District Court

District Court judges are appointed by the
Governor to ten-year terms, subject to Senate
confirmation. They do not stand for election. The
first Chief Judge of the Court was designated by
the Governor, but all subsequent Chief Judges
are subject to appointment by the Chief Judge of
the Court of Appeals.

The District Court is divided into twelve geo-
graphical districts, each containing one or more
political subdivisions, with at least one judge in
each subdivision. Presently, there are 87 judges
on the Court, including the Chief Judge. The
Chief Judge is the administrative head of the
Court and appoints administrative judges for
each of the twelve districts, subject to the approv-
al of the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals. A
Chief Clerk of the Court is appointed by the
Chief Judge. Administrative Clerks for each dis-
trict are also appointed, as well as commissioners
who perform such duties as issuing arrest war-
rants and setting bail or collateral.

The District Court has jurisdiction in both
criminal (including motor vehicle) and civil areas.
It has little equity jurisdiction and has jurisdic-
tion over juvenile cases only in Montgomery
County. The exclusive jurisdiction of the District
Court generally includes all landlord/tenant
cases; replevin actions; motor vehicle violations;
criminal cases if the penalty is less than three
years imprisonment or does not exceed a fine of
$2,500, or both; and civil cases involving amounts
not exceeding $2,500. It has concurrent jurisdic-
tion with the circuit courts in civil cases over
$2,500 but not exceeding $10,000, and concurrent
jurisdiction in misdemeanors and certain enumer-
ated felonies. Since there are no juries provided in
the District Court, a person entitled to and
electing a jury trial must proceed to the circuit
court (Code 1957, Art. 26, secs. 139-157; Code
Courts Article, secs. 1-601 through 1-608, 2-601
through 2-607, 4-301 through 4-304, 4-401
through 4-530, 6-403, 7-301, 7-302, 9-201, 11-402,
11-701 through 11-703, 12-401).

JUDICIAL UNITS, BOARDS, AND
COMMISSIONS

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE
COURTS

James H. Norris, Jr., State Court Administrator

Robert W. McKeever, Deputy State Court Admin-
istrator

Claudine W. Allen, Legal Officer

Judiciary/433

Eleanor K. Adams, Director. Statistical Audit
Project

Patricia A. Nelson, Director, Sentencing Guide-
lines Project

Michael V. O'Malley, Director, Judicial Planning,
Research and Special Projects

J. Allen Hines, Director, Judicial Budget and Pur-
chasing Services

Michael W. Nieberding, Director, Judicial Infor-
mation Systems

Ernest L. Bailey, Jr., Director, Judicial Personnel,
Education and Training Services

Courts of Appeal Building
Annapolis 21401 Telephone: 269-2141

In 1944, the people of Maryland recognized the
need for providing administrative direction to the
court system when they ratified what is now Arti-
cle IV, Section 18(b) of the Constitution, provid-
ing that the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals
is "the administrative head of the Judicial system
of the State." But it was not until 1955 that the
General Assembly took the initial steps for the
provision of professional administrative staff nec-
essary to assist the Chief Judge in carrying out
administrative responsibilities.

In the latter year, the General Assembly creat-
ed the Administrative Office of the Courts, head-
ed by a State Court Administrator appointed by
and serving at the pleasure of the Chief Judge of
the Court of Appeals, as provided in section
13-101 of the Courts Article. The basic function
of the State Court Administrator and the Admin-
istrative Office itself is to provide the Chief Judge
with advice, information, facilities, and staff to
assist him in the performance of his administra-
tive duties, and to implement court administra-
tion policies established by the Chief Judge, the
Court of Appeals, and the General Assembly.

These administrative tasks include planning, re-
search, providing staff support for the education
and training of judges and nonjudicial personnel,
preparation and administration of the Judiciary
budget, liaison with the legislative and executive
branches, staff support for the Maryland Judicial
Conference and the Conference of Circuit Judges,
the operation of information systems and the
gathering and analysis of statistics and other
management information, and assisting the Chief
Judge in the deployment of judges to cope with
temporary backlogs or to address shortages of ju-
dicial personnel (Code Courts Article, Section
13-101).