Harford County Circuit Court Filing Timing and Cure Windows

CRITICALCivil cases

For Track 2 civil standard cases, trial must occur within 290 days of filing.

Trial Within 290 days of filing

CRITICALCivil cases

A request to change a track designation must be made within 30 days of the first answer.

All requests to change a track designation must be made within 30 days of the first answer.

CRITICAL

Witnesses: Prior to the hearing the attorneys and self-represented litigants should file with the Clerk of the Court a list of witnesses, with full names, email addresses and telephone numbers.

Witnesses: Prior to the hearing the attorneys and self-represented litigants should file with the Clerk of the Court a list of witnesses, with full names, email addresses and telephone numbers.

CRITICAL

The juvenile clerk will schedule a status conference within 60 days after the petition is filed.

After the petition is filed, the juvenile clerk will schedule a status conference within 60 days of the filing of the petition.

WARNINGCivil cases

Procedural and discovery motions should be filed up to 30 days before the pretrial settlement conference.

Procedural and discovery motions should be filed up to 30 days prior to the pretrial settlement conference.

WARNING

Track 1 cases are to reach disposition within 90 days of the respondent’s first arraignment appearance or counsel’s entry of appearance.

Track 1 cases will be concluded (reach disposition) within 90 days of when the respondent first appears for the arraignment or entry of appearance by counsel.

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 2 schedules trial within 270 days from filing.

Trial Within 270 days from filing

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 3 schedules the pretrial status conference within 95 days of trial.

Pretrial Status Conference Within 95 days of trial

WARNINGCivil cases

Deadline

48 hours

If an interpreter request is not cancelled at least 48 hours before trial or a hearing, the Court will be billed for the interpreter’s services.

If a request for interpreter is not cancelled at least 48 hours in advance of the trial or hearing, the Court will be billed for the interpreter’s services.

WARNINGCivil cases

130 days

130 days

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 2 schedules the pretrial status conference within 60 days of trial.

Pretrial Status Conference Within 60 days of trial

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 3 schedules trial within 365 days from filing.

Trial Within 365 days from filing

WARNING

TPR cases – 100% should be concluded within 180 days; and

TPR cases – 100% should be concluded within 180 days; and

WARNINGCivil cases

120 days

120 days

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 4 schedules trial within 730 days from filing.

Trial Within 730 days from filing

WARNING

o 60 days for juveniles that are not in a shelter care;

o 60 days for juveniles that are not in a shelter care;

WARNING

CINA cases - 100% should be adjudicated within: o 30 days for juveniles that are in a shelter care; and

CINA cases - 100% should be adjudicated within: o 30 days for juveniles that are in a shelter care; and

WARNING

If service occurs outside Maryland, the response period for a guardianship objection is 60 days.

but if service was done outside the State of Maryland, the time period to respond is 60 days.

WARNING

Peace orders have an expected duration ranging from 14 days up to 6 months.

14 days up to 6 months

WARNINGCivil cases

A prevailing party usually must wait 10 days before taking legal action to enforce a judgment.

A prevailing party usually must wait 10 days before they can take legal action to enforce a judgment.

WARNINGCivil cases

Following service, the Court actively dismisses cases for lack of prosecution after one year, although most dismissals occur after answers are filed.

Lack of Prosecution. Following service, the Court actively dismisses cases for lack of prosecution after one year under Md. Rule 2-507, although the majority of dismissals occur after the answers have been filed.

WARNING

The plan states that 98% of juvenile delinquency cases should reach disposition within 90 days.

Juvenile delinquency cases – 98% should be concluded (adjudicated to disposition) within 90 days;

WARNING

At arraignment, an adjudicatory hearing will be scheduled within 30 days.

At the arraignment hearing, an adjudicatory hearing will be scheduled within 30 days.

WARNINGCivil cases

The Maryland Rules allow additional time to file answers for certain defendants, including out-of-state residents, resident agents, and U.S. government officers or agencies.

The Maryland Rules allow additional time for filing answers by defendants who reside outside of the State of Maryland, resident agents, and officers or agencies of the U.S. government, among others.

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 1 schedules discovery 30 days before trial.

Discovery 30 days prior to trial

WARNING

If a parent who received notice does not appear, the magistrate may schedule an advisement hearing within 14 days of the shelter care hearing.

