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<section article="gcp" article_name="Criminal Procedure" number="1-203.1" title_number="1" title_name="Definitions; General Provisions" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="General Provisions">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Cell site simulator” means a device that mimics a cell tower and captures identifying information of electronic devices in the range of the device.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Court” means the District Court or a circuit court having jurisdiction over the crime being investigated, regardless of the location of the electronic device from which location information is sought.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Electronic device” means a device that enables access to or use of an electronic communication service, as defined in § 10–401 of the Courts Article, a remote computing service, as defined in § 10–4A–01(c) of the Courts Article, or a geographic location information service.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Electronic device” does not include:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>an automatic identification system installed on a vessel in accordance with Title 33, Part 164.46 of the Code of Federal Regulations; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>a vessel monitoring system (VMS) or a VMS unit installed on board a vessel for vessel monitoring in accordance with Title 50, Part 648 of the Code of Federal Regulations.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>“Exigent circumstances” means an emergency or other judicially recognized exception to constitutional warrant requirements.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>“Location information” means real–time or present information concerning the geographic location of an electronic device that is generated by or derived from the operation of that device.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>“Location information service” means a global positioning service or other mapping, locational, or directional information service.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>“Owner” means a person or an entity having the legal title, claim, or right to an electronic device.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <text>“Service provider” means the provider of an electronic communication service, a remote computing service, or any location information service.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="10">
      <text>“User” means a person that uses or possesses an electronic device.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A court may issue an order authorizing or directing a law enforcement officer to use a cell site simulator or obtain location information from an electronic device after determining from an application described in paragraph (2) of this subsection that there is probable cause to believe that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a misdemeanor or felony has been, is being, or will be committed by the owner or user of the electronic device or by the individual about whom location information is being sought; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the information sought by the cell site simulator or the location information being sought:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>is evidence of, or will lead to evidence of, the misdemeanor or felony being investigated; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>will lead to the apprehension of an individual for whom an arrest warrant has been previously issued.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An application for an order under this section shall be:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>in writing;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>signed and sworn to by the applicant; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>accompanied by an affidavit that:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>sets forth the basis for probable cause as described in paragraph (1) of this subsection; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>contains facts within the personal knowledge of the affiant.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>An application for a court order under this section may be submitted to a judge:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>by in–person delivery of the application, the affidavit, and a proposed court order;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>by secure fax, if a complete and printable image of the application, the affidavit, and a proposed court order are submitted; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>by secure electronic mail, if a complete and printable image of the application, the affidavit, and a proposed court order are submitted.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The applicant and the judge may converse about the court order application:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>in person;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>via telephone; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>via video.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>The judge may issue the court order:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>by signing the court order, indicating the date and time of issuance on the court order, and physically delivering the signed and dated court order, the application, and the affidavit to the applicant;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>by signing the court order, writing the date and time of issuance on the court order, and sending complete and printable images of the signed and dated court order, the application, and the affidavit to the applicant by secure fax; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>by signing the court order, either electronically or in writing, indicating the date and time of issuance on the court order, and sending complete and printable images of the signed and dated court order, the application, and the affidavit to the applicant by secure electronic mail.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>An order to obtain location information issued under this section shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>name or describe with reasonable particularity:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>the type of electronic device associated with the location information being sought;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>the user of the electronic device, if known, or the identifying number of the electronic device about which location information is sought;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>the owner, if known and if the owner is a person or an entity other than the user, of the electronic device;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>the grounds for obtaining the location information; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>the name of the applicant on whose application the order was issued;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>authorize the executing law enforcement officer to obtain the location information without giving notice to the owner or user of the electronic device or to the individual about whom the location information is being sought for the duration of the order;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>specify the period of time for which location information is authorized to be obtained; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>if applicable, order the service provider to:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>disclose to the executing law enforcement officer the location information associated with the electronic device for the period of time authorized; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>refrain from notifying the user, owner, or any other person of the disclosure of location information for as long as the notice under subsection (d) of this section is delayed.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>An order authorizing use of a cell site simulator issued under this section shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>name or describe with reasonable particularity:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>the type of electronic device associated with the use of the cell site simulator;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>the user of the electronic device, if known, or the identifying number of the electronic device;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>the owner of the electronic device, if known, and whether the owner is a person or an entity other than the user;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>the grounds for using the cell site simulator; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>the name of the applicant on whose application the order was issued;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>authorize the executing law enforcement officer to use a cell site simulator without giving notice to the owner or user of the electronic device or to the individual about whom information is being sought for the duration of the order;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>specify the period of time for which use of a cell site simulator is authorized;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>require that any third–party or nontarget data be permanently destroyed on the expiration of the order;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>require that no content data be obtained;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>restrict the investigative use of any third–party or nontarget data without further court order; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>require that a copy of the application and order be provided in discovery.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The period of time during which a cell site simulator may be used or location information may be obtained under the authority of an order under subsection (b) of this section may not exceed 30 days unless extended as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Cell site simulator use shall begin or location information shall begin to be obtained by the executing law enforcement officer within 10 calendar days after the order is issued or, if applicable, the order shall be delivered to the service provider within 10 calendar days after the order is issued.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If none of the events described in paragraph (1)(ii) of this subsection occurs within 10 calendar days of the issuance of the order, the order is void.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The authority to use a cell site simulator or obtain location information under the order may be extended beyond 30 calendar days on a finding of continuing probable cause.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>An extension under this paragraph may not exceed an additional 30 calendar days, unless the court finds continuing probable cause and determines that good cause exists for a longer extension.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Notice of the court’s order shall be delivered to the user and, if known and if the owner is a person or an entity other than the user, the subscriber of the electronic device at issue.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The notice shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>state the general nature of the law enforcement inquiry; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>inform the user or owner:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>if applicable, that a cell site simulator was used or that location information maintained by the service provider was supplied to a law enforcement officer;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>if applicable, of the identifying number associated with the electronic device;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>of the dates during which the cell site simulator was used or for which the location information was supplied;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>whether notification was delayed; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>which court authorized the order.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, notice must be delivered within 10 calendar days after the expiration of the order.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Notwithstanding any provision of the Maryland Rules or this subtitle, the court, on a finding of good cause, may order that the application, affidavit, and order be sealed and that the notification required under this section be delayed for a period of 30 calendar days.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>A finding of good cause under paragraph (4) of this subsection may be established by evidence that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the criminal investigation to which the affidavit is related is of a continuing nature and likely to yield further information that could be of use in prosecuting alleged criminal activities; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the failure to maintain the confidentiality of the investigation would:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>jeopardize the use of information already obtained in the investigation;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>impair the continuation of the investigation; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>jeopardize the safety of a source of information.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>A court may order that notification under this section be delayed beyond 30 calendar days if:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a law enforcement officer provides continued evidence of a circumstance described in paragraph (5) of this subsection; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the court makes a finding of good cause based on evidence that notice should be further delayed to preserve the continuation of the investigation.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Discovery of the application, affidavit, order, and related documents, if any, is subject to the provisions of Maryland Rules 4–262 and 4–263.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Subject to paragraph (3) of this subsection, evidence obtained in violation of this section is subject to the exclusionary rule as judicially determined.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Under no circumstances is information collected on a nontarget device admissible in a criminal, civil, administrative, or other proceeding.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a law enforcement officer may use a cell site simulator or obtain location information for a period not to exceed 48 hours:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>in exigent circumstances; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>with the express consent of the user or owner of the electronic device.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>A person may not be held civilly liable for complying with this section by providing location information.</text>
  </level>
</section>
