Opinion ID: 2317344
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Legislative History of the Statute

Text: Prior to 1970 there was no statutory limit setting the duration of a term of probation. See Maryland Code (1957, 1967 Repl.Vol.) Art. 27, § 639. The prohibition against granting probation in excess of five years first came into the law of this State through Acts 1970, Ch. 480. The Act made no exceptions to the five year limitation on the probationary period. On 22 May 1980 this Court decided Kupfer v. State, supra . We held in that case that probation could not be extended beyond the five year period even for purposes of restitution and with the full agreement of the defendant. Id. [287 Md.] at 543-544, 414 A.2d 907. The General Assembly promptly responded by amending § 641A(a) to authorize a circuit court to grant probation in excess of five years, but only if the defendant consents in writing and only for purposes of making restitution. Acts 1981, Ch. 398. [6] Section 641A was amended twice thereafter. Acts 1982, Ch. 17 made only housekeeping changes. Acts 1982, Ch. 689 added subsection (c). See Memorandum from Conference of Circuit Judges, H.B. 1137  Suspended Sentence  Condition of Probation (Delegate Horne) (April 6, 1982). During the 1984 session of the legislature H.B. 912 was introduced. Under it the probationary limit of five years was removed and the trial court was allowed, but not required, to designate a probationary period equal to the maximum allowable sentence authorized for the crime of which the defendant was convicted. See Fiscal Note, H.B. 912 (26 February 1984). The bill received an unfavorable committee report and was not enacted. Further attempts to trace the legislative history of § 641A to determine the legislative intent behind the five year limitation on the probationary period proved unavailing. We found no Committee Reports with respect to Ch. 480, Acts 1970. The following sources did not reveal anything bearing on the issue before us: Committee Reports on the amendments to § 641A and the proposed H.B. 912; Reports and Proposed Bills to the General Assembly, Legislative Council (1967-1970); Maryland State Bar Association Transactions, Vols. 73-74 and 75-76 (1968-1971); Department of Corrections of Maryland Annual Reports (1957-1972); House and Senate Journals, Ch. 480 (1970); State of Maryland Commission on Criminal Law, Interim Report and Preliminary Print of Provisions Relating to Sentences, Proposed Criminal Code (Brune Commission) (1971). We must seek other aids in order to uncover the legislative intent.