
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| 9 | 9 | | (PRE–FILED) CF 5lr0962 |
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| 10 | 10 | | By: Delegate Conaway |
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| 11 | 11 | | Requested: September 26, 2024 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025 |
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| 13 | 13 | | Assigned to: Judiciary |
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| 14 | 14 | | |
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| 15 | 15 | | A BILL ENTITLED |
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| 16 | 16 | | |
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| 17 | 17 | | AN ACT concerning 1 |
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| 18 | 18 | | |
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| 19 | 19 | | Criminal Law – Misdemeanor Theft – Statute of Limitations 2 |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | FOR the purpose of altering the statute of limitations applicable to the crime of theft of 3 |
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| 22 | 22 | | property or services with a certain value; and generally relating to theft. 4 |
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| 23 | 23 | | |
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| 24 | 24 | | BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 5 |
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| 25 | 25 | | Article – Criminal Law 6 |
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| 26 | 26 | | Section 7–104(g)(2) and (3) 7 |
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| 27 | 27 | | Annotated Code of Maryland 8 |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 9 |
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| 29 | 29 | | |
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| 30 | 30 | | BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10 |
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| 31 | 31 | | Article – Criminal Law 11 |
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| 32 | 32 | | Section 7–104(i) 12 |
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| 33 | 33 | | Annotated Code of Maryland 13 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14 |
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| 35 | 35 | | |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15 |
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| 37 | 37 | | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16 |
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| 38 | 38 | | |
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| 39 | 39 | | Article – Criminal Law 17 |
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| 40 | 40 | | |
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| 41 | 41 | | 7–104. 18 |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | (g) (2) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, a person 19 |
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| 44 | 44 | | convicted of theft of property or services with a value of at least $100 but less than $1,500, 20 |
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| 45 | 45 | | is guilty of a misdemeanor and: 21 |
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| 46 | 46 | | |
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| 47 | 47 | | (i) is subject to: 22 |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2 HOUSE BILL 109 |
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| 49 | 49 | | |
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| 50 | 50 | | |
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| 51 | 51 | | 1. for a first conviction, imprisonment not exceeding 6 1 |
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| 52 | 52 | | months or a fine not exceeding $500 or both; and 2 |
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| 53 | 53 | | |
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| 54 | 54 | | 2. for a second or subsequent conviction, imprisonment not 3 |
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| 55 | 55 | | exceeding 1 year or a fine not exceeding $500 or both; and 4 |
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| 56 | 56 | | |
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| 57 | 57 | | (ii) shall restore the property taken to the owner or pay the owner 5 |
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| 58 | 58 | | the value of the property or services. 6 |
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| 59 | 59 | | |
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| 60 | 60 | | (3) A person convicted of theft of property or services with a value of less 7 |
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| 61 | 61 | | than $100 is guilty of a misdemeanor and: 8 |
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| 62 | 62 | | |
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| 63 | 63 | | (i) is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or a fine not 9 |
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| 64 | 64 | | exceeding $500 or both; and 10 |
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| 65 | 65 | | |
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| 66 | 66 | | (ii) shall restore the property taken to the owner or pay the owner 11 |
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| 67 | 67 | | the value of the property or services. 12 |
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| 68 | 68 | | |
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| 69 | 69 | | (i) (1) An action or prosecution for a violation of subsection (g)(2) [or (3)] of 13 |
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| 70 | 70 | | this section shall be commenced within [2] 3 years after the commission of the crime. 14 |
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| 71 | 71 | | |
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| 72 | 72 | | (2) AN ACTION OR PROSECUT ION FOR A VIOLATION OF SUBSECTION 15 |
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| 73 | 73 | | (G)(3) OF THIS SECTION SHAL L BE COMMENCED WITHI N 2 YEARS AFTER THE 16 |
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| 74 | 74 | | COMMISSION OF THE CR IME. 17 |
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| 75 | 75 | | |
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| 76 | 76 | | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 18 |
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| 77 | 77 | | October 1, 2025. 19 |
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