Harford Cnty. Dist. Ct. Criminal DCM Plan

The District Court for Harford County, Maryland

Criminal

Differentiated Case Management (DCM) Plan

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Table of Contents

Criminal Cases........................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Track 1 – Misdemeanor Summons Cases................................................................................................................ 2

Track 2 – Misdemeanor Arrest Cases....................................................................................................................... 2

Track 3 – Misdemeanor Criminal Citation Cases................................................................................................. 3

Track 4 – Felony Cases.................................................................................................................................................... 3

Track 1 – Misdemeanor Summons Cases................................................................................................................ 4

Track 2 – Misdemeanor Arrest Cases....................................................................................................................... 7

Track 3 – Misdemeanor Criminal Citation Cases................................................................................................. 9

Track 4 – Felony Cases.................................................................................................................................................. 16

Forms.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 21

Criminal Cases

Criminal cases can be initiated by summons, arrest, the filing of a complaint, or by issuance

of a criminal citation. Most felony cases are initiated by arrest, but may be initiated by

summons. District Court criminal cases are defined by the following tracks. See the diagram

below.

Track 1 – Misdemeanor Summons Cases

A criminal summons may be issued for misdemeanor or felony cases, following an

application for statement of charges by law enforcement or a citizen, or by criminal

information by the state’s attorney.

Event Timing

Application for charges/criminal Case filing

information

Issue criminal summons Immediately

Service of charging document Within 30 days of issuance

Trial 45-60 days from criminal summons

Sentence Same day or within 30 days of trial

Track 2 – Misdemeanor Arrest Cases

Misdemeanor arrest cases are initiated by complaint or after the issuance of an arrest

warrant

Event Timing

Arrest, file complaint Case filing

Initial appearance Within 6-8 hours after arrest

Bail review Next business day

Trial Set 45-60 days from arrest

Sentence Same day or within 30 days of trial

Track 3 – Misdemeanor Criminal Citation Cases

Event Timing

Citation issued by officer Case filing – within 30 days of

issuance of citation

Citation filed with the Court Clerks’ office enters citations w/in 30

days of filing & schedules trial date

within 4-6 weeks of entry

Initial appearance Conducted by judge at first scheduled

trial date; preliminary inquire may be

held; case may be postponed to give

defendant time to obtain counsel

Sentence Same day or within 30 days of trial

Track 4 – Felony Cases

Felony cases are by arrest or summons and are forwarded to the circuit court. The

following is a summary of events on arrest cases.

Event Timing

Arrest, file complaint Case filing

Initial appearance Within 6-8 hours after arrest

Bail review Next business day

Preliminary hearing (may be waived) Within 30 days after request

Forward to circuit court The State has 30 days after the

preliminary hearing to file a criminal

information or indictment in the

circuit court

Felony charge nolle prosequi or Remaining misdemeanor charges set

dismissed within 45-60 days

How much time a case should take to get resolved

The District Court has a goal of resolving most misdemeanor criminal cases (Tracks 1, 2 &

3) within 180 days. Felony cases are typically forwarded to the circuit court within 60 days.

Some felony cases may be amended to misdemeanors or the case withdrawn for

prosecution prior to indictment or the forwarding of the case to circuit court. A felony case

amended to a misdemeanor case will then be tried in the District Court on the

misdemeanor track.

Track 1 – Misdemeanor Summons Cases

Yes YesYes

Probable

Cause?

Trial

Sentence

Application

for Charges

Track 1 – Misdemeanor Summons Cases ≈ 180 days

Issue Criminal

Summons

S er vice of

Ch ar ging

Document

End

No

Guilty?

End

No

A summons is a notice to appear in court to face charges at a trial. Most summons are for

misdemeanors, but occasionally they are used for felonies.

File a Case

The following steps are required to initiate a criminal case:

Application for statement of charges. Any citizen in the community or a law enforcement

officer can file an application for statement of charges. Summons applications are taken

24/7 by a District Court commissioner. Upon application, the commissioner makes a

determination of probable cause and grants or denies the summons.

