MARYLAND JUDICIARY | SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAL COMPENSATION
Structure of the Maryland Judiciary The District Court of Maryland Most Maryland residents who come into
The Court of Special Appeals The Court of Special Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in Maryland, located in Annapolis. The Court was created in 1966 in response to the rapidly growing caseload in the Court of Appeals. Originally, the Court of Special Appeals could hear appeals only in criminal cases. In 1974, its jurisdiction was expanded to include any reviewable judgment in the Circuit Courts. Today, the Court of Special Appeals resolves over 2,100 appeals per year. The Court consists of 15 judges — one from each of the seven geographically determined appellate judicial circui ts and eight “at large” judges who can reside anywhere in the state. In most cases, the Court hears and decides cases in panels of three. The Court of Appeals The Court of Appeals is the highest court in Maryland (what most states would call their “Supreme Court”), also located in Annapolis. Since the expansion of the Court of Special Appeals’ jurisdiction in 1974, the Court of Appeals has heard cases on an almost exclusively discretionary basis. Parties can file a “petition for writ of certiorari” in any case pending in or decided by the Court of Special Appeals. The Court of Appeals then reviews the petition and determines whether further review of the case is desirable or in the public interest. This includes cases that raise constitutional issues, unsettled questions of law, and issues related to emerging technologies. If the case meets this standard for further review, the Court grants the petition and allows the parties to argue their case. With few exceptions, decisions of the Court of Appeals are final and cannot be appealed to another court. The Court of Appeals is composed of seven judges — one from each of the seven appellate judicial circuits — all of whom sit on each case. Currently, the Court’s seven members include three female judges and two African-American judges, making it one of the most diverse panels on a state supreme court in the country. This year marks the eighth consecutive term in which all of the Court’s opinions were released in the same term (year) in which they were heard.
contact with the legal system do so through the District Court. The District Court is a statewide court headquartered in Annapolis, with 33 locations in 12 districts throughout the state. It has a staff of over 1,700 individuals, including 124 judges. As one of the two trial courts in Maryland, more than 1.7 million cases are filed in the District Court each year. These cases include domestic violence and peace orders; landlord- tenant disputes; motor vehicle violations ranging from parking tickets to driving under the influence; civil lawsuits for up to $30,000; criminal misdemeanors and certain felonies; and pretrial release and preliminary hearings for all defendants charged in Maryland. The mission of the District Court is “to provide equal and exact justice for all who are involved in litigation before the Court.” As mos t individuals appearing before the District Court represent themselves, the District Court judges are presented with a unique challenge in an adversarial system.
The Circuit Courts
The Circuit Courts are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in Maryland. They have exclusive jurisdiction over most matters of equity, civil cases exceeding $30,000, and most felony criminal cases. The Circuit Courts also preside over divorce and other family law matters. They are the only state courts in Maryland empowered to conduct jury trials (in both civil and criminal cases). In addition to their role as trial courts, the Circuit Courts also hear appeals from the District Court and administrative agencies. There are 24 Circuit Courts in Maryland: one in each of the 23 counties plus Baltimore City. The number of judges on each Circuit Court is set by statute and varies by county: Baltimore City has the most Circuit Court judges with 35, while Caroline, Dorchester, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, and Talbot Counties have only one Circuit Court judge each. These judges are tasked with resolving the more serious and more complicated criminal and civil cases in the Maryland trial courts.
3
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs