Calvert Cnty. Cir. Ct. Juvenile DCM Plan 2.3

(a) Scheduling Order. Upon the filing of a petition for termination of parental rights

with right to consent to adoption, a Scheduling Order shall be prepared by the Assignment Office

and sent to all parties of record, the Office of the Public Defender (with a copy of the petition) and

the Family Services Coordinator. The Scheduling Order shall contain the following:

(i) Trial date,

(ii) Status hearing date,

(iii) Pretrial hearing date,

(vi) A statement that discovery shall be completed by the pretrial hearing, and

(v) A statement that mediation shall be completed by the pretrial hearing.

(b) Status Hearing. The Status Hearing shall be set within 45 days of the filing date.

Matters such as service of parties, availability of future dates, and scheduling of mediation shall

be discussed. Additional Status Hearings will be held if needed to monitor service of the parties.

(c) Mediation. Mediation is scheduled between days 45-120 to resolve any outstanding

issues in the case before trial. If the mediation session results in an agreement, the agreement will

be placed on the record the same day. If an agreement is not reached, any party may request an

additional mediation session, or the case will proceed to trial.

(d) Pre-Trial Conference. A Pre-Trial Conference is set between days 90-120 to address

any outstanding discovery issues and ensure all parties are ready for trial.

(e) Trial. A trial date is set between days 120-150. All cases must go forward on the

record even if an agreement is reached, or consent is given. If the case results in a Final Order of

Guardianship the case will continue to be reviewed until such time as the respondent is adopted or

the guardianship is terminated.

(f) Document Review. The Clerk’s Office shall forward to chambers for review all

documents received on all TPR matters awaiting trial, once the document has been docketed.

(g) Review of Pending Ca ses. The Office of Family Services shall maintain a

checklist of all TPR matters to ensure that the case proceeds expeditiously. T he family services

coordinator or the County Administrative Judge shall review all pending TPR cases on a bi-weekly

basis.

Table 2

Timing of Track J3, Track J4 and Track J5 Hearings

Track J3 Track J4 Track J5

Shelter Care Hearing n/a 24 hours n/a

Initial Appearance 14 days 24 hours

Status Hearing n/a n/a 45 days

Mediation 30 days 27 days 45-120 days

Pre-trial Hearing n/a n/a 45-120 days

Adjudicatory Hearing 60 days 30 days 150 days

Disposition 60 days 30 days 150 days