District Court Schedule

COURT NOTICES

AUGUST DISTRICT COURT SCHEDULE

COVID UPDATE

After careful consideration of the impact of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant, Chief Judge Barbera has issued revised COVID-19 emergency administrative orders, effective Monday August 9, 2021. These orders require masks to be worn by all (except children aged 2 and under), regardless of vaccination status, in state courthouses and judicial facilities located in any Maryland county, or Baltimore City, where there is a COVID-19 community transmission rating by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of substantial or high on any day after August 6, 2021. Additionally, masks shall be required to be worn in state courthouses and judicial facilities by all in such a jurisdiction for a fourteen-day stabilization period upon a return to moderate or low transmission.

Dear Bar Colleagues: Judge Cavanaugh has asked us to send out the following information from the July 14, 2021, Family Division Meeting: Remote and In-Person Settlement Conferences – As a reminder, Settlement Conferences will return to being held in-person, beginning October 18, 2021. However, you may file a Request for a Remote Settlement Conference. If a Request for a Remote Settlement Conference is granted for good cause shown, the Conference will be reset to a new date and time that is available for a Remote rather than an In-Person Conference.

Remote and In-Person Mediation – Annamaria Walsh, Director of the Office of Family Mediation, provided the following policy guidance: “The Office of Family Mediation continues to provide remote mediation services via Zoom for Government. Beginning October 18, 2021, in-person mediation will be an option that is available upon the request of parties/ counsel, with remote mediation continuing as the default option. In cases involving allegations of interpersonal violence, mediations will be conducted exclusively via Zoom for Government.” Standby Settlement Conferences - Central Assignment will call to notify you the day before your trial date if your case is placed on the standby docket. You will then be contacted by a magistrate’s office to schedule a standby settlement conference on your trial date. Standby settlement conferences will depend upon the magistrates’ availability. Standby settlement conferences are designed to resolve or narrow the issues between the parties. After consulting with counsel, the magistrate will determine if the conference will be conducted in person, by Zoom or by conference call. Standby settlement conferences are mandatory – you and your client must participate unless excused. If you wish to be excused from participating, you must file a written request setting forth your good cause reasons for exemption. Magistrates also have the authority to excuse participation, in their discretion, after consultation with counsel.

True Test Copies of Orders – The Clerk’s Office will no longer be sending out True-Test Copies of Orders, only regular photocopies. If a True-Test Copy of an Order is needed, this can be requested from the Copy Center. We were pleased to be informed that Alicia Aybar has been promoted into the position of: Manager, Court Operations, Family Law and Juvenile Departments. On behalf of the Bar, Congratulations Alicia! We all look forward to working with you in your new and well-deserved capacity. Very Truly Yours, Martha White

Bill Levasseur

Bar Co-Liaisons to the Baltimore County Family Division