1262                               Laws of Maryland                         Ch. 528

149. Chief Clerk, Administrative Clerks and Personnel.

(a)    There shall be a chief clerk of the District Court and a chief
administrative clerk in each of the districts, a clerk in each county
and other clerical and administrative employees as necessary to con-
duct the business of the Court. The chief clerk shall be appointed
by and serve at the pleasure of the chief judge of the District Court.
Each chief administrative clerk shall be appointed by the Chief
Judge of the District Court, upon the recommendation of the
appropriate administrative judge of the district and shall serve at
the pleasure of the Chief Judge of the District Court.

All employees shall be appointed by the chief judge of the District
Court upon the recommendation of the administrative judge in each
district. Except as otherwise provided by law, all persons who at the
effective date of this subtitle in the City of Baltimore or any county
are employees of a People's Court, the Municipal Court of Balti-
more City, a Magistrates Court or the Housing Court of Baltimore
County shall continue as employees of the District Court, and within
ninety (90) days thereafter such persons shall elect either to remain
under any county, city, or municipal merit, classification, leave, or
health system of which they are then a part, or to transfer to the
merit or classification, leave, or health system of the State, and
those employees hired after the effective date of the subtitle shall
be under any State merit or classification system in existence for
State employees.

(b)    The chief clerk of the District Court shall be responsible,
subject to the direction of the chief judge of the District Court, for
the administration and day-to-day clerical operation of the District
Court and its several divisions and locations and shall perform such
other duties as may be prescribed by rule or by law. He may delegate
administrative duties to other clerical or administrative personnel
of the District Court in a manner consistent with rule and with law.
The chief administrative clerk in each district shall be responsible
to the chief clerk of the District Court and the administrative judge
of the district for the maintenance and operation of the clerical staff
and work within the district, including dockets, records, and all
necessary papers. The District Court clerk in each county shall be
responsible for the custody and maintenance of the files, records,
and operations of the court in his or her county subject to the direc-
tion of the chief judge of the District Court or his designee.

(c)    The chief clerk of the District Court, the chief administrative
clerk in each district and the District Court clerk in each County,
before entering upon his duties, shall each give bond to the State
of Maryland in such penalty amount or amounts as fixed by the Comp-
troller of the State, and each of the bonds shall remain in force during
the tenure of office of the respective clerks, and shall have corporate
sureties satisfactory to the Comptroller, and the premiums for the
bonds shall be paid by the State.

150. Dockets and Records, Court of Record.

(a) The chief clerk of the District Court and the clerks of the
District Courts in each district and county shall keep and maintain
the dockets, records, and papers of the District Court. The records
shall be retained in the custody of the respective clerks except when