maryland judiciary case search public records

The Maryland State Archives also has a collection of miscellaneous court papers for the years 1729 to 1904.

Some of the Provincial Court records have been published in the Archives of Maryland (see Maryland Public Records). The state archives also has many of the original records and indexes of the county, circuit, and district courts and the Court of Appeals, often into the twentieth century. The Maryland State Archives has all the original records and indexes of the Provincial, General, and Chancery courts. These courts replaced the county courts.Īdditional types of court records are described in Maryland Probate Records and Maryland Naturalization and Citizenship.Ĭourt Records available through the Maryland State Archives There are 12 judicial districts.ġ851-present: Circuit courts have county-wide jurisdiction over major civil and criminal cases and appellate jurisdiction over district courts. County courts were replaced by circuit courts.ġ668-1851: The Chancery Court was a statewide court with jurisdiction over equity cases, such as divorces, name changes, mortgage foreclosures, civil damage suits, and guardianships.ġ776-present: The Court of Appeals is the highest court in the state with jurisdiction over criminal, civil, and probate appeals.ġ800s-present: District courts, known by several different titles prior to 1971, have jurisdiction over lesser criminal and civil cases. Major Maryland courts that have kept records of genealogical value include the following:ġ637-1805: The Provincial Court (later General Court) was a statewide court that ruled on capital crimes, land disputes, and other civil matters.ġ637-1851: County courts were county-wide courts that had jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases. Contact the court clerk to learn more about the records available for the specific District Court Locate district courts using the District Court Map. Locate various circuit courthouses using the Circuit Court Map.įor a list of all Maryland Circuit Courts see the Maryland State Archives Guide to Government Records.Ĭlickable District Courthouse Map Contact the court clerk to learn about the records avaiable for specific counties and courthouses. Circuit courts often contained divorce records, guardianship records, and other civil and community dispute cases. One of the best ways to locate records on ancestors is to contact individual courthouses specific to the area where your ancestor lived. Click here to get started.Ĭlickable Circuit Courthouse Map Court cases go back as far as the 1970s in some cases, but most only date back to the late 1990s. To open the online search database, simply click on the checkbox to agree to the terms of use, and click 'Continue.' The following screen will allow you to search for an ancestor's name. Maryland's Case Search allows users to type in the name and quickly search various court records, or to search by court case number. Locate recent court cases online Ĭourt Cases can be an outstanding source of genealogical and biographical data on ancestors. Circuit Court Criminal Case Files, 1790-1871 at Ancestry ($), images only

1.7 Indirect participation in Court Cases: Depositions.1.6 Maryland Court Records at the Family History Library.

1.5 Court Records available through the Maryland State Archives.

Maryland judiciary case search public records