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<section article="gcj" article_name="Courts and Judicial Proceedings" number="9-106" title_number="9" title_name="Witnesses" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Competence, Compellability, and Privilege">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The spouse of a person on trial for a crime may not be compelled to testify as an adverse witness unless:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The charge involves:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The abuse of a child under 18; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Assault in any degree in which the spouse is a victim if:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The person on trial was previously charged with assault in any degree or assault and battery of the spouse;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The spouse was sworn to testify at the previous trial; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>The spouse refused to testify at the previous trial on the basis of this section; or</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The person on trial and the spouse married after the date on which the alleged crime for which the person is on trial occurred.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If the spouse of a person on trial for assault in any degree in which the spouse was a victim is sworn to testify at the trial and refuses to testify on the basis of the provisions of this section, the clerk of the court shall make and maintain a record of that refusal, including the name of the spouse refusing to testify.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>When an expungement order is presented to the clerk of the court in a case involving a charge of assault in any degree, the clerk shall check the record to determine whether the defendant’s spouse refused to testify on the basis of the provisions of this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>If the record shows such refusal, the clerk shall make and maintain a separate record of the refusal, including the defendant’s name, the spouse’s name, the case file number, a copy of the charging document, and the date of the trial in which the spouse refused to testify.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The separate record specified under paragraph (3) of this subsection:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Is not subject to expungement under Title 10, Subtitle 1 of the Criminal Procedure Article; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Shall be available only to the court, a State’s Attorney’s office, and an attorney for the defendant.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
