Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-8A-17.4
This is the official text of Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-8A-17.4, part of Maryland’s Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings — governs court structure and civil procedure.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§3–8A–17.
Official statutory text
§3–8A–17.4.
(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, within 15 days after receipt of a report of a qualified expert, the court shall hold a competency hearing.
(2) On good cause shown, the court may extend the time for holding the competency hearing for an additional 15 days.
(b) At the competency hearing, the court shall determine, by evidence presented on the record, whether the juvenile is incompetent to proceed.
(c) Findings of fact shall be based on the evaluation of the child by the qualified expert.
(d) The State shall bear the burden of proving the child’s competency beyond a reasonable doubt.
(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, within 15 days after receipt of a report of a qualified expert, the court shall hold a competency hearing.
(2) On good cause shown, the court may extend the time for holding the competency hearing for an additional 15 days.
(b) At the competency hearing, the court shall determine, by evidence presented on the record, whether the juvenile is incompetent to proceed.
(c) Findings of fact shall be based on the evaluation of the child by the qualified expert.
(d) The State shall bear the burden of proving the child’s competency beyond a reasonable doubt.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Maryland?
Find a Maryland lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.