BALTIMORE — Beginning November 16, Maryland State District and Circuit Courts will be changing their operations due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Both will still hear specific cases remotely or in-person, but jury trials will be halted until further notice.
Current jurors must contact the court.
Cases that will still go on include criminal, traffic, civil, domestic violence, peace orders, Extreme Risk Protective Orders, and landlord-tenant cases at the District Court level.
In the Circuit Courts, civil, criminal, family, Child in Need of Assistance, and juvenile matters will continue to be heard.
Meanwhile the clerk's office will remain open to the public for now.
Anyone with a future court date should check the Judiciary’s websiteor call the clerk’s office for information before arriving in-person at a courthouse location.
On the federal level, in-person hearings and proceedings in Maryland will be suspended starting next week as well.
Officials say parties and counsel involved in pending cases will be contacted to go over any changes.
Some proceedings will be held virtually while others may be postponed.
Self-represented litigants may continue to deposit and date-stamp papers in drop boxes at the entrance to each Federal Courthouse between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
