572                              Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 181

eligible for retirement pension who dies after retiring shall be paid
one half of the pension or salary to which her husband was entitled at
the time of his death. In determining the amount which any widow
is entitled to be paid after June 1, 1963, the pension of the deceased
judge shall be calculated at the rates prescribed by sub-subsection (1)
of this subsection, as of that date, notwithstanding that such judge
may have died prior thereto. In each instance the pension is to be paid
to the widow until her remarriage or death. The provisions of this
section shall not apply in the case of a widow who was married to the
judge for a period less than three years and to a retired judge for a
period less than three years before his retirement.

(m) Any election provided by this Section is alternative to and not
in substitute for the election provided by Section 144 of this Article.

125A. Adjustment of judges' retirement allowance.

(a)  For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1971, and for each fiscal
year thereafter, each retired member's retirement allowance as here-
under defined, shall be adjusted by a ratio as provided in this section.

(b)   (1) Each retired member shall have a base which shall be
consumer price index for the calendar year ending December 31st of
the fiscal year in which he was last employed.

(2)  The consumer price index to be used for the fiscal year in which
the retirement allowance is payable shall be the consumer price index
for the calendar year ending December 31st of the preceding fiscal
year.

(3)  The ratio of adjustment of the retirement allowance referred to
in subsection (a) of this section shall be obtained by dividing the
consumer price index in subsection (b) (2) by the consumer price
index in subsection (b) (1) of this section.

(c)  For the purposes of this section the retirement allowance re-
ferred to in subsection (a) of this section, shall be that retirement
allowance elected by the member under § 125 of this article.

(d)    For the purposes of this section, Consumer Price Index shall
mean the Consumer Price Index (all items—United States city aver-
age), as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau
of Labor Statistics.

(e)   In no instance shall any retired member receive less than the
benefits to which he would be entitled under the provisions of § 125 of
this article.

(f)  The allowance of a surviving beneficiary of a retired member
shall, when and if payable, be adjusted by the same ratio as provided
in this section.

(g)  This section shall not apply to benefits payable under § 125
[(c)] (f) [(1-5)] and 125 [(c) (1-6)] (g) of this article.

128A. Paying fines or costs with bad check, etc.

Every person who shall pay or attempt to pay any fine or costs im-
posed in [either division of the Municipal Court] the District Court
by means of any check, draft or other negotiable instrument of any
kind drawn, whether drawn by such person or by any other person,