Ch. 840

MARVIN MANDEL, Governor
Article 51.

1725

1.

Whenever a litigant in a court of this State is entitled to trial by jury, he shall
have the right to a petit jury selected at random from a fair cross section of the
citizens of this State resident in the county wherein the court convenes or in
Baltimore City if the court convenes therein. Whenever a person [is] accused of an
indictable criminal offense under the laws of this State[, he shall have the right to
a grand jury] IS PRESENTED TO A GRAND JURY, SUCH GRAND JURY
SHALL BE selected at random from a fair cross section of the citizens of this
State resident in the county wherein the court convenes or in Baltimore City if the
court convenes therein. All citizens of this State (1) shall have the opportunity to
be considered for service on grand and petit juries in the courts of this State by
maintaining their names on the roll of registered voters for State elections, and (2)
shall have an obligation to serve as jurors when summoned for that purpose.

Article 27.

592.

[[IN ALL CASES IN WHICH A PRELIMINARY HEARING HAS BEEN
HELD AND THE ACCUSED HAS BEEN HELD FOR ACTION BY THE
GRAND JURY, THE STATE'S ATTORNEY MAY ELECT TO INDICT THE
ACCUSED BY INFORMATION OR BY PRESENTMENT TO THE GRAND
JURY.]]

IN ALL CASES IN WHICH THE ACCUSED HAS NOT REQUESTED A
PRELIMINARY HEARING WITHIN TEN DAYS AFTER BEING
INFORMED BY THE COURT OR COURT COMMISSIONER OF THE
AVAILABILITY OF SUCH A HEARING, OR IN ALL CASES IN WHICH
A PRELIMINARY HEARING HAS BEEN HELD AND PROBABLE CAUSE
TO HOLD THE ACCUSED HAS BEEN FOUND. THE STATE'S
ATTORNEY MAY ELECT TO INDICT THE ACCUSED BY
PRESENTMENT TO THE GRAND JURY OR CHARGE BY
INFORMATION.

Article 26.

145.

(b)(3) Preliminary Hearings. The District Court [shall also have] HAS
jurisdiction to conduct hearings in felony cases to determine if the defendant
[shall] SHOULD be held for action of the grand jury[.], OR IN THE CASE OF
[[INDICTMENT]] CHARGE BY INFORMATION, FOR TRIAL IN THE
TRIAL COURTS OF GENERAL JURISDICTION OR THE DISTRICT
COURT.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take
effect July 1, 1973.

Approved May 24, 1973.