586                              Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 275

removed for trial to the circuit court in the county in which the
offense occurred or to the Criminal Court of Baltimore if the offense
occurred therein.

(6)    Warrants, Bond, Bail. Every District Court judge shall have
the power to issue warrants of arrest and warrants for search and
seizure or for interception of communications, when and in the man-
ner authorized by law; and he shall have the power to set bond or
bail or to release on bond, personal or otherwise, to commit to jail in
default of bond, to forfeit bonds upon failure of the defendant to meet
the conditions of the bond, and to exercise all of the powers of
Justices of the Peace under the Constitution of 1867.

(7)    Writs. Every District Court judge shall have the power to
issue writs of habeas corpus ad testifieandum, writs of habeas corpus
ad prosequendum, and writs of error coram nobis.

(8)    Appointment of Counsel. Every District Court judge shall
have the power to appoint counsel to represent indigent defendants
within the jurisdiction of the court and shall have the authority to
grant fees to said THE attorneys as prescribed by law or rule, which
shall be paid by the State of Maryland.

(9)    Alcoholics and Mental Cases. Every District Court judge
shall have the power and authority to commit persons suffering from
acute or chronic alcoholism or who are habitually addicted to nar-
cotic drugs, to one of the State hospitals for evaluation, treatment
and observation under such terms and conditions as he may deter-
mine, and every District Court shall be held to be included within
the term "court" as used in Article 59, subtitle "Insanity as a Defense
in Criminal Cases" of the Annotated Code of Maryland, 1957 Edition,
as amended; and each judge of the District Court shall have the same
power and authority exercised by any judge of the circuit court for
the purposes set forth in those sections, including the determination
of competency to stand trial of any person charged with the commis-
sion of any crime within the jurisdiction of the court.

(10)    Sentencing. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
every District Court Judge shall have the power in those cases de-
scribed in paragraphs (b)(l) and (b)(2) of this Section [144] 145
to sentence any defendant to confinement for the period or periods
of time prescribed by law or by the statute or ordinance creating the
offense, and to impose any fine authorized by law or by said statute
or ordinance.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1971.

Approved April 29, 1971

CHAPTER 275
(House Bill 88)

AN ACT to add a new subsection (cc) to Section 326 of Article 81 of
the Annotated Code of Maryland (1969 Replacement Volume and