Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera has released a new video as the Maryland Judiciary prepares to transition into Phase IV of its COVID-19 operations plan. This change is set to begin on March 15, 2021, with full operations, including jury trials, resuming in Phase V on April 26, 2021. The Judiciary has been operating under Phase II emergency measures since November 30, 2020.
The video issued by Chief Judge Barbera acknowledges the public and Judiciary employees for their patience and dedication throughout the pandemic. It also offers guidance on current judicial operations and available resources.
From March 15 onwards, clerks’ offices in circuit courts and District Court locations will open to the public for all matters. However, capacity may be limited to ensure compliance with COVID-19 social distancing protocols.
Health measures remain enforced across all courthouses and Judiciary buildings statewide. These include mandatory mask-wearing, no-contact temperature checks, completion of a COVID-19 health questionnaire (either verbal or written), and adherence to social distancing guidelines. These requirements apply to everyone over two years old, irrespective of vaccination status.
In circuit courts during Phase IV, additional hearings will occur alongside those from previous phases. These include civil non-jury trials and de novo appeals; criminal post-conviction hearings; three-judge panel sentence reviews; family hearings and trials like child support contempt cases; and complete dockets for Child in Need of Assistance (CINA), juvenile delinquency, and problem-solving court cases.
District Court operations in Phase IV will cover all civil and criminal matters. This includes minor traffic violations, failure to pay rent cases, fully operational problem-solving courts, red light infractions, parking tickets, speed camera offenses, school bus violations, toll/MTA issues, other civil citations as well as previously postponed matters.
For further details about these changes or specific court information before visiting a courthouse location, individuals are encouraged to visit the Maryland Judiciary’s website at mdcourts.gov/coronavirusinformationforpublic or mdcourts.gov/coronavirusphasedreopening. Local court updates can be found online at mdcourts.gov/coronaviruslocationupdates.