Today, Chief Judge Joseph M. Getty of the Court of Appeals of Maryland announced the end of the COVID-19 Health Emergency for the Maryland Judiciary. This marks the conclusion of the Judicial Branch's emergency period and its five-phased resumption plan, effective April 4, 2022.
"This is the final step in resuming complete Judicial operations, but we recognize that we still have more work to do," stated Chief Judge Getty. He credited collaboration and commitment from both current and past leadership for reaching this point. "Our progressive five-phased operations plan proved to be a success and kept the Maryland Judiciary operational during some of the most challenging times in our history. I am confident the Judiciary is coming out of this pandemic with the experience of implementing innovative technologies to improve access to justice for citizens throughout the State."
Chief Judge Getty has issued five new administrative orders which rescind previous ones with similar titles. These orders are available on mdcourts.gov/coronavirusorders.
The orders stipulate that remote proceedings set during the health emergency can continue if scheduled beyond it, with electronic signatures remaining valid in Prince George’s County and Baltimore City. Trial judges designated during this period will continue their roles until their cases conclude. Additionally, these orders address case types, proceedings, deadlines, and resumes complaints related to rent payment failures initiated or pending as of April 4, 2022.