Marvin Mandel, Governor                         573

firm or corporation, upon any bank, person, firm or corporation, where
such person knows that the bank, person, firm or corporation is
not indebted to the drawer, or where such person knows that the
drawer or drawers thereof have not provided for the payment or
acceptance thereof, and the same be not paid upon presentation, shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not
more than one hundred dollars ($100.00), or imprisoned for not more
than sixty (60) days, or both, in the discretion of the court.

139. District Court established [; postponed effective date in certain
districts].

Pursuant to the provisions of Article IV of the Maryland Constitu-
tion of 1867 as amended, there is hereby established a District Court
of Maryland which shall consist of a chief judge and the number of
associate judges, prescribed by law [; provided that none of the pro-
visions of these sections shall be effective in any district for which the
General Assembly shall postpone the effective date of the District
Court constitutional amendment pursuant to subsection (b) of § 41-1
of Article IV of the Constitution until the effective date to which the
same shall have been postponed].

148.    Summons; subpoenas duces tecum; contempt.

(a)  Every judge of the District Court shall have power to issue
summons and subpoenas duces tecum for the attendance of parties,
witnesses, and evidence in cases before the court, but no judge shall
issue a blank summons, [and u] Upon THE failure of any person to
attend in response to the summons at the time and place mentioned
therein, the person shall be liable in the discretion of the court, to a
fine not exceeding three hundred dollars ($300.00). Nothing in this
section shall be construed as limiting the power of the judge as
hereinafter provided to punish for direct contempt.

149.    Chief clerk; chief administrative clerks; other employees.

(b)  Except as otherwise provided by law, all persons who [at the
effective date of this subtitle] on July 5, 1971 in the City of Baltimore
or any county [are] were clerical, administrative or constabular em-
ployees and full-time committing magistrates employed by a people's
court, the Municipal Court of Baltimore City, a magistrates court, or
the Housing Court of Baltimore County shall continue as employees
of the District Court. [Within ninety (90) days following the first
Monday of July, 1971, all clerical, administrative and constabular
employees, unless they elect to remain under any city, county or
municipal merit or classification system, shall become part of the State
classified service if full time, and the unclassified service if part time,
without examination and without diminution in salary, and] A per-
son who became an employee of the District Court pursuant to this
subsection shall be given credit for prior service with the prior em-
ployer for purposes of determining future annual and sick leave,
provided, however, that although the persons shall otherwise be in the
State service, the person shall elect either to remain under any
county, city or municipal leave, retirement, or health system of which
they are then a part, or to transfer to the leave, retirement, or health
system of the state; provided that persons electing to transfer to the
Employees' Retirement System of the State of Maryland under the