SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                           69

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 144 of Article 27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1957 Edition and 1966 Supplement), title "Crimes and Punish-
ments," subtitle "Crimes and Punishments," subheading "False
Pretenses, Bad Checks, etc.," be and it is hereby repealed and
re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

144.

Every person who shall obtain money, credit, goods, wares or any-
thing of value, of the value of one hundred dollars or more, from
another by means of a check, draft or any other negotiable
instrument of any kind, with intent at the time of giving such
instrument without the consent of such other to stop or countermand
the payment of the same or otherwise to cause the drawee thereof to
disregard or dishonor or refuse to recognize such instrument, shall be
deemed to have obtained such money, credit, goods, wares, or other
thing of value with intent to cheat and defraud another and upon
conviction, shall be fined or imprisoned or both, as provided in
Section 140 of this article, at the discretion of the court. Where the
value of such money, credit, goods, wares or anything of value is less
than one hundred dollars, such person, upon conviction, shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not more than fifty dollars
or imprisoned for not more than eighteen months in the house of
correction or jail, or both fined and imprisoned in the discretion of the
court, and the trial magistrates of the counties shall have concurrent
jurisdiction over such offense with the circuit court of the counties.
And upon the trial of any person accused of violation of this section,
the fact that such person without the consent of such other to stop or
countermand the countermanded payment of such instrument, or
otherwise caused the drawee to disregard or dishonor the same
without returning or tendering the return of the thing so obtained
shall be presumptive evidence of such intent to cheat and defraud.
In Baltimore City, where the amount of money or the value of the
thing received does not exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00), the
Municipal Court of Baltimore City shall have jurisdiction to try
persons charged with violating this section, provided that persons so
convicted in the Municipal Court shall not be sentenced to the
penitentiary by that Court.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1967.

Approved March 24, 1967.

CHAPTER 56
(House Bill 313)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 142 of
Article 27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition and
and 1966 Supplement), title "Crimes and Punishments," subtitle
"Crimes and Punishments," subheading "False Pretenses, Bad
Checks, etc.," amending the law relating to false pretenses to give