70 LAWS OF MARYLAND [CH. 56
the Municipal Court of Baltimore City jurisdiction where amount
in question does not exceed $500.00.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 142 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Pretenses, Bad Checks, etc.," be and it is hereby repealed and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:
142.
Every person who, with intent to cheat and defraud another, shall
obtain money, credit, goods, services, release from any debt or
obligation for services, or for materials or labor in the construction
or repair of any building or buildings, wares or anything of value,
of the value of one hundred dollars or more, by means of a check,
draft or any other negotiable instrument of any kind drawn, whether
by such person or by any other person, persons, firm or corporation,
upon any bank, person, firm, or corporation, not indebted to drawer,
or where the drawer or drawers thereof, shall not have provided for
the payment or acceptance, or by means of a credit card or purported
credit authorization, which he is not authorized to present and use
for such purpose, and the same be not paid upon presentation, shall
be deemed to have obtained such money, credit, goods, services,
release, wares, or things of value by means of a false pretense, 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, services, release, wares, or any-
thing 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
courts of the counties. The giving of the aforesaid worthless check,
draft or negotiable instrument, or of the credit card or purported
credit authorization, shall be prima facie evidence of intent to cheat
or defraud; provided that if such person shall be a bona fide resident
of the State of Maryland and shall deposit with the drawee of such
paper or the acceptor of the credit card or purported credit
authorization within ten days thereafter funds sufficient to meet the
same, with all costs and interest which may have accrued he shall
not be prosecuted under this section, and no prosecution either by
presentment, indictment or otherwise, shall be instituted or com-
menced until after the expiration of said period of ten days. 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.
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