Subtitle 7. Court System

When said plats are recorded, those portions of said land designated on said plats as streets, roads, avenues, lanes, alleys, and public parks or squares shall be and the same are hereby declared to be forever dedicated to public use and shall not thereafter, on any pretext whatsoever, be altered or taken for private use; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall affect the right of any person or persons owning or claiming any interest in said land derived by, from, or under any persons other than the maker of said plat, or by, from, or under such maker prior to such subdivision; and provided further, that the maker of any such plat or plats, his heirs or assigns, shall have the right to apply by petition for leave to abandon the subdivision of lands so made by him. For property within that part of the Maryland-Washington Regional District within Prince George's County, Maryland, as described in the Land Use Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the petition shall be to the Prince George's County Planning Board for vacating the plat or plats, or portions thereof, in conformance with the provisions for same contained within Subtitle 24 of this Code. In the case of subdivisions outside that part of the Maryland-Washington Regional District in Prince George's County, petitions shall be to the agency designated by the municipality pursuant to the provisions of the local municipal ordinance providing for the vacating of subdivision plats.

If the County Executive, upon recommendation of the Director of the Department of Public Works and Transportation, determines that any such street, road, avenue, lane, alley, or public park or square, including any such previously dedicated area, is no longer needed for such public use, the County Executive may declare such area to be free from public dedication and, subject to the rights of utilities having facilities within said area or to any bona fide action for adverse possession brought by an adjacent property owner, such dedication shall revert to the adjacent property owners at the completion of said declaration action, and the owners' acceptance thereof. Upon the County Executive's declaration that the area is free from public dedication, a petition shall be made to the Planning Board for vacating the plat or plats, or portion thereof, in conformance with the provisions for same contained within Subtitle 24 of this Code.

Upon approval by the appropriate agency and delivery of a certified copy to the clerk, the clerk of the circuit court shall endorse on the plat affected hereby, the dates of approval by the Prince George's County Planning Board or the municipal agency authorized to vacate plats or portions thereof, and a notation that the plat has been vacated.

The County Executive is authorized to contract on behalf of the County for supervised pretrial third party custody services in criminal cases. These services will be provided for a defendant who has been placed by a Court of this State in such a program while awaiting the time of trial. The program will be available to the Court as an alternative to pretrial confinement of the defendant or release on monetary bond or personal recognizance.

The program to be contracted for should include the following:

Funding for the third party custody services described in this Division may be provided by the County in conjunction with financial assistance from Federal and State agencies, other political subdivisions in this State, nonprofit organizations, private contributions, and similar sources of income.

The County Executive may include in every annual budget submission to the Council the estimated funding for County participation in this program.

In Sections 7-188 through 7-194 of this Subtitle, the following words have the meanings indicated.

In Prince George's County there is a fund, known as the Juvenile Crime Restitution Fund, to make reimbursements to victims of delinquent acts.

The Court shall hear and determine all claims and awards and may adopt, promulgate, amend, and rescind suitable rules and regulations to carry out the provisions and purposes of this Division.

The County Director of the Office of Finance shall be custodian of the fund and make disbursements from the fund promptly on receipt of a request from the Court. The custodian shall invest the money received under this Subtitle subject to procedures in the County for the investment of public funds.

The County Council of Prince George's County may appropriate a sum to establish the fund and make supplemental appropriations to maintain the fund.

Except as provided in Subsection (b) of this Section, the following persons are eligible for awards under this Division:

A person is not eligible for an award under this Division if:

A claim may be filed by a person eligible to receive an award, as provided in Section 7-188 of this Subtitle. If the person entitled to make a claim is a minor or is mentally incompetent, the claim may be filed on the victim's behalf by his parent or guardian.

A claim must be filed by the claimant not later than 90 days after a finding of delinquency in a matter upon which the claim is based.

Claims shall be filed with the clerk of the Prince George's County Circuit Court in person or by mail. The clerk shall accept for filing all claims submitted by persons eligible under Subsection (a) of this Section and meeting the requirements as to form as may be established by rules adopted pursuant hereto.