Issue Criminal Summons (Md. Rule 4-212)

An issued summons becomes a criminal court case. A denial of a summons application will

not result in a criminal case against the other party.

A trial is typically scheduled approximately 45-60 days later and added to the docket at the

issuance of the summons. For District Court cases, the defendant is required to appear at

trial (see below) within 30-45 days from service.

In some cases, service may not have been completed. If the defendant appears on the

scheduled trial date, he or she is served in the courtroom. The judge will advise the

defendant of his rights and then may postpone the trial to a later date. If the summons is

unserved and the defendant fails to appear, the judge may refer the case to the District

Court commissioner for issuance of an arrest warrant to replace the summons.

Service of Charging Document (Md. Rule 4-212)

The sheriff or other law enforcement officer must serve the summons within the time

stated on the summons. The summons includes a scheduled trial date.

Preliminary Inquiry

Preliminary inquiries are hearings on District Court criminal summons before a

commissioner to advise the defendant of the charges against them and of their right to

counsel. The state’s attorney is not required to be present. The criminal summons includes

information concerning the public defender’s office and the defendant’s right to counsel,

but it does not include a notice that the public defender must receive an application for

counsel at least ten days prior to the hearing. As a result many defendants make a good

faith attempt to apply to the public defender after the time deadline. District Courts

throughout the state are increasingly using preliminary inquiry hearings.

No specific Maryland Rule mandates a preliminary inquiry, but they are permitted by Md.

4-213(b)(2).

If a defendant appears at his first court appearance prepared to go forward, the trial will

commence. If the defendant is unprepared to go forward, the judge may postpone the case

to a later date.

Trial (Md. Rule 4-328)

Dockets are generally mixed and may include basic criminal case trials, preliminary

inquiries, preliminary hearings, motions and fugitive hearings, violation of probation

hearings and/or sentencing hearings. Cases are classified statistically into trial and non-

trial.

In Harford County, criminal cases are held on sixteen dockets per week, Monday, Tuesday,

Wednesday, and Thursday, at 9:00 a.m. There is a dedicated criminal domestic violence

docket every Wednesday, with cases scheduled at 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

A demand for jury trial must be filed no later than 15 days before the scheduled trial date,

or in open court on the trial date by the defendant and defendant’s counsel, if any. (Md.

Rule 4-301)

Time – Once approved by the judge, the clerk shall promptly transmit the case file to the

clerk of the circuit court. (Md. Rule 3-301). If a jury trial prayer is denied, the parties must

appear on the trial date.

Presentence investigation. Prior to sentencing, the court may seek a presentence

investigation, resulting in the scheduling of a sentencing hearing at a later date. (Md. Rule

4-341)

Sentence (Md. Rule 4-342)

Allocution and information in mitigation. Before imposing sentence, the court shall afford

the defendant the opportunity, personally and through counsel, to make a statement and to

present information in mitigation of punishment.

Reasons. The court ordinarily shall state on the record its reasons for the sentence imposed.

Credit for Time Spent in Custody. Time spent in custody shall be credited against a sentence

pursuant to Code, Criminal Procedure Article, § 6-218.

Advice to the Defendant. At the time of imposing sentence, the court shall cause the

defendant to be advised of: (A) any right of appeal, (B) any right to move for modification

or reduction of the sentence, (C) any right to be represented by counsel, and (D) the time

allowed for the exercise of these rights.

Terms for Release. On request of the defendant, the court shall determine the defendant's

eligibility for release under Rule 4-349 and the terms for any release.

Post-Conviction (Md. Rule 4-331)

Petitions for post-conviction relief must be filed in the Circuit Court (Md. Rule 4-401).

A motion for a new trial (Md. Rule 4-331) must be made within ten days after a verdict.

Revisory power. The court has revisory power and control over the judgment to set aside an

unjust or improper verdict and grant a new trial in the District Court, on motion filed

within 90 days after the imposition of sentence if an appeal has not been granted.

Track 2 – Misdemeanor Arrest Cases

No Yes SentenceTrialArrest/

Complaint

Initial

Appearance Release? Bail Review Guilty?

