BALTIMORE COUNTY, MARYLAND

JUDICIAL BRANCH

ORIGIN & FUNCTIONS

CIRCUIT COURT

County Courts Building, 401 Bosley Ave. (view from Pennsylvania Ave.), Towson, Maryland, March 2001. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Circuit Courts are trial courts of general jurisdiction. Their jurisdiction is very broad but generally covers major civil cases and more serious criminal matters. Circuit Courts also may decide appeals from the District Court of Maryland and certain administrative agencies.

Each Circuit Court judge is appointed by the Governor and then must stand for election. The judge's name is placed on the ballot in the first general election that occurs at least one year following the vacancy the judge was appointed to fill (Const., Art. IV, sec.5). The judge may be opposed formally by one or more qualified members of the bar, with the successful candidate being elected to a fifteen-year term (Const., Art. IV, secs. 3, 5, 11, 12, 19-26).

COURT ADMINISTRATION
In Baltimore County, the Court Administrator oversees the Clerk of the Court, and the Sheriff, as well as Family Support Services, and the Law Library.

CLERK
When Circuit Courts were established to succeed the County Courts in 1851, provision was made for a clerk to serve the court in each county (Constitution of 1851, Art. IV, sec. 14). Originally elected to a six-year term by the voters, the Clerk's term was shortened to four years in 1956 (Constitution of 1851, Art. IV, sec. 14; Constitution of 1864, Art. IV, sec. 29; Chapter 99, Acts of 1956; Const., Art. IV, sec. 25).

Today, the Clerk of the Circuit Court is elected by the voters to a four-year term (Const., Art. IV, secs. 25-26; Code Courts & Judicial Proceedings Article, secs. 2-201 through 2-213).

Under the Circuit Court Clerk are four divisions: Administration; Civil and Family Law; Criminal and Judicial Records, and Reproduction; and Nonjudicial and Fiscal.

CIVIL & FAMILY LAW DIVISION
Authorized in January 1998, the Civil and Family Law Division provides a forum to resolve family legal matters in a problem-solving manner, with the goal of improving the lives of families and children who appear before the Circuit Court (Maryland Rule 16-204). To that end, the Court makes appropriate services available for families who need them. The Court also provides an environment that supports judges, court staff, and attorneys so that they can respond effectively to the many legal and nonlegal issues of families in the justice system.

Actions and matters assigned to the Civil and Family Law Division include:


• dissolution of marriage, including divorce, annulment, and property distribution;
• child custody and visitation, including proceedings governed by the Maryland Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (Code Family Law Article, Title 9, subtitle 2) and the federal Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act (28 U.S. Code, sec. 1738A);
• alimony, spousal support, and child support, including proceedings under the Maryland Uniform Interstate Family Support Act;
• establishment and termination of the parent-child relationship, including paternity, adoption, guardianship that terminates parental rights, and emancipation;
• criminal nonsupport and desertion (Code Family Law Article, Title 10, subtitle 2, and Title 13);
• name changes;
• guardianship of minors and disabled persons (Code Estates and Trusts Article, Title 13);
• involuntary admission to State facilities and emergency evaluations (Code Health-General Article, Title 10, subtitle 6);
• family legal-medical issues, including decisions on the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining medical procedures;
• actions involving domestic violence (Code Family Law Article, Title 4, subtitle 5);
• juvenile causes (Code Courts Article, Title 3, subtitles 8 and 8A);
• matters assigned to the Civil and Family Law Division by the County Administrative Judge that are related to actions in the Division; and
• civil and criminal contempt arising out of any of these actions or matters.
  FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES
  In cases involving family law, Family Support Services provides mediation in custody matters; custody investigations; and trained personnel to respond to emergencies. It also offers mental health evaluations for alcohol and drug abuse; and information services, including procedural assistance to self-represented litigants (Maryland Rule 16-204).

SHERIFF
Under Maryland's first State Consitutiton, two sheriffs were to be elected in each county by the voters. One of these would be commissioned as Sheriff by the Governor to serve a three-year term. In the event of death, removal, or other incapacity of the incumbant, the "second" sheriff could replace him. At that time, to be eligible for the office of Sheriff, a person had to have been at least twenty-one years of age, a County resident, and a holder of real and personal property valued at one thousand pounds current money (Constitution of 1776, sec. 42).

