Terms Used In Maryland Code, AGRICULTURE 4-228

  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: includes an individual, receiver, trustee, guardian, personal representative, fiduciary, representative of any kind, corporation, partnership, business trust, statutory trust, limited liability company, firm, association, or other nongovernmental entity. See
  • state: means :

    (1) a state, possession, territory, or commonwealth of the United States; or

    (2) the District of Columbia. See
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
(a) (1) Any person is guilty of a misdemeanor if he knowingly:

(i) Makes or causes to be made a false entry or statement of fact in any report required under this subtitle;

(ii) Makes or causes to be made a false entry in any account, record, or memorandum kept by any person subject to this subtitle;

(iii) Neglects or fails to make or cause to be made full, true, and correct entries in accounts, records, or memoranda of all facts and transactions pertaining to the business of any person subject to this subtitle;

(iv) Removes out of the jurisdiction or intentionally mutilates, alters, or falsifies by other means any documentary evidence of any person subject to this subtitle; or

(v) Refuses to submit to the Secretary, for the purposes of inspection and taking copies, any documentary evidence of any person subject to this subtitle if it is possessed by him or within his control.

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, upon conviction of any of the above violations, a person is subject to a fine of not less than $1,000, nor more than $5,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or both, with costs imposed in the discretion of the court.

(b) Any person, who neglects or refuses to attend, testify, or answer any lawful inquiry or produce documentary evidence, when he has the power to do so, in obedience to the subpoena or lawful requirement of the Secretary, is guilty of a misdemeanor. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, upon conviction, he is subject to a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both, with costs imposed in the discretion of the court.

(c) Notwithstanding any other penalty provided by this article, any officer or employee of the State who makes public any information obtained by the Secretary without its authority, unless directed by a court, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, is subject to a fine not exceeding $5,000, or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both, with costs imposed in the discretion of the court.