End

No

Track 2 – Misdemeanor Arrest Cases ≈ 180 days

Yes

45-60 days

Arrests may be made on defendants based on an arrest warrant or “on-view” immediately

following a crime. Arrest warrants are issued by District Court commissioners at the

request of a law enforcement officer and are based on probable cause established by the

officer in a written “Application for Charges” or “Statement of Probable Cause.”

Initiate a Case

Following arrest on a warrant, the defendant must be taken before a District or circuit

court judicial officer within 24 hours for the District Court and no later than the next

session of court in circuit court to determine eligibility for pretrial release and advising of

rights to counsel (All misdemeanor cases initiate in District Court).

In Harford County, most indictments follow arrest, although in some cases the State’s

Attorneys Office may investigate a case following a crime and seek an arrest warrant

following indictment before the grand jury.

Initial Appearance (Md. Rule 4-213)

All defendants who have been arrested must be given an initial appearance before a court

commissioner. In Harford County, District Court commissioners sit 24 hours a day, seven

days a week to preside over initial appearances. Initial appearances are held at the District

Court commissioner’s office located at the central booking facility. At the initial appearance,

the commissioner:

a) Advises defendant of charges;

b) Advises defendant of right to counsel;

c) Determines pretrial release or sets bail (Md. Rule 4-216);

d) Advises of rights to a preliminary hearing, if charged with a felony and not indicted;

e) Certifies compliance in writing; and

f) Files papers with the clerk of the District Court, or directs that papers be forwarded

to the clerk of the circuit court.

Bail Review (Md. Rule 4-216)

A bail review is similar to the initial appearance, except that it is held before a judge. Its

purpose is to provide a judicial review of the pretrial release determination or bail as

decided by a commissioner. The bail review is mandated by statute:

A defendant who is denied pretrial release by a commissioner or who for any reason

remains in custody for 24 hours after a commissioner has determined conditions of release

pursuant to this rule shall be presented immediately to the District Court if the court is

then in session, or if not, at the next session of the court. The District Court shall review the

commissioner’s pretrial release determination and take appropriate action. (MD. Rule 4-

216(6)(g)).

Bail reviews in Harford County are scheduled at 1:30 p.m. on the following business day

after arrest.

Trial (Md. Rule 4-328)

For trial procedures, see Track 1, above.

Sentence (Md. Rule 4-342)

For sentencing procedures, see Track 1, above.

Post-Conviction (Md. Rule 4-331)

For post-conviction procedures, see Track 1, above.

Track 3 – Misdemeanor Criminal Citation Cases

YesTrial SentenceIssue

Citation

Track 3 – Misdemeanor Criminal Citation Cases ≈ 180 days

Citation Filed

with Court Guilty?

End

No

45-60 days

A criminal citation is a notice to appear in court to face charges at trial. All criminal

citations are issued for misdemeanor petty offenses.

File a Case

The following steps are required to initiate a criminal citation case:

Issuance of a criminal citation. A police officer issues a Uniform Criminal Citation (Form

DC/CR 45) to an individual immediately following the commission of a petty offense crime.

A petty offense is an offense for which the penalty may not exceed imprisonment for three

months (90 days) or a fine of $500.00 or for other offenses where the use of citations is

specifically authorized by statute or ordinance. The law enforcement officer issuing a

citation enters the CJIS code for the offense on the citation. The person cited signs the

citation as a promise to appear in court. The peace officer who issues the citation is

required to sign the citation.

Issue Criminal Citation (Md. Rule 4-102(b))

An issued criminal citation becomes a criminal court case.

Within thirty (30) days of issuance, the police agency lists criminal citations on a

transmittal and forwards the original citations with the transmittal to the Court in the

district having venue. The District Court clerk verifies the citations received, signs and

sends a copy of the transmittal to the issuing agency and keeps the original transmittal. The

clerk places each citation in a separate folder and enters the citation into the system within

thirty (30) days of receipt and schedules the case for trial. A trial is typically scheduled

approximately 30-45 days from entry.

Preliminary Inquiry

No specific Maryland Rule mandates a preliminary inquiry, but they are permitted by Md.

4-213(b)(2).

