Theodore R. McKeldin, Governor                    563

27. Whenever it appears that the trial of a criminal case [an ac-
tion, either civil or criminal], triable by a jury is likely to be a pro-
tracted one, the court may, upon the request of either party or upon
its own motion, direct the calling of one or two additional jurors, to
be known as "Alternate Jurors". Such jurors must be drawn from
the same source, and in the same manner, and have the same qualifi-
cations as the jurors already sworn, and be subjected to the same
examinations and challenges. Such alternate jurors shall be seated
with the jurors with equal power and facilities for seeing and hear-
ing the proceedings in the case, and shall take the same oath as the
jurors already selected, and must attend at all times upon the trial
of the cause in company with the other jurors; and for a failure so
to do are liable to be punished for contempt. They shall obey the
orders of and be bound by the admonition of the court upon each ad-
journment of the court; and except, as hereinafter provided, shall
be discharged upon the final submission of the case to the jury. If
before the final submission of the case, a juror die, or become ill, or
for any other reason he be unable to perform his duty, the court may
order him to be discharged and draw [drawn] the name of an alter-
nate, so qualified as hereinbefore set forth, who shall then take the
seat of the discharged juror in the jury box, and be subject to the
same rules and regulations as though he had been selected as one of
the original jurors.

Sec. 28. And be it further enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That Section 14 of Article 52 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1951 Edition), title "Justices of the Peace", sub-title
"Criminal Jurisdiction", and Section 38 of Article 52 of the An-
notated Code of Maryland (1951 Edition), title "Justices of the
Peace", sub-title "Process and Practice", be and they are hereby re-
pealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

14. All appeals from judgments of Trial Magistrates taken in ac-
cordance with the provisions of Section 13 shall be heard and tried
de novo notwithstanding that the person accused pleaded guilty be-
fore said Trial Magistrate. [Except in cases of appeal from the
judgment of the Trial Magistrate, the accused shall be entitled to
an appeal to the Court of Appeals from the judgment of the Circuit
Court.]

38. No special pleading shall be required in any action before a
Justice of the Peace. Any of the proceedings, including the writ of
summons, may be amended so that such case may be tried on its real
merits and the purposes of justice subserved; writs may be amended
from one form of action to another when the ends of justice require
it; and any amendment may be made at any time before judgment
is entered.

Sec. 29. And be it further enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That Section 7 of Article 58A of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1951 Edition), title "Loans—Petty", be and it is hereby
repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

7. The decision of the Administrator of Loan Laws in refusing to
issue, revoking or suspending any license shall be subject to appeal
to the Circuit Court of any county, or any law Court of Baltimore
City, in which the licensee resides or is doing business or in which