Upon filing of a claim under this Division, the clerk of the court shall promptly notify the state's attorney. The Court shall defer all action on the claim until the juvenile proceedings concerning the act giving rise to the claim have been concluded.

The Court may award a claimant a sum not to exceed the amount determined by the Court to be restitution for the victim.

An award shall not be made on a claim unless the claimant has incurred a minimum out-of-pocket loss of $25. Out-of-pocket loss means unreimbursable expenses or indebtedness reasonably incurred to make the claimant whole.

If the victim dies as a direct result of the delinquent act, the claimant's recovery is limited to unreimbursable expenses or indebtedness reasonably incurred for medical care and funeral and burial costs.

The custodian of the fund shall pay the sum awarded to a claimant at the direction of the Court.

A minor adjudged to have committed a delinquent act may be ordered by the Juvenile Court to reimburse the fund himself, either by a single payment or in installments, at the discretion of the Court. Interest shall be assessed against the minor at the legal rate from the date of disbursement from the fund.

Unless the minor is an emancipated minor, the parents or guardian of a minor shall be ordered to cosign with the minor a note for the amount of the award to insure the fund is reimbursed. If this is ordered, the liability of the minor precedes the liability of the parents or guardian.

The Intermediate Sanctions Policy Board shall consist of eleven (11) voting members. They shall be:

The Board may request the assistance of other interested individuals to act as resource persons or to serve as ad hoc committee members when issues specific to their expertise are before the Board.

The Chairman of the Board shall alternate biannually between the two (2) members of the Judiciary, commencing with the Circuit Court member.

All members of the Board shall serve without additional monetary compensation.

The Board shall meet bimonthly and such other times as directed by the Chairman.

The purposes and duties of the Intermediate Sanctions Policy Board shall be to:

The Board shall determine the scope and objectives for a pretrial diversionary program which includes the provision of substance abuse evaluation and treatment by public and private providers to nonviolent criminal defendants and youth adjudicated delinquent or pending adjudication and to develop recommendations and policies for the operations of the program.

The term "intermediate sanctions" shall include all correctional diversionary programs, both pre- and post-incarceration.

The Board shall prepare an annual report of its activities to be presented to the County Executive and the County Council.

The Board shall prepare and submit its recommendations for implementing legislation, requirements for budget appropriations and personnel authorization, and recommendations for policy guidelines, operational standards, and criteria to the County Executive and the County Council for approval.

In this Division, "Coordinating Council" means the Prince George's County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

The purpose of the Coordinating Council is to address issues affecting the administration of criminal justice in Prince George's County by identifying and solving any potential systemic problems and improving the quality of the criminal justice system.

Consistent with its reporting obligations under Section 7-605, the authority of the Coordinating Council is advisory only.

There is a Prince George's County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

The Coordinating Council shall consist of the following twenty-six (26) voting members:

Presiding Officer.

Meetings and Quorum.

Compensation and Limitation on Membership.

Support Staff.

Provide a forum to facilitate communication among the Courts, public safety agencies and health agencies in Prince George's County.

Evaluate the existing organization and adequacy of law enforcement and administration of justice in this County.

Recommend a 3-year strategic plan for the long-range development of the County's Criminal Justice System that provides solutions for identified problem areas and achieves effective coordination of the public safety activities in the County. The Plan shall:

Review programs proposed by law enforcement, public safety agencies and health agencies for:

Recommend programs that will educate the community about law enforcement, crime prevention, and other criminal justice issues and will promote respect for the law, and encourage community involvement in law enforcement and other appropriate public safety agencies, health agencies and the Courts.

Facilitate coordination of the programs and activities among the County law enforcement, public safety agencies, health agencies and the Courts.

Facilitate coordination of County law enforcement, public safety agencies, health agencies and the Courts with those of the State of Maryland and neighboring State and local governments.

Promote efficient processing of criminal cases at every stage from arrest to completion of trial and correctional programs.

Carry out other activities to achieve fair and effective law enforcement, crime prevention, and justice.

The Coordinating Council shall make semi-annual reports and recommendations to the County Executive, the County Council, and the Judiciary.

The County Executive, the County Council, and the Judiciary may refer matters to the Coordinating Council and the Council shall file a written report with the requesting entity.