Some courts hold preliminary inquiry hearings to advise the defendant of the charges

against him or her and of the right to counsel. If a defendant appears at his first court

appearance prepared to go forward, the trial will commence. If the defendant is

unprepared to go forward, the judge may postpone the case to a later date.

Trial (Md. Rule 4-328)

For trial procedures, see Track 1, above.

Sentence (Md. Rule 4-342)

For sentencing procedures, see Track 1, above.

Post-Conviction (Md. Rule 4-331)

For post-conviction procedures, see Track 1, above.

Track 3 – Civil Citation Cases

Alcohol Civil Citations

Certain alcoholic beverage violations are considered civil offenses and will be chargeable

by citation only. An individual violating Criminal Law Article, Sections 10-113 through 10-

118 of the Annotated Code of Maryland is charged with a code violation. Adjudication of a

code violation is not a criminal conviction. The Juvenile Court has jurisdiction for anyone

under the age of 18 who is charged with a violation of this code unless a waiver of

jurisdiction has been filed. Although alcoholic beverage code violations are civil offenses

and should be cited on a Uniform Civil Citation, violators “must appear” in court. The

maximum fine that may be ordered by the Court is $500.00 for a first offense, and even

though the officer may write the fine on the citation, it is not payable before trial.

Issue Alcoholic Beverage Code Violation Citation (Criminal Law Article 10-119(a))

Citations issued for a code violation of Section 10-113 through 10-118 of the Criminal Law

Article are issued on a Uniform Civil Citation form (DC 28) and may be issued by a police

officer authorized to make arrests, a forest or park warden appointed by the Secretary of

Natural Resources and, in Frederick County, by an alcoholic beverage inspector. The police

agency transmittals the issued citations to the Court and they are handled the same as

criminal citations noted in Track 3 above.

Possession of Marijuana (Less Than 10 Grams) Civil Citations

On October 1, 2014, Senate Bill 364 authorized that a civil citation (DC 28) be issued for

any individual in possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana. The Juvenile Court has

jurisdiction for anyone under the age of 18 who is charged with this offense. If a citation is

issued to an individual at least 18 years of age but under the age of 21, it is automatically a

“must appear” case.

The pre-payable fine for a first time violation is $50.00 and $125.00 for a second violation.

A third or subsequent violation is a must appear and the Court shall order the defendant to

attend a drug education program and be assessed for a substance abuse disorder. The

defendant has thirty (30) days in which to pay the citation or request a trial. If the citation

is not paid within thirty (30) days or if the citation is a must appear, the clerk will

automatically set a trial date.

If the case is adjudicated by trial, under Criminal Law Article 5-601(c) (2), a first violation

is a civil offense punishable by a fine not exceeding $100.00. A second violation is a civil

offense punishable by a fine not exceeding $250.00. A third or subsequent violation is a

civil offense punishable by a fine not exceeding $500.00.

Law enforcement agencies have been asked to submit civil citations for possession of less

than 10 grams to the Court within 24 hours of issuance.

Effective October 1, 2016, a civil citation issued for possession of marijuana less than 10

grams is subject to public inspection until one of the following events occurs:

a) The defendant has prepaid the fine.

b) The defendant pled guilty or was found guilty and has fully paid the fines and

costs imposed.

c) The defendant received a probation before judgment and has fully paid the

fines and costs and completed any terms imposed by the Court. (The Court

must receive notification that the conditions of probation have been met. The

notice will be sent to a judge for review.)

d) The case has been removed from the stet docket after the defendant

completed any terms imposed by the Court.

e) The State entered a nolle prosequi.

f) The defendant has been found not guilty.

g) The charge has been dismissed.

Once one of these events occurs, the case will be shielded in the computer, removed from

Case Search and unavailable for public inspection.

Smoking Marijuana in A Public Place Civil Citations

Senate Bill 517 authorized that a civil citation shall be issued for the offense of smoking

marijuana in a public place. This bill took effect February 20, 2016. This offense was

previously treated as a criminal charge.