In those cases where a parent does not appear at the shelter care hearing, after notice of the hearing was provided to the parent, the juvenile magistrate may elect to schedule an advisement hearing to be held within 14 days of the shelter care hearing to advise the parent(s) of the right to counsel and to ensure that the parent(s) has received a copy of the petition.

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 3 schedules completion of discovery motion hearings within 125 days of trial.

Motions Hearings (Discovery) Complete Within 125 days of trial

WARNING

The juvenile clerk schedules the matter for arraignment no later than 30 days from the filing of the petition and places the case on an arraignment docket.

The juvenile clerk schedules the matter for arraignment no later than 30 days from the filing of the petition and places the case on an arraignment docket.

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 2 standard-track trial is scheduled 290 days into the case-management schedule.

290 days

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 2 schedules completion of discovery motion hearings within 90 days of trial.

Motions Hearings (Discovery) Complete Within 90 days of trial

WARNING

An arraignment will be scheduled within 30–45 days after the petition is filed.

An arraignment will be scheduled within 30-45 days of the filing of the petition.

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 1 schedules trial within 120 days from filing.

Trial Within 120 days from filing

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 1 expedited-track pretrial settlement conference is scheduled 100 days into the case-management schedule.

100 days

WARNINGCivil cases

Entry of the order does not extend or pause the time frame for a party to file exceptions.

The entry of the order does not stay the time frame in which exceptions may be filed by a party.

WARNING

If the respondent is found responsible, the disposition hearing will be held immediately after adjudication or scheduled within 30 days.

If a respondent is found responsible for a delinquent act, a disposition hearing will be held right after the adjudication hearing or it will be scheduled within 30 days.

WARNING

The Disposition Hearing is held the same day as the Adjudicatory Hearing but may be delayed for good cause.

Same day as adjudicatory hearing, but for good cause may be delayed.

WARNINGCivil cases

Parties or counsel may request administrative review of a scheduling-order change within 15 days after the order is issued.

Following issuance of the scheduling order, parties or counsel have up to 15 days to request a change of the scheduling order upon administrative review by the County Administrative Judge.

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 2 standard-track pretrial settlement conference is scheduled 200 days into the case-management schedule.

200 days

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 1 expedited-track discovery is scheduled 40 days before trial.

40 days prior to trial

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 1 expedited-track discovery is scheduled 80 days into the case-management schedule.

80 days

WARNING

Exception hearings will be scheduled promptly to avoid delaying finalization of a child’s permanency plan.

Exception hearings will be scheduled promptly to avoid unnecessary delay in finalizing a permanency plan for a child.

WARNING

Any party may request a Writ of Attachment for a parent in custody, and requests should be made at least 14 days before the hearing to allow time for processing and transport.

If a parent is in custody at a correctional facility, any party may request that a Writ of Attachment be issued by the juvenile clerk to secure the presence of the parent for any hearing related to the child. To avoid unnecessary delays, requests for writs should be made at least 14 days before the scheduled hearing to ensure that the correctional facility will have sufficient time to process the writ and transport the parent.

WARNING

Adoption cases have an expected duration of within 180 days from the filing of the Petition for Adoption.

Within 180 days from when Petition for Adoption filed.

WARNINGCivil cases

Track 3 complex-track trial is scheduled 480 days into the case-management schedule.

480 days

WARNINGCivil cases

90 days

90 days

WARNING

If the case is contested, a pre-trial conference and mediation will be scheduled.

If contested, pre-trial conference and mediation will be scheduled.

WARNINGCivil cases

150 days

150 days

WARNING

Parents may file an objection to the guardianship within 30 days after service of the show cause order.

Parents may file an objection to the guardianship within 30 days after the show cause order is served,

INFOCivil cases

Dispositive motions may be filed at any time.

Dispositive motions may be filed at any time.

CRITICALCivil cases

For most circuit court civil subtypes, the defendant must file an affirmative Answer typically within 30 days after receiving a summons, subject to stated exceptions.

The defendant must file an affirmative Answer, typically within 30 days after receiving a summons, for most circuit court civil case subtypes (Md. Rule 2-321). 2 Exceptions include defendants who live outside the State of Maryland, resident agents, officers or agencies of the U.S. government, among others. See Md. Rule 2-321.