MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                               853

hereby repealed and reenacted, with amendments, to read
as follows:

Article 27 — Crimes and Punishments

551A.

(d) Every person convicted of the crime of
shoplifting to the value of [$100.00] $100 or upwards, or
as accessory [thereto] before the fact, [shall be deemed]
IS guilty of a felony and shall restore any goods, or
things taken, to the owner or shall pay him [the] THEIR
full value [thereof], and shall be fined not more than
[$1,000.00] $1,000 or be imprisoned in the penitentiary
for not more than three years. If any person [shall be]
IS convicted of the crime of shoplifting under the value
of [$100.00] $100 he [shall be deemed] IS guilty of a
misdemeanor and shall restore the goods and chattels [so]
taken, or pay [the] THEIR full value [thereof] to the
owner thereof, and be fined not more than [$100.00] $500
or imprisoned for not more than [eighteen] 18 months in
the house of correction or jail, or both fined and
imprisoned. In Baltimore City, where the value of the
thing stolen does not exceed [five hundred dollars
($500.00)] $500, the Municipal Court of Baltimore City
[shall have] HAS jurisdiction to try persons charged with
violating this section[, provided that persons so].
PERSONS convicted in the Municipal Court shall not be
sentenced to the penitentiary by that court.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act
shall be construed only prospectively and may not be
applied or interpreted to have any effect upon or
application to any event or happening occurring prior to
the effective date of this Act.

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

Approved May 4, 1976.