Opinion ID: 2323249
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: The Constitution and the Statute

Text: Despite the power of a commissioner of the District Court of Maryland to issue a warrant of arrest, which we find is bestowed by constitution, statute and rule, the judge below decided that a commissioner has no power to issue a statement of charges. He looked at the declaration in Art. IV, § 41G of the Constitution of Maryland that [c]ommissioners may exercise power only with respect to warrants of arrest ... and saw the term warrants of arrest only in its literal sense. We think that it is perfectly clear that the term warrants of arrest encompasses statements of charges. Even if this were not readily apparent, as we find it to be, it would become so when the phrase only with respect to warrants of arrest is considered along with the phrase that immediately follows, namely or [with respect to] bail or collateral or other terms of pre-trial release pending hearing, or incarceration pending hearing.... When all of the powers designated are considered, it is readily evident that they comprise the primary powers which were enjoyed by a committing magistrate. The judge below observed that [t]he drafters of the Constitution did not see fit to include language in the Constitution granting commissioners the powers of the justice of the peace. It is of no consequence whatsoever that the drafters did not expressly employ the term justices of the peace or the term committing magistrates. They enumerated with specificity the important powers of a committing magistrate as a specialized justice of the peace, even though they did not refer directly to that office by name. It follows that when the statute speaks of all the functions of committing magistrates as exercised by the justices of the peace prior to July 5, 1971, the Constitution is not violated. The powers specified in the Constitution are the powers which were exercised by committing magistrates. There is no repugnancy between the Constitution and the statutes in this regard.