PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor                              Ch. 198

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Courts and Judicial Proceedings
Section 4-401(1) and (3) and 4-402(d)(l)(i)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1995 Replacement Volume and 1995 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Courts and Judicial Proceedings

4-401.

Except as provided in § 4-402 of this subtitle, and subject to the venue provisions of
Title 6 of this article, the District Court has exclusive original civil jurisdiction in:

(1) An action in contract or tort, if the debt or damages claimed do not
exceed [$20,000] $30,000, exclusive of PREJUDGMENT OR POSTJUDGMENT
INTEREST, COSTS, AND attorney's fees if attorney's fees are recoverable by law or
contract;

(3) A matter of attachment before judgment, if the sum claimed does not
exceed [$20,000] $30,000, exclusive of PREJUDGMENT OR POSTJUDGMENT
INTEREST, COSTS, AND attorney's fees if attorney's fees are recoverable by law or
contract;

4-402.

(d) (1) (i) Except in a case under paragraph (2), (4), (5), or (6) of § 4-401 of
this subtitle, the plaintiff may elect to file suit in the District Court or in a trial court of
general jurisdiction, if the amount in controversy exceeds $2,500, exclusive of
PREJUDGMENT OR POSTJUDGMENT INTEREST, COSTS, AND attorney's fees if
attorney's fees are recoverable by law or contract.

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 on or
application to any case filed before the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
October 1, 1996.

Approved April 30, 1996.

- 1627 -