<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<baltimore-city-law heading="Part VI – Criminal Penalties">
  <section prefix="§" num="9-21" heading="Referral for prosecution.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="In general.">If, while considering a complaint, the Ethics Board finds that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the respondent has committed a criminal offense, the Board must promptly refer the matter to the appropriate prosecuting authority.</para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Evidence.">The Ethics Board must make available to the prosecuting authority all pertinent evidence under its control.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-795</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Ethics Board	§2-10</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="9-22" heading="Violations of lobbying subtitle.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="In general.">Any person who knowingly violates a provision of Subtitle 8 {“Lobbying”} of &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt;, or fails to comply with an administrative sanction imposed under &lt;cite data-path="|8|§9-5"&gt;§ 9-5 {“Lobbying violations”} of this subtitle&lt;/cite&gt;, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction, is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than 12 months or both.</para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Officers and partners.">If the person is a business or other entity, each officer or partner of the entity who knowingly authorizes or participates in the violation is guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction, is subject to the penalty specified in subsection (a) of this section.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-795</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 18-198</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Business entity	§2-4</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Person	§2-22</annotation>
    <annotation type="Editor's Notes">Ordinance 18-198 (Bill 18-230) amended subsection (a), effective March 3, 2019, to include as an additional potential offense, “fail[ure] to comply with an administrative sanction under § 9-5”.</annotation>
  </section>
</baltimore-city-law>
