A majority of the judges of the circuit court may appoint one or more masters for domestic relations causes in accordance with Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, Section 2-501, and Maryland Rule 2-541. Masters shall be members of the bar of the State of Maryland. Masters shall receive compensation, fees, and costs prescribed by the judges.

A majority of the judges of the circuit court may appoint one or more masters for juvenile causes in accordance with Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, Section 3-813, and Maryland Rule 2-541. Masters shall be members of the bar of the State of Maryland. Masters shall receive compensation, fees, and costs prescribed by the judges.

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, upon the request of a judge of the Court of Appeals of Maryland, resident in Prince George's County, may set a salary supplement for the secretary of the judge in addition to the compensation of the secretary which is paid by the State of Maryland. The amount of the supplement shall not exceed an amount which when combined with the compensation paid by the State exceeds the maximum compensation payable to a secretary for a Circuit Court judge resident in Prince George's County. The salary supplement shall be paid in the same manner as the salaries of other county employees and appropriated as part of the County budget.

All employees appointed by the state's attorney shall be subject to the County's personnel system as to qualifications, compensation, and all other regulations, with the exception of the deputy and assistant state's attorneys and the administrative assistant to the state's attorney, as provided by State law.

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: Screening of defendants by third party custody service representatives with respect to their probable successful participation in the program; liaison with the Court, prosecutors, public defenders, and defense counsel; presence in Court to accept third party custody; Counseling and supervision to insure a defendant's presence in court at the time of trial; Consultation with defendants and their families during the pretrial period concerning such matters as health, welfare, housing, and finances; encouragement to maintain employment or educational status; avoidance of relationships or activities which could result in rearrest or additional criminal charges.

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. Claimant means a person filing a claim subject to this Subtitle. Court means the Circuit Court for Prince George's County sitting as a juvenile court. Delinquent Act means an act which would be a crime if committed by an adult. Family, when used with reference to a person, means any person related to such person within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity. Victim means a person who is damaged or suffers loss as a direct result of a delinquent act as defined in Sec. 3-829 of the Courts Article.

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 victim of a delinquent act, his personal representatives or successors. A surviving guardian, parent, spouse, or child of a victim of a delinquent act who dies as a direct result of that act. A person is not eligible for an award under this Division if: The delinquent act was committed against an accomplice to the act or a member of the family of the principal or the accomplice; or Final adjustment for insurance claims has not been provided to the Court under Section 7-191 of this Division.

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.

Acceptance of an award under this Division subrogates the fund, to the extent of such award, to any right or right of action occurring to the claimant or the victim to recover payments on account of losses resulting from any act or occurrence with respect to which the award is made. The Prince George's County State's Attorney shall represent the fund in such an event.

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.

There is hereby established the Intermediate Sanctions Policy Board for Prince George's County.

The Intermediate Sanctions Policy Board shall consist of eleven (11) voting members. They shall be: The Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George's County or the judge's designee; The Administrative Judge of the District Court of Maryland for Prince George's County or the judge's designee; The State's Attorney for Prince George's County or the State's Attorney's designee; The Public Defender for Prince George's County or the Public Defender's designee; A member of the County Council designated by the Chairman of the Council; The County Executive or the County Executive's designee; The Health Officer or the Health Officer's designee; Region 3 Director, Division of Parole and Probation or the Director's designee; Area 5 Director, Department of Juvenile Justice or the Director's designee; The Chief of Police or the Chief's designee; and The Director of the Department of Corrections or the Director's designee. 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: Develop intermediate sanctions programs; Establish and review policy guidelines for intermediate sanctions programs; and Evaluate the effectiveness of intermediate sanctions programs. 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 Board shall develop policy guidelines for the regulation of public and private providers of court-ordered or court-referred drug treatment programs. The Board shall develop operational standards for drug treatment programs which receive referrals from the Courts. The Board shall evaluate and recommend to the Courts drug treatment methodologies which are designed to reduce the risk of future criminal conduct by persons referred for treatment. The Board shall develop criteria for evaluating potential candidates and policies and procedures for program participants. The Board shall develop criteria for uniform sanctions for diverted persons who violate terms of pretrial diversion and conditions of probation. The Board shall establish criteria and evaluate data to determine the effectiveness of: Screening of program participants; Treatment program methodologies; Sanctions for violations; and Drug treatment program providers. 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: The County Executive of Prince George's County; The Chair of the Prince George's County Council; The Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George's County; The Administrative Judge for District 5 of the District Court of Maryland; The Criminal Coordinating Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George's County; The Circuit Court Judge presiding over Juvenile Court matters; The Circuit Court Judge presiding over Adult Drug Court; The Clerk of the Circuit Court for Prince George's County; The State's Attorney for Prince George's County; The Sheriff of Prince George's County; One (1) Member of the County Senate Delegation designated by the Chairman of the County Senate Delegation; One (1) Member of the County House Delegation designated by the Chairman of the County House Delegation; The Prince George's County District Public Defender; The Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; The Prince George's County Director of Homeland Security; The Director of the Prince George's County Department of Corrections; The Chief of the Prince George's County Police Department; The Fire Chief of Prince George's County; The President of the Police Chiefs' Association of Prince George's County, Inc.; The Prince George's County Health Officer; The Regional Director of the Division of Parole and Probation; The Area Director, Maryland Department of Juvenile Services; The Administrative Clerk for District 5 of the District Court of Maryland; The Chair of the Prince George's County Bar Association Criminal Law Committee; The Criminal Coordinating Judge for the 5th District Court; and The Commander of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police. Presiding Officer. The Chair of the Coordinating Council is the Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George's County, or his/her designee. The Co-Vice Chairs are the County Executive and the Administrative Judge for District 5 of the District Court of Maryland or their designees. Meetings and Quorum. The Coordinating Council shall meet at least quarterly each year. For a voting session of the Coordinating Council, a quorum is a majority of voting members. Compensation and Limitation on Membership. A member of the Coordinating Council may not receive compensation for duties performed as a member of the Coordinating Council. A member who holds membership by virtue of an elected or appointed position holds membership on this Coordinating Council only during that member's term of office. Support Staff. The Chief Administrative Officer of the County and the Court Administrator of the Circuit Court shall designate support staff to the Coordinating Council from existing personnel, and appropriations. Support staff shall be ex-officio members of the Coordinating Council.

The Coordinating Council shall: 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: Evaluate and recommend innovative ways to facilitate and expedite the management of criminal cases in Prince George's County; Evaluate and recommend information technology for the Courts, public safety agencies and health agencies in Prince George's County; and Evaluate and recommend other systemic changes in the Prince George's County Criminal Justice System. Review programs proposed by law enforcement, public safety agencies and health agencies for: Compatibility with the 3-year strategic plan; Compatibility with the County's approved operating budget; and Impact on the other public safety agencies, health agencies and the Courts. 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 agencies of the State and County government and the Courts who are members of the Coordinating Council shall provide the Coordinating Council any information and assistance, not inconsistent with law, that the Coordinating Council requests.

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.