By 1851, while the qualifications for office remained almost the same, the property requirement was removed, and a two-year term was adopted. Also, provision was made for Baltimore City to have a sheriff. Anyone interested in becoming sheriff had to have been a citizen of the State for the five years preceding the election (Constitution of 1851, Art. IV, sec. 20).

With the Constitution of 1864, for the first time, voters began to directly elect one sheriff for each county and Baltimore City. To qualify for office, the minimum age was raised to at least twenty-five (Constitution of 1864, Art. IV, sec. 49).

The Constitution of 1867 did not alter the requirements of office (Const. of 1867, Art. IV, sec. 44). By constitutional amendment in 1922, the term of office was lengthened to four years (Chapter 227, Acts of 1922, ratified 1924; Const., Art. XVII, sec. 7).

An officer of the Circuit Court, the Sheriff is elected by the voters to a four-year term. To be eligible for the office of Sheriff, a person must be at least twenty-five years of age and must have been a County resident for at least five years immediately preceding election (Const., Art. IV, sec. 44; Code Courts & Judicial Proceedings Article, secs. 2-301 through 2-311).

The Sheriff oversees five sections: Administrative Services, Courtroom Security, Legal Process, Security, and Warrant Services.

DISTRICT COURT

District Court, 120 East Chesapeake Ave., Towson, Maryland, May 2004. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Small claims (civil cases involving amounts not exceeding $5,000) also come under the jurisdiction of the District Court. In civil cases involving amounts over $5,000 (but not exceeding $30,000), the District Court has concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit courts.

Since the District Court provides no juries, a person entitled to and electing a jury trial must proceed to the Circuit Court (Code 1957, Art. 27, secs. 586, 594D, 616 1/ 2, 643A; Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, secs. 1-601 through 1-608, 2-601 through 2-607, 4-101 through 4-405, 6-403, 7-301, 7-302, 9-201, 11-402, 11-701 through 11-703, 12-401 through 12-404; Code Family Law Article, secs. 4-501 through 4-510).

District Court judges are appointed to ten-year terms, by the Governor with Senate consent. They do not stand for election (Const., Art. IV, sec. 41D).

ADMINISTRATION
The Administrative Clerk in each district maintains and operates the clerical staff and work within the district, including dockets, records, and all necessary papers (Code Courts & Judicial Proceedings Article, secs. 2-603).

Upon recommendation of the District Administrative Judge, the Chief Judge of the District Court appoints the Administrative Clerk (Const., Art. IV, sec. 41F).

COMMISSIONERS
District commissioners issue arrest warrants, and set bail or collateral.

Commissioners in a district are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the District Administrative Judge, with approval of the Chief Judge of the District Court (Const., Art. IV, sec. 41G (a)(2); Code Courts & Judicial Proceedings Article, secs. 2-602, 2-607).

ORPHANS' COURT

County Courts Building, 401 Bosley Ave., Towson, Maryland, March 2001. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Orphans' Court judges are responsible for approving administration accounts, and making sure that only appropriate payments are made from estate assets and that distributions are made to the proper beneficiaries or heirs. Generally, payment of attorney's fees or personal representative's commissions made from estate assets also must be approved by the Court.

Elected by the voters to four-year terms, three judges comprise the Orphans' Court. To be eligible for the office of Orphans' Court Judge, a person must have been a citizen of the State and County resident for at least one year immediately preceding election (Const., Art. IV, sec. 40; Code Estates & Trusts Article, secs. 2-101 through 2-109). The Chief Judge is designated by the Governor (Code Estates & Trusts Article, sec. 2-107).

REGISTER OF WILLS
The Register of Wills serves as clerk to the Orphans' Court.

In 1776, the office of Register of Wills was authorized for each county by Maryland's first Constitution (Constitution of 1776, sec. 41). Originally, the Register of Wills was appointed by the Governor upon joint recommendation of the Senate and House of Delegates. With the Constitution of 1851, however, the voters began to directly elect the Register to a six-year term (Constitution of 1851, Art. IV, sec. 18; Constitution of 1864, Art. IV, sec. 46; Constitution of 1867, Art. IV, sec. 41). In 1922, quadrennial elections were authorized for registers of wills, and instituted in 1926. Since that time, registers have been elected to four-year terms (Chapter 227, Acts of 1922, ratified 1924; Const., Art. XVII, sec. 7).

Elected by the voters, the Register serves a four-year term (Const., Art. IV, sec. 41; Code Estates & Trusts Article, secs. 2-201 through 2-212).

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