HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 1525

istrates in a few convenient centers and to provide for their
compensation by salaries instead of fees, now therefore

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That a new sub-title and twenty-two new sections be
and they are hereby added to Article 52 of the Code of Public
General Laws of Maryland, 1935 Supplement, title "Justices
of the Peace", to be known as Sections 91 to 112, inclusive, to
follow immediately after Section 90 of said Article, said new
Sections to be under the new sub-title "Trial Magistrates
System", and to read as follows:

TRIAL MAGISTRATES SYSTEM

91. Appointment. The Governor, by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate, shall appoint for every county of
the State one justice of the peace for each of the election dis-
tricts thereof, and such number of justices of the peace at
large in the several counties, to be designated "Trial Magis-
trates", as is hereinafter specified in Section 98.

92. Jurisdiction. The authority, powers and civil and
criminal jurisdiction of each of the justices of the peace
appointed under this Act shall, except as modified by this Act,
be such as may now be vested in any justice of the peace by
law applicable to the counties for which they are respectively
appointed, or to municipal corporations within their respective
limits, or such as may hereafter be prescribed by law, but
shall not include the jurisdiction which may be specially con-
ferred by law in the same county upon a justice of the peace
for juvenile cases.

Trial magistrates shall have and possess power to suspend
sentence in any case within their jurisdiction, provided that
such suspension is made at the trial of the case and not after
judgment has been pronounced.

In cases of commitment to jail in default of payment of fine,
the trial magistrates shall have the power, upon suitable
written order to the sheriff or other custodian, to release the
prisoners at any time after commitment upon payment of the
fine and costs imposed, provided however that a credit of one
dollar for each day of imprisonment actually served shall be
deducted from the payments herein specified. Records shall
be kept by the magistrates of such releases and credits, and
the fines and costs so received shall be remitted as in the case
of fines and costs imposed and collected as otherwise provided
in this Act. The sheriffs or other custodian of prisoners shall
have no power or authority to release prisoners committed by
trial magistrates prior to the expiration of their terms as
specified in the commitment papers, except upon the written