These citations carry a pre-payable fine amount of $250.00 with a maximum penalty of

$500.00 that could be assessed in court. Court dates are automatically scheduled for these

citations once the citations are received and entered by the Court. If the defendant pays the

fine amount prior to trial, the case will be closed. These cases are not shielded and remain

available for public inspection even after they are closed.

Municipal Infraction Civil Citations Article 23A, Section 3

The legislative body of a municipality may provide that violations of any municipal

ordinance shall be a “municipal infraction” unless the violation is declared to be a felony or

a misdemeanor by State law, in which case, the violation shall be handled as a criminal

offense. Municipal infractions are considered civil offenses. The charging document for a

municipal infraction is a Uniform Civil Citation (DC 28).

The law enforcement officer prepares and signs the citation. If the defendant pays the fine

to the municipality by the payment date written on the citation, the case will not go to

Court. If the defendant submits a written request for a court date to the municipality at

least five (5) days prior to the payment due date, the municipality will complete Request

for Adjudication (DC 28A) and transmittals the citation, along with the Request for

Adjudication (DC 28A) and defendant’s written request, to the Court. Once the Court

receives the citation and Request for Adjudication (DC 28A) adjudication with defendant’s

written request attached, the clerk makes a file and schedules a trial date. Trial dates are

also set for these citations when the court receives no written request. The Court will

remove the trial date if it is notified by the municipality that the fine is paid.

If the defendant fails to pay the fine by the payment date and fails to make a written

request for trial, the municipality doubles the original fine amount (not to exceed

$1000.00) and then completes a Request for Adjudication (DC 28A) and transmittals the

citation to the Court along with the Request. Once the Court receives the citation

and Request for Adjudication (DC 28A), the clerk makes a file and schedules a trial date.

If the defendant pays the fine to the municipality in advance of the trial date, the case is

closed. If the defendant fails to appear for a requested trial date and has not paid the fine,

the municipality may double the original fine amount up to $1000.00 and the court may

enter a guilty/ex parte judgment in the amount due on the demand for judgment on the

affidavit.

If a defendant appears at trial and is found guilty of committing a municipal infraction, the

Court shall order payment of up to $1000.00, plus court costs. Payments can only be made

to the Court on the day of trial, after which payments must be made to the municipality. If

the fine remains unpaid for thirty (30) days following the court date, the case goes to civil

for entry of a judgment unless the judge suspended or deferred payment. At trial, the judge

may also order the defendant to abate the infraction or permit the municipality to abate the

infraction at the defendant’s expense. All fines, penalties or forfeitures collected by the

District Court, with the exception of costs, for a municipal infraction shall be remitted to the

municipality in which the infraction occurred.

Department of Natural Resources Citations

Department of Natural Resource (DNR) citations are issued for violations of the natural

resource laws of the State. Under Natural Resources Article 1-204(a), every DNR police

officer shall have all the powers conferred upon police officers of the State. These powers

may be exercised anywhere within the state. Natural resources citations either carry a pre-payable fine amount or are must appear for an offense punishable by time in jail. Only one

offense is charged on a citation. These offenses are charged on a Maryland Natural

Resources Citation form. DNR officers often write the trial date on the citation.

Once a natural resources citation is received and entered by the Court, a trial date is

scheduled. If the Court’s schedule permits, it will use the trial date specified by the DNR

officer. When the Court must set a trial date, it will do so according to the officer’s schedule.

Must appear citations are scheduled at 9:00 a.m. and pre-payable citations are scheduled at

1:30 p.m. If a payable citation is related to a must appear citation, all will be scheduled at

9:00 a.m. The defendant must appear in court unless the citation has a pre-payable fine

amount and the fine is paid in advance of the trial date, which will result in the case being

closed.

If a defendant fails to appear for a must appear natural resources citation, the Court may

issue a bench warrant on the trial date for the arrest of the defendant.

