430/Maryland Manual

There is a circuit court in each county of the
State, which is a trial court of general jurisdic-
tion. Its jurisdiction is very broad, but generally
it handles the major civil cases and the more seri-
ous criminal matters. The circuit courts may also
decide appeals from the District Court and from
certain administrative agencies.

These courts are grouped into eight geographi-
cal circuits. Each of the first seven circuits con-
tains two or more counties. The Eighth Judicial
Circuit consists of Baltimore City.

Judges of the Baltimore City Circuit Court
were formerly appointed to the Supreme Bench of
Baltimore City. The. Supreme Bench was com-
posed of six courts, each of which exercised a
varying degree of overlapping or separate juris-
diction in relation to the others. As a result of
constitutional amendments ratified by the voters
in November 1980, the six courts of the Supreme
Bench of Baltimore were consolidated. The sepa-
rate courts became the Circuit Court for Balti-
more City on January 1, 1983. This court oper-
ates much like the circuit courts in the other sub-
divisions of the State. Most of the supporting
personnel are grouped in one clerk's office.

Presently, there are 104 Circuit Court judges,
with at least one judge for each county. Unlike
the other three levels of courts in Maryland, there
is no chief judge for the Circuit Court. Instead,
eight circuit administrative judges appointed by
the chief judge of the Court of Appeals perform
administrative duties in each of their respective
circuits, with the aid of county administrative
judges.

Each circuit judge is initially appointed to of-
fice by the Governor and then must stand for
election. The judge's name is placed on the ballot
of the first general election that occurs at least
one year following the vacancy he or she was
appointed to fill. The judge may be formally op-
posed by one or more qualified members of the
bar, with the successful candidate being elected to
a fifteen-year term of office.

DISTRICT COURT OF MARYLAND

Chief Judge: Robert F. Sweeney, 1981

Courts of Appeal Building
Annapolis 21401 Telephone: 269-2412

Margaret Kostritsky, Chief Clerk

District Court Building
Rowe Blvd. & Taylor Avenue
Annapolis 21401 Telephone: 269-3486

District Court

District 1
Baltimore City—22 Judges

Joseph A. Ciotola, Administrative Judge 1986
Edward J. Angeletti 1991
Carl W. Bacharach 1988
James L. Bundy 1984
Hilary D. Caplan 1986
Arrie W. Davis 1991
Daniel Friedman 1991
Sol J. Friedman 1983
Robert J. Gerstung 1990
George J. Helinski 1992
Mabel Houze Hubbard 1991
NealM.Janey 1990
Martin A. Kircher 1983
I. Sewell Lamdin 1984
Harold Lewis 1990
Alan B. Lipson 1991
Richard 0. Motsay 1988
Alan M. Resnick 1984
Henry W. Stichel, Jr. 1986
Blanche G. Wahl 1987
James J. Welsh, Jr. 1984
Mary Ellen T. Rinehardt 1992
William A. Dorsey, Administrative Clerk

District 2

Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester
counties—4 Judges

William B. Yates II, Administrative Judge
Dorchester, 1985
Theodore R. Eschenburg Worcester, 1991
Robert D. Horsey Somerset, 1986
D. William Simpson Wicomico, 1988
Thomas H. White, Administrative Clerk

District 3

Caroline, Talbot, Queen Anne's, Kent, and Cecil
counties—6 Judges

Kenneth A. Wilcox, Administrative Judge
Cecil, 1983
L. Edgar Brown Caroline, 1986
Walter E. Buck, Jr. Cecil, 1991
John T. dark III Queen Anne's, 1988
John C. North II Talbot, 1991
H. Thomas Sisk, Jr. Kent, 1991
Grace Achuff, Administrative Clerk

District 4

Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's counties—3
Judges

Robert C. Nalley, Administrative Judge
Charles, 1991