{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-health-general-5-610","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Health - General § 5–610","heading":"","body":"(a) Any person who willfully conceals, cancels, defaces, obliterates, or damages the advance directive of another without the declarant’s or patient’s consent or who falsifies or forges a revocation of the advance directive of another, thereby causing life-sustaining procedures to be utilized in contravention of the previously expressed intent of the patient, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or both.\n(b) Any person who falsifies or forges the advance directive of another, or falsifies or forges an affidavit under § 5-605 of this subtitle, or willfully conceals or withholds personal knowledge of the revocation of an advance directive with the intent to cause a withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures, contrary to the wishes of the declarant and thereby, because of such act, directly causes life-sustaining procedures to be withheld or withdrawn and death to be hastened, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or both.\n(c) The penalties provided in this section shall be in addition to any other penalties provided by law.","path":["Article - Health - General"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=ghg\u0026section=5-610","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:58:48Z","sha256":"d5ff7d35032d172c5898debca64eb77fc4cda9a830a3adb2551e1284a6a6288b","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-health-general-5-609","next":"us-md/md.-code-health-general-5-611"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}