230                               Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 193

increasing certain powers of the judges of the People's Court for
Montgomery County, with limitations thereon, and providing gen-
erally for establishment of rules for operation of said court and
the force and effect of said rules, and permitting counter claims
and/or setoffs in all civil cases.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,

That Section 92B of Article 52 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1956 Supplement), title "Justices of the Peace," sub-title "Trial
Magistrates System," be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted,
with amendments, to read as follows:

92B. Same—Jurisdiction, powers, etc.; fees; appeals.

The judges of the People's Court of Montgomery County, except
the People's Court Judge for Juvenile Causes, shall have all the au-
thority, powers, civil, criminal and juvenile jurisdiction, in the whole
of said county, heretofore vested in the Justices of the Peace desig-
nated as Trial Magistrates and other Justices of the peace of said
County; provided, the authority, powers and jurisdiction heretofore,
or as may hereafter be vested in said other Justices of the Peace
shall be unaffected by this provision. [The judges of the People's
Court shall further have the power to suspend sentence and/or
costs in any case within their jurisdiction within ten days after
judgment has been pronounced.]

In addition to the powers above enumerated, and not in derogation
or limitation thereof, the Judges of the People's Court shall have the
following powers:

(a)   To suspend or reduce sentence and/or costs in any case within
their jurisdiction within ten days after judgment has been pro-
nounced, provided, however, thai the Court shall not be authorized
to reduce the fine for any criminal or traffic offense below the
minimum fine prescribed by law for such offense, and provided
further, that nothing herein shall be construed to affect the power
of the Court to suspend any such fine entirely.

(b)   To regulate by rules the administration, procedure and practice
of said court, such rules to have the force of law until rescinded or
modified by the said Judges or the General Assembly, provided, how-
ever, that no formal pleadings shall be required in any case before
the said Court, and provided further, however, that counter claims
and/or set-offs shall be permitted in all civil cases.

The laws which heretofore have specified the fees chargeable by
Trial Magistrates and Justices of the Peace in Montgomery County
and also the laws previously concerning the right of appeal from the
Trial Magistrates and Justices of the Peace in Montgomery County
shall continue in all respects to be effective as to the People's Court
of Montgomery County herein created.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1957.

Approved March 11, 1957.