If a defendant fails to appear in court for a pre-payable citation, the Court will hold the file

for five (5) days. If the defendant pays the pre-payable fine amount within the five (5) days,

the case will be closed. If the fine remains unpaid, the Court will issue a failure to appear or

pay fine notice (DC/CR 115) to the defendant and add a $100.00 fine to the original fine

amount for the citation. The failure to appear or pay fine notice notifies the defendant that

a warrant for the defendant’s arrest may be issued by the Court unless, by the end of the

15th day after the date on which the notice was mailed, (i) the defendant pays the fine on

the original charge plus the $100.00 fine for failing to appear or (ii) posts bond or a penalty

deposit and requests a new trial date. If the defendant fails to pay the fines or post the bond

or penalty deposit within the fifteen (15) days, the Court may issue a warrant charging the

defendant with failure to appear.

Track 4 – Felony Cases

Yes

No

No

YesProbable

Cause?

Application

for Charges

Issue Criminal

Summons

Service of

Charging

Document

Criminal

Information

Arrest/

Complaint

Initial

Appearance Release? Bail Review

Preliminary

Hearing

End

No

Forward to

Circuit Court

Track 4 – Felony Cases ≈ 60 days

Yes

30 days

Probable

Cause?

Reset/heard

in District

Court

Yes SentenceGuilty?

End

No

A felony case is usually initiated by arrest, although occasionally a summons is issued on a

felony case. The procedures for a felony case follow the procedures listed above, except for

the preliminary hearing.

Preliminary Hearing (Md. Rule 4-221)

The preliminary hearing is set to make certain that a felony defendant has received a copy

of the charging document and is read the substance of each offense; and to determine

probable cause before forwarding to circuit court. The defendant is entitled to cross-examine witnesses but not to present evidence. Preliminary hearings are conducted on

felony summons cases.

Defendants whose cases include felony charges with exclusive circuit court jurisdiction

may request a preliminary hearing within 10 days of the initial appearance or service of the

charging document. Failure to make a timely request is an automatic waiver of the

preliminary hearing. Following a written or default waiver by the defendant, the state’s

attorney may request a preliminary hearing in District Court for up to 10 days.

After probable cause has been determined, the case is forwarded by the District Court to

the circuit court within 15 days.

After probable cause has been determined, the case is scheduled for a felony dismissal date

approximately 31 days out. The state’s attorney has up until the dismissal date (30 days) to

file a criminal information or indictment to forward the case to circuit court. If the state’s

attorney does not request to forward the case, the felony charges will be dismissed on the

felony dismissal date and the remaining misdemeanor charges will be rescheduled for trial.

Postponements

A postponement can be requested using the Motion for Postponement (CC-DC-070). All

motions must contain a certificate of service.

The postponement policy is based on the District Court Administrative Regulations, as

follows:

No motion for the postponement or continuance of any case shall be considered unless

made in the following manner:

a) Five or More Days Prior to Trial. Every person desiring a case continued or

postponed shall, at least five calendar days prior to the scheduled trial date, file a

motion for such postponement or continuance with the clerk of the court. All

postponement requests are forwarded to the chambers judge in Harford County

District Court. Such motion may not be granted except for good cause shown.

Good cause reasons five or more days prior to trial may include, at minimum, the following:

1) Written consent of both parties for the first trial postponement only;

2) Scheduling conflict of either party or attorney with a trial on another case,

with the notice for the conflicting trial attached;

3) Serious illness or death of either party or attorney;

4) Planned holidays or vacations of either party or attorney, with a motion filed

at least 30 days prior to the trial date; or

5) Other serious emergency conflict.

b) Less Than Five Days Prior to Trial. Any motion for postponement or continuance

of any case made within five days of the scheduled trial date shall be addressed

directly to the presiding judge of that court.

Good cause reasons less than five days prior to trial shall NOT include the following:

1) Written consent of both parties;

2) Scheduling conflict of either party or attorney with trial on another case; or

3) Planned holidays or vacations of either party or attorney.

c) Designation of Postponement Clerk. There is no designated postponement clerk

in Harford County.

d) Attorney Hearing Dates. Unless otherwise agreed by the clerk, all requests for

postponements should be accompanied by three (3) proposed dates. Counsel should

attempt to contact opposing counsel, if possible, to find dates acceptable to both

attorneys and parties. Criminal cases are heard Monday through Thursday on the

morning docket.

Personal Identifiers

It is the responsibility of the filer to redact personal identifiers, prior to submitting a filing

with the Court. Filers include anyone filing documents with the Court, including police

officers, the state’s attorney, criminal complainants, landlords, petitioners, and others. The

filer does not have to be a party to a case, and may include federal courts, military

personnel, or relatives to a party in a case.

Per Md. Rule 1-322.1, unless otherwise required by law or permitted by court order, the

following personal identifier information shall not be included in any electronic or paper

filing with a court:

a) an individual’s social security number, taxpayer identification number; or

b) the numeric or alphabetic characters of a financial or medical account identifier.”

The rule also states that unless otherwise provided by law or court order, this Rule does

not apply to the following:

a) a financial account identifier that identifies the property allegedly subject to

forfeiture in a forfeiture proceeding;

b) the record of an administrative agency proceeding.

Discovery

Discovery and inspection is available in the District Court in actions for offenses that are

punishable by imprisonment. The discovery and inspection shall be completed before the

hearing or trial. A request for discovery and inspection and response need not be in writing

and need not be filed with the Court. If a request was made before the date of the hearing

or trial and the request was refused or denied, the Court may grant a delay or continuance

to permit the inspection or discovery.

Do You Need a Court Interpreter or Other Special Accommodation?

The Maryland Judiciary provides court interpreters for hearings and proceedings

conducted in court, as well as certain court-related services and events, at no cost, for

individuals who are parties or witnesses in court proceedings.

Only court-appointed interpreters can serve as official interpreters in the courtroom. Your

family or friends cannot serve as official court interpreters. You may have your family

members or friends help you to communicate with the court staff outside the courtroom.

You should request an interpreter for your hearing 30 days before the court date, if

possible.

Fill out a Request for Spoken Language Interpreter (CC-DC-041). If requesting a sign

language interpreter or other special accommodation, use the Request for Accommodation

for Person with Disability (CC-DC-049). You can also ask your attorney to fill out the form

for you.

Submit the form to the clerk's office of the courthouse where your hearing is scheduled by

mail or in person.

If you are a party in the case, you only need to submit a single interpreter request form.

Once the court receives your first timely request, the court will assign an interpreter for all

proceedings at which you are expected to appear. Other interested persons (victims and

witnesses) must submit a new interpreter request form for each proceeding.

Harford County District Court and the Community

The following are resources available in the community to help with resolving a dispute.

Location:

Bel Air District Court Multi Service Center

District Court of Maryland

2 South Bond Street, Suite 100

Bel Air, MD 21014

Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

410-836-4545

The clerk’s office and the courtrooms are located on the first floor of the multi-service

center.

Location:

District Court Commissioner’s Office

Harford County Dept. of Corrections

1030 North Rock Spring Avenue; P.O. Box 1245

Bel Air, MD 21014

Open 24 hours a day

410-638-4770

Alternative Dispute Resolution 866-940-1729

Legal Aid 410-836-7772

Maryland Courts Self-Help Center 410-260-1392

People’s Law Library https://www.peoples-

law.org/

Harford County Community Mediation Center 410-638-4807

Harford County State’s Attorney Office – DC Division 410-638-3231

Public Defender’s Office 410-836-4880

Harford County Department of Corrections 410-638-3140

The link below is for District Court of Maryland criminal

information: http://www.courts.state.md.us/legalhelp/criminalcases.html

Forms

The following forms might be needed by the defendant on criminal cases.

DC-CR-033 Petition for Determination of Eligibility for Counsel

DC-CR-037 Petition to Strike Bond Forfeiture/Extend Period for Satisfaction/Order

CC-DC-070 Motion for Postponement

A growing amount of content on the Maryland Judiciary’s web site is now available in

languages other than English. The non-English pages provide forms, brochures, and other

helpful information about the Maryland Courts. The materials are available in Spanish,

French, Russian, Korean and

Chinese. http://www.mdcourts.gov/courtlanguage/index.html.

The following forms can be used to request a court interpreter or other special

accommodation.

CC-DC-041 Request for Spoken Language Interpreter

CC-DC-049 Request for Accommodation for Person with Disability