Calvert Cnty. Cir. Ct. Criminal DCM Plan (introduction)

CIRCUIT COURT FOR CALVERT COUNTY, MARYLAND

Differentiated Case Management Plan for Criminal Cases

INTRODUCTION

This Criminal Differentiated Case Management Plan (DCMP) is established in accordance

with Maryland Rule 16-202(b) which requires the county administrative judge to develop and,

upon approval by the chief judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, implement and monitor a case

management plan for the prompt and efficient scheduling and disposition of action in the circuit

court. The Rule mandates that a case management plan shall include a system of differentiated

case management in which actions are classified according to complexity and priority and are

assigned to a track based on that classification. This plan is a guide to case management envisioned

by Rule 16-202(b). The provisions of the plan are not intended to be rigid; some deviation from

them is to be expected from time to time. Additionally, the plan does not purport to override the

Maryland Rules or procedural requirements contained in the Annotated Code of Maryland.

From the commencement of litigation to its resolution, whether by trial or settlement, any elapsed

time other than reasonably required for pleadings, discovery, and court events, is unacceptable and

should be eliminated. To enable just and efficient resolution of cases, the court, not the lawyers or

litigants, should control the pace of litigation. A strong judicial commitment is essential to

reducing delay and once achieved, maintaining a current docket.

Consistent with the Case Time Standards adopted by the Judicial Council, Constitutional

requirements and applicable Md. Rules, it is the goal of this plan to ensure that all criminal cases,

jury and non-jury, be concluded within 180 days of the date of first appearance of the defendant

or his/her counsel, whichever is earlier. In order to achieve this goal, the Circuit Court is

committed to resolving different categories of cases within a regular and predictable time frame

warranted by the needs of those cases. For simpler cases, the warranted time frame may be shorter

than 180 days.

Although case track assignment is one of the first steps in case processing, the Court, in its sole

discretion, reserves the right to assign a case to a different track at any point in the process when

deemed necessary.

SECTION I

GENERAL PROVISIONS