The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1912-05-17
PUBLIC GENERAL LAWS, 1912.
RAsrARDY AND FoRNIcATIoN.
CHAPTER 1863.

..... CHAPTER 1853. ..-
AN ACT to repeal and re-enact with
amendments Article XII Of the Code
Of Public General Laws OF Mary
land of the year 1904, entitled
"Bastardy and Fornication.'
Section /. Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of Maryland, That
Article XII of the Code of Public
General Laws of Maryland of the year
1904 Is hereby repealed except In SO
far as the same Is applicable to cases
heretofore commenced or hereafter
commenced where the bastard child
was born or begotten prior to the
passage of this act, and the said artl-
Gle be and the same is hereby re-
enacted, with amendments, SO AZ to
read as follows:
Section |. And be 1t enacted, That
any Justice of the peace in any OF
the counties OF the State or any JUS
tice Of the peace in Baltimore City,
having crminl jurisdiction, shall, up
on written information given him IN
der oath, Of any woman being preg-
nant with or having been delivered Of
a. bastard child, by his warrant, cause
such woman to be brought before
him, and shall cause said woman up
ON failure to disclose the father OF
said infant as prescribed by section
2 of this act, to give bond to the
State OF Maryland, with good and
sufficient securities In the penalty or
an amount not exceeding five hun
dred dollars, conditioned that she
will indemnify the county or city, as
the case may be, for any charge that
may accrue for maintenance and sup
port Of said child and upon neglect or
refusal to give such bond, the justice
of the peace may commit her to jail
or any other institution, for term
not exceeding one year, or until such
bond is given, provided, however, that
the justice of the peace may suspend
sentence and parole the said woman
for the term of two years.
Section 2. And be it enacted, That
whenever any woman who has been
delivered Of or who is pregnant with
a bastard child, shall in writing under
oath, accuse any person before JUS
tice of the peace, having criminal
Jurisdiction, of being the father OF the
said bastard child, such justice OF the
peace shall by his warrant cause
such person to be brought before him,
and if the said accused person is not.
to be found i'm the county or City or
Baltimore, as the case may be, then
said justice Of the peace shall trans
NIT a warrant to the sheriff Of the
county or City Of Baltimore, as the
case may be, in which said accused
person is to be found, who shall cause
the arrest Of the said accused person
and deliver him into custody of an
O Ger of the county or City of Balti-
more, as the case may be, from which
the said warrant issued, to be taken
before said justice of the peace.
Section 2. And be it enacted, That
the appearance of said accused per-
son, the justice of the peace shall
pass an order requiring said accused
to give bond to the State Of Mary
land in a penalty not exceeding $500,
with good and sufficient securities,
conditioned that he will appear at the
next term of the Circuit Court of the
county from which said warrant is
sued, or the Criminal Court OF the
City of Baltimore, as the case may
be, or to any later term of such court,
after the birth of said child, in de-
fault of such security said accused
person shall be committed to the
custody of the sheriff until such bond
In given or until final judgment Is
rendered by said court, in case the
bond provided for by this section
shall be forfeited, the Court may from
time to time direct that the proceeds
thereof be applied for the maintenance
and support Of said bastard child.
Section 4. And be it enacted, That
at the hearing before said justice OF
the peace, it shall be his duty to take
down and reduce to writing the testi-
mony of the woman making COM
plant, together with the cross-examin-
alton of said woman by the accused,
or his attorney, which testimony
shall be signed and sworn to by said
woman, and he shall transmit the
same with the original papers IN the
case to the Circuit Court Of the
county or to the Criminal Court Of
the City of Baltimore, as the case
may be, and such testimony shall be
admitted in evidence at the trial of
the accused person under section
of this act, if said accusing witness
should die prior to the time of such
trial.
Section 8. And be it enacted, That
Immediately upon the passage Of said
order, said justice Of the peace shall
transmit the original papers and a
transcript Of the proceedings had be-
fore him to said Circuit Court or the
Criminal Court Of the City Of Balti-
more, as the case may be, and there
upon, but not before said woman shall
have been delivered, the same pro-
ceedings shall be had as in other
criminal cases, and if the accused
person shall be found guilty by the
verdict of jury, or by the court, if
the case be tried before the court,
the court shall Immediately order
such person to give bond to the State
of Maryland i'm a penalty not exceed
ing $500 with good and sufficient Sc