![[photo, Maryland Judicial Center, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/33jud/images/i005895b.jpg)
In 1944, administrative direction for the courts of Maryland became the responsibility of the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals as "the administrative head of the Judicial system of the State" (Constitution, present Art. IV, sec. 18(b)). Not until 1955, however, did the General Assembly take steps to provide professional administrative staff to assist the Chief Judge with these duties. In that year, the Administrative Office of the Courts was formed (Chapter 343, Acts of 1955).
Maryland Judicial Center, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, Maryland, December 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
![[photo, Maryland Judicial Center, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/33jud/images/1198-1-495b.jpg)
The Office helps the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals oversee and implement court policies established by the Chief Judge, the Court of Appeals, and the General Assembly. The Office also assists the Chief Judge in the assignment of judges to cope with temporary backlogs or to address shortages of judicial personnel. It prepares and administers the Judiciary budget; operates information systems; engages in planning; conducts research; and gathers and analyzes statistics and other management information (Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, sec. 13-101). Additionally, the Office serves as liaison for the Judiciary with the legislative and executive branches.
Heading the Office is the State Court Administrator who is appointed by the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals.
Since October 2010, the Office also maintains the Domestic Violence Central Repository (Chapter 687, Acts of 2010). The Repository stores interim, temporary and final protective orders, and certain peace orders, providing quick access for judges, court personnel, and law enforcement agencies.
Maryland Judicial Center, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, Maryland, August 2003. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Functions of the Office are carried out by seven departments: Court Research and Development; Family Administration; Finance; Human Resources; Judicial Information Systems; Legal Affairs; and Procurement and Contract Administration. The Office also is aided by the Office of Emergency Management and Court Security, the Office of Problem-Solving Courts, and the Oversight Committee on the Circuit Court Real Property Records Improvement Fund.
Established in 1995, the Oversight Committee on the Circuit Court Real Property Records Improvement Fund advises the State Court Administrator on managing and dispersing the Circuit Court Real Property Records Improvement Fund. The Committee has five members (Chapter 566, Acts of 1995; Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, secs. 13-601 through 13-606).
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT & COURT SECURITY
To help judicial agencies plan for continuity of operations during potential natural or man-made emergencies or disasters, the Office provides advice and training. It also coordinates judicial emergency management planning with other State and local agencies.
OFFICE OF PROBLEM-SOLVING COURTS
The Office of Problem-Solving Courts was formed to assist the problem-Solving Courts Committee of the Maryland Judicial Conference. To the problem-solving courts statewide, the Office provides centralized oversight for financial responsibility, program guidelines, grant solicitation, and creation of a statewide management information system. As of 2010, the Office also supports forty drug courts, three mental health courts, and seven truancy reduction courts within Maryland's Judiciary.
For the Judiciary, the Office oversees a statewide research agenda. It creates statistical and management reports, and plans, develops, and evaluates the effectiveness of programs and operating initiatives. The Office also provides guidance and support for obtaining grants to support new initiatives, and monitors how funds from the Judiciary are spent by grant recipients.
Since 1998, the Department of Family Administration has overseen the establishment of family divisions and programs in each jurisdiction. The Department works with judges, court administrators, and family support services coordinators to identify and promote best practices in legal proceedings, such as: adoption; child support; child in need of assistance (CINA); child in need of supervision (CINS); custody; divorce; domestic violence; guardianship; involuntary admission; juvenile delinquency; name change; paternity; termination of parental rights; and visitation. For service providers and court professionals, the Department also develops standards and evaluation protocols, collects data and statistical information to support policy development and funding requests, and disseminates information on services, projects and grants, and funding availability.
The Department works with judges, masters, court administrators, and service providers to develop family law policy and identify what services families need and how to provide them. Through Special Projects grants, the Department also administers funding.
FOSTER-CARE COURT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
The Project seeks to improve the effectiveness of the juvenile courts in Child in Need of Assistance (CINA) cases, termination of parental rights (TPR) cases, and adoption cases. Primarily funded by federal grants, the Project involves juvenile court judges and masters, court personnel, representatives of social service agencies, attorneys and other experts in child welfare. To receive federal funds, a State plan, Improving Court Performance for Abused and Neglected Children, was issued in 1997 and the Foster Care Court-Improvement Implementation Committee was established.
The Department of Judicial Information Systems administers data processing systems; collects and analyzes statistics, and maintains computer hardware and software for the Judiciary. The Department also helps State and local judicial agencies meet their data processing and information technology needs. From judicial data files, Judicial Information Systems provides information to judicial, criminal justice and law enforcement agencies.
The Department developed and maintains internet access to various electronic court records. Instituted in January 2006, the Maryland Judiciary Case Search (MDJCS) Program provides electronic access to records in civil, criminal and traffic cases from Maryland Circuit and District Courts. Information commonly requested by attorneys, litigants, and the general public is available through the Program and includes case number, names of parties, and date of birth, charge, trial date and location, and case disposition.
In partnership with the Maryland State Archives, the Department maintains a database retrievable on-line of all land record images and indices. The Electronic Land Record Optical Imagery (ELROI) System scans recordable land record instruments and inputs the images into mdlandrec.net, an electronic archival and preservation system at the State Archives. Imaged documents may be accessed and viewed electronically by title abstractors and the public.
For the Judiciary, the Board advises the Director of Judicial Information Systems about long-term needs and strategies for developing and managing information technology. The Board provides guidance to the Judiciary on the priority of technology projects; computer software, hardware, and related technology design; the integrity of Judiciary data; and changes and trends in computer and systems technology.
The Board is assisted by the Maryland Integrated Case-Management System Advisory Committee.
MARYLAND INTEGRATED CASE-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ADVISORY COMMITTEE
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON THE CIRCUIT COURT REAL PROPERTY RECORDS IMPROVEMENT FUND
The Circuit Court Real Property Records Improvement Fund was created in 1991 (Chapter 327, Acts of 1991). In each county and Baltimore City, the Fund is used to repair, replace, modernize, and maintain equipment in the local land records office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Surcharges on the land records of each county and Baltimore City finance the Fund.
In 2008, the Office of Emergency Management and Court Security was formed as the Office of Emergency Preparedness by the Administrative Office of the Courts. In December 2008, it received its present name.
2011D Commerce Park Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401
DEPARTMENT OF COURT RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Within the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Department of Court Research and Development originated as Management Analysis and Research. In 2006, it restructured under its present name.
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY ADMINISTRATION
In 1998, Family Divisions were established within the circuit courts of Baltimore City and four counties (those having seven or more judges): Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County. At that time, in the circuit courts of the other nineteen counties, family services programs were begun.
Within the Department of Family Administration is the Foster-Care Court Improvement Project. The Project was initiated in 1994 to assess and improve the performance of juvenile courts in child abuse and neglect cases. In 2000, the Project was placed within the Department of Family Administration.
DEPARTMENT OF JUDICIAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS
2661 Riva Road, Suite 900, Annapolis, MD 21401
TECHNOLOGY OVERSIGHT BOARD
In 1999, the Technology Oversight Board was formed by the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals. In 2007, the Board was reformed and its duties clarified.
In Spring 2007, the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals convened the Maryland Integrated Case-Management System Advisory Committee. To the Technology Oversight Board, the Committee makes recommendations concerning needs assessment, planning, implementation, testing, and evaluation of the Maryland Electronic Courts project. Still in the planning stage, Maryland Electronic Courts will be a single integrated case management system used by all courts within the Maryland Judiciary, and will replace the varied systems currently in use. The new system will enable electronic document filing and fee payments 24 hours per day. It will allow for quicker information sharing with law enforcement and other agencies, generate useful reports and statistics, improve case processing, reduce delays, and allow access to court information from anywhere, at any time.
DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AFFAIRS
The Department of Legal Affairs organized in 2001. The Department advises the State Court Administrator on legal issues relating to administrative matters, including personnel and procurement. In addition, the Department provides legal research and in-house legal review of Judiciary policies and procedures, and contracts and memoranda of understanding with other State departments and agencies.
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