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<section article="gcp" article_name="Criminal Procedure" number="11-617" title_number="11" title_name="Victims and Witnesses" subtitle_number="6" subtitle_name="Restitution and Other Payments">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If a court issues a judgment of restitution under § 11-603 of this subtitle, the court may enter an immediate and continuing earnings withholding order in an amount sufficient to pay the restitution.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The court may enter the order:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>at the sentencing or disposition hearing;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>when the defendant or child respondent is placed on work release or probation; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>when the payment of restitution is overdue.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>Subject to federal law, the order of priority of execution of an earnings withholding order is:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>first, an earnings withholding order issued under § 10-128 of the Family Law Article;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>second, an earnings withholding order issued under this section; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>lastly, any other lien or legal process.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>This subsection applies whenever a court orders an earnings withholding order under this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>On entry of the order, the clerk of the court immediately shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>serve a copy on any current or subsequent employer of the restitution obligor, if known; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>mail a copy to the restitution obligor at the last known address or place of incarceration or commitment of the restitution obligor.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>A restitution obligor immediately shall notify the court, the Central Collection Unit, and the Division or Department of Juvenile Services of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>any objection to an earnings withholding order;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the current home address of the restitution obligor;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>the name of the employer;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>the work address of the restitution obligor; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>any change of employer, home address, or work address of the restitution obligor.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>An employer who is served with an earnings withholding order under this section immediately shall notify the court, the Central Collection Unit, and the Division or Department of Juvenile Services of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>any justification for the employer’s inability to comply with the earnings withholding order;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the home address of the restitution obligor on the termination of employment;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>information regarding the new place of employment of the restitution obligor; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>the employer’s reemployment of the restitution obligor.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Unless the information has been provided to the court, the Division, Department of Juvenile Services, or the Central Collection Unit shall notify the court of a current or subsequent home address of the restitution obligor and the employer and work address of the restitution obligor.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as otherwise provided in this section, an earnings withholding order issued under this section shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>comply with the requirements of §§ 10-128(a) and 10-129(a) through (c) of the Family Law Article; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>set forth the obligations and responsibilities of an employer and a restitution obligor under an earnings withholding order and the consequences of violating this section.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Each amount withheld in an earnings withholding order under this section is payable to the Division, Department of Juvenile Services, or Central Collection Unit.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>An earnings withholding order is binding on each present and future employer of the restitution obligor who is served with the order.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, the payment amount under an earnings withholding order under this section is 20% of the earnings of a restitution obligor less other deductions required by law to be paid out of any funds earned under a work release plan.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If the restitution obligation of the restitution obligor is overdue, the court may impose a payment exceeding the amount allowed in paragraph (1) of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The amount of an earnings withholding order issued under this section may not exceed the limits of the federal Consumer Credit Protection Act.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The court shall reduce an amount of an earnings withholding order that exceeds the limits of the federal Consumer Credit Protection Act to the maximum allowed under the Act.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>This subsection applies to a restitution obligor and the employer of a restitution obligor.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A person who violates this section is subject to a fine not exceeding $250.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>A fine collected under this section shall be distributed in the same way as costs are distributed under § 7-409 of the Courts Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>In addition to a fine imposed under this subsection, an employer is liable for damages for the failure to deduct the earnings of a restitution obligor or failure to make a timely payment as required in the earnings withholding order.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
