Charles County District Court (2024)

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Charles County Courthouse
11 Washington Ave, PO Box 3070
La Plata, MD 20646

Phone: 301-934-5110

Online Court Resources

Resources for the Charles County District Court as well as online resources applicable to courts generally in Charles County, Maryland, and resources applicable to all courts inMaryland.

Search court case records

Court Case Records

Search Maryland Circuit and District Court civil, criminal and traffic case records by party name, party type, case type, court type, county, filing date, and case number.

Published opinions and orders

Attorney General Opinions

View official opinions of the Maryland Attorney General by year, opinion number, and topic.

Forms and related information

Court Forms

View and download Maryland Circuit and District Court forms including civil, family, criminal, traffic, protective order, and expungement.

Online fine payments

Pay Charles County Parking and Red Light Camera Tickets

Pay Charles County parking and red light camera tickets online, and view red light camera ticket evidence.

Pay Maryland Traffic Citations

Pay Maryland District Court Uniform Traffic Citation payments online. A fee applies.

Self help, legal research, general information

Charles County Law Library

View information about the Charles County Law Library, including location, hours, available resources, and an online catalog.

Charles County State's Attorney Information

The Charles County State's Attorney's Office offers information about the criminal process, answers to frequently asked questions, and information for crime victims and witnesses. Links are in the left column.

Charles County Teen Court

View information about Charles County Teen Court, an alternative court of peer review for young offenders.

Charles County Victim Help

The Charles County Sheriff's Office offers information about its services for crime victims, including the Local Crime Victims Fund, victims' rights, victim notification, and instructions for obtaining a peace or protective order.

District Court Alternative Dispute Resolution

View information about Maryland District Courts Alternative Dispute Resolution programs, which include mediation and settlement conferences and can help parties resolve disputes without going to trial.

District Court Criminal Cases

View information about criminal cases in Maryland District Courts, including how to file a criminal complaint, case procedure, and expungement of criminal records.

District Court Self-Help

View information about available services for self-represented parties in civil cases at the District Court Self-Help Center, including a live chat service.

District Court Self-Help Brochures

View and download brochures in English or Spanish about types of District Court cases, including small claims, collecting a judgment, landlord-tenant, criminal, family, domestic violence, interpreters, mediation, traffic, and transcripts.

District Court Traffic Cases

View information about traffic cases in Maryland District Courts, including plea options, fine payments, types of citations, court procedure, and records.

Small Claims

View information about small claims cases in Maryland District Courts, including monetary limit, filing instructions, mediation, case procedure, and collecting a judgment.

Domestic Violence Information

View information for victims of domestic violence, including instructions for obtaining a protective order or peace order, links to shelters and other resources, and hotlines.

Expungement Information

Find instructions and forms for expunging records from court, police, and motor vehicle files.

Foreclosure Prevention Help

The HOPE Initiative offers information and resources for homeowners facing foreclosure, including Attorney General settlement, counseling, mediation, an online research library, a foreclosure prevention workshop, and a toll-free hotline.

Mediation Information

View information about mediation, which can help parties resolve disputes without going to trial. Links to additional resources and rosters of approved mediators are also provided.

Victim Help

The Maryland Attorney General offers information about services available to crime victims, with links to the Victim Services page of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, The Maryland Crime Victims Resource Center, and the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention which has victims' rights brochures and forms.

Attorney General Legal Information

The Maryland Attorney General offers legal information on a variety of legal topics, including consumer issues, health policy, business, and more. An advance directive (living will) form is included.

Consumer Protection

The Maryland Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division offers instructions and forms for filing a consumer complaint, answers to frequently asked questions, consumer tips and publications, and information about mediation and arbitration, identity theft, home construction, vehicles, recalls, health, and other consumer issues.

Free Mediation Services

View a directory of Community Mediation Centers in Maryland offering free mediation services, organized by county.

Glossary of Legal Terms

Find definitions of commonly used legal terms.

Housing Case Information

View information about landlord/tenant and foreclosure cases in Maryland courts, with links to forms, brochures, and additional online resources.

Legal Research Topics

The People's Law Library of Maryland offers information about various legal topics including consumer, criminal, domestic violence, education, employment, family law, benefits, health, housing, motor vehicles, senior issues, wills and estates, youth law, court procedure, forms, case filing, and more. An ask-a-librarian service by e-mail is also available.

Senior Legal Issues Resources

The Maryland Attorney General offers a free consumer guide that can be downloaded or ordered, and additional information on topics of interest to seniors, including financial exploitation, telemarketing fraud, nursing homes, and end-of-life care.

State Bar Legal Information

The Maryland State Bar Association offers brochures on a variety of legal topics including senior issues, consumer, family, employment, health benefits, juvenile court, lawyers, traffic, arrest, and wills and estates.

State Law Library

View information about the Maryland State Law Library, including location, hours, an online catalog, available materials and services, links to legal research resources and local law libraries, and an Ask-a-Librarian service by telephone and e-mail.

State Statutes and Rules

Search the Maryland Code, Constitution, and court rules by keyword, or browse by table of contents.

Legal aid, free services, lawyer referral

Public Defender

View information about the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, which provides criminal defense services to defendants who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Local office contacts and application instructions are included.

Attorney Complaints and Discipline

The Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission offers instructions for filing a complaint against an attorney, forms, and summaries by year of disciplinary actions against sanctioned attorneys.

Attorney Fee Disputes

View contact information for attorney fee disputes, including the The Maryland State Bar Association and local bar associations.

Find Legal Help Resources

The People's Law Library of Maryland offers information on getting legal help, including free services, mediation, and self-help programs. Links to legal clinics, hotlines, information about lawyers, forms, legal research, and case filing instructions are also available.

Free and Low-Cost Legal Assistance