THE MARYLAND COURT SYSTEM
 This outline is not the complete jurisdiction of the courts mentioned herein.

The District Court
Lower level court of record
Criminal Civil

Exclusive Original Jurisdiction

 Exclusive Original Jurisdiction
Defendant 16 years or over, or corporation, charged with vehicle
laws or boating act violation.		 Contract or tort actions up to and including $25,000.00.
Replevin
Defendant 18 years or over, or corporation, charged with common-law or statutory
misdemeanor, misdemeanor or
felony theft or bad-check writing
or any crime not a felony

All landlord/tenant type actions
Concurrent Jurisdiction Concurrent Jurisdiction
With Circuit Court in cases where
penalty may be 1 years or more or $2,500.00 or more.		 Circuit Court if amount in controversy exceeds $5,000.00.
Deprived of Jurisdiction Deprived of Jurisdiction

If defendant is entitled to and
prays a jury trial.
Right to jury trial
Defendant has right to jury if
charge carries penalty of
imprisonment in excess of 90 days.
Court can deny right to jury trial if:
Prosecutor recommends in open court that sentence not exceed 90 days,
and
Judge agrees,
and
Judge agrees not to increase bond if appeal is noted.

State cannot request jury trial.

If Defendant is charged with felony and misdemeanor arising from same facts.

 If defendant is entitled to and prays a jury trial.
Right to jury trial
Amount in controversy must exceed $10,000.00.

Equity actions
No equity powers, except in domestic violence actions.

 

The Circuit Courts
Highest Common-law and equity courts of record exercising original jurisdiction, and appellate jurisdiction.
Criminal Civil

Exclusive Original Jurisdiction

 Exclusive Original Jurisdiction
All felony cases Common law cases over $5,0

00.00.
Full common-law and equity powers in all criminal cases within its county. Full common-law and equity powers in all civil cases within its county.
All criminal jury cases (90 days or more) Common law cases with jury over $10,000.00.
No jurisdiction over:
Fourteen year old alleged to have committed act carrying life imprisonment or death sentence.
Sixteen year old alleged to have violated traffic laws, except where offense could result in incarceration.
Sixteen year old alleged to have violated boating laws.		 No jurisdiction over:
Any common law case under $5,000.00.

Appellate Jurisdiction
Circuit Court has appellate jurisdiction over District Court cases and decisions of administrative hearing boards.
Appeal is on the record in cases where amount in controversy exceeds $2,500.00 in District Court cases and in all administrative appeals. In every other case, appeal to Circuit Court is by trial de novo.

Court of Special Appeals
Exclusive initial appellate jurisdiction over any reviewable judgment, decree, order or other action by a Circuit Court and an Orphans' Court, except for a few areas reserved to the exclusive jurisdiction of the court of Appeals.

Court of Appeals

Exclusive appellate jurisdiction over certified questions of law and criminal death penalty cases.

Writ of Certiorari

Final judgments by a Circuit Court on appeal from District Court or from an administrative decision under the Motor Vehicle Law, where judgments of the Circuit Court judges have been inconsistent.

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