896                                   LAWS OF MARYLAND                          [CH. 520

be delivered over to the officer whom the appropriate person or
authority demanding him shall have appointed to receive him, unless
he shall first be taken forthwith before a judge of an appropriate
court in the state, who shall inform him of the demand made for
his return and who may appoint counsel or guardian ad litem for
him. If the judge of such court shall find that the requisition is in
order, he shall deliver such delinquent juvenile over to the officer
whom the appropriate person or authority demanding him shall have
appointed to receive him. The judge, however, may fix a reasonable
time to be allowed for the purpose of testing the legality of the
proceeding.

Upon reasonable information that a person is a delinquent juvenile
who has absconded while on probation or parole, or escaped from
an institution or agency vested with his legal custody or supervision
in any state party to this compact, such person may be taken into
custody in any other state party to this compact without a requisi-
tion. But in such event, he must be taken forthwith before a judge
of the appropriate court, who may appoint counsel or guardian ad
litem for such person and who shall determine, after a hearing,
whether sufficient cause exists to hold the person subject to the
order of the court for such a time, not exceeding 90 days, as will
enable his detention under a detention order issued on a requisition
pursuant to this Article. If, at the time when a state seeks the return
of a delinquent juvenile who has wither EITHER absconded while on
probation or parole or escaped from an institution or agency vested
with his legal custody or supervision, there is pending in the state
wherein he is detained any criminal charge or any proceeding to
have him adjudicated a delinquent juvenile for an act committed in
such state, or if he is suspected of having committed within such
state a criminal offense or an act of juvenile delinquency, he shall
not be returned without the consent of such state until discharged
from prosecution or other form of proceeding, imprisonment, deten-
tion or supervision for such offense or juvenile delinquency. The
duly accredited officers of any state party to this compact, upon the
establishment of their authority and the identity of the delinquent
juvenile being returned, shall be permitted to transport such delin-
quent juvenile through any and all states party to this compact,
without interference. Upon his return to the state from which he
escaped or absconded, the delinquent juvenile shall be subject to such
further proceedings as may be appropriate under the laws of that
state.

(b) That the state to which a delinquent juvenile is returned under
this Article shall be responsible for the payment of the transportation
costs of such return.

ARTICLE VI—Voluntary Return Procedure

That any delinquent juvenile who has absconded while on probation
or parole, or escaped from an institution or agency vested with his
legal custody or supervision in any state party to this compact, and
any juvenile who has run away from any state party to this compact,
who is taken into custody without a requisition in another state party
to this compact under the provisions of Article IV(a) or of Article
V(a), may consent to his immediate return to the state from which
he absconded, escaped or ran away. Such consent shall be given by the