1694

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 611

a person must be sentenced to life imprisonment
without possibility of parole after having been
imprisoned for committing certain crimes on certain
previous occasions; and making this Act contingent
upon the enactment of another measure.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article 27 — Crimes and Punishments

Section 643B

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1971 Replacement Volume and 1975 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That Section 643B of Article 27 - Crimes and
Punishments, of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1971
Replacement Volume and 1975 Supplement) be and it is
hereby repealed and reenacted, with amendments, to read
as follows:

Article 27 — Crimes and Punishments

643B.

(a)   As used in this section, the term "crime of
violence" means abduction; arson; kidnapping;
manslaughter, except involuntary manslaughter; mayhem;
murder; rape; [and] robbery; SEXUAL OFFENSE IN THE FIRST
DEGREE; AND SEXUAL OFFENSE IN THE SECOND DEGREE or an
attempt to commit any of these offences.

(b)   Any person who has served three separate terms
of confinement in a correctional institution as a result
of three separate convictions of any crime of violence
shall be sentenced, on being convicted a fourth time of a
crime of violence, to life imprisonment without the
possibility of parole. Regardless of any other law to
the contrary, the provisions of this section are
mandatory.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That
this Act shall become effective only upon the passage of
Senate Bill 358. If that Act fails of enactment, this
measure is null and void without the need of further
action by the General Assembly of Maryland.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act
shall take effect July 1, 1976.

Approved May 17, 1976.