Internal prototype — noindexed, not linked from public navigation yet.

Md. Code, Criminal Procedure § 6-216

This is the official text of Md. Code, Criminal Procedure § 6-216, part of Maryland’s Code, Criminal Procedure — sets the procedural rules for criminal cases.

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.

§6–216.

Official statutory text

(a) (1) A circuit court shall consider:

(i) the sentencing guidelines for ordinary sentences in deciding on the proper sentence; and

(ii) the sentencing guidelines for corrections options in deciding whether to sentence a defendant to a corrections options program or to impose an ordinary sentence.

(2) In deciding whether to sentence a defendant to a corrections options program, the court primarily shall consider the public safety.

(b) The sentencing guidelines may not:

(1) allow for a sentence exceeding the maximum sentence provided by law; or

(2) be used in violation of any mandatory minimum sentence required by law.

(c) (1) If a court prepares a Maryland sentencing guidelines worksheet, the clerk of court shall deliver a copy of the Maryland sentencing guidelines worksheet to the unit that has been ordered by the court to retain custody of the defendant.

(2) The copy shall be delivered with the commitment order or as soon as practicable after issuance of the commitment order.

(3) The Parole Commission shall review a Maryland sentencing guidelines worksheet to ensure compliance with the requirements of Title 7 of the Correctional Services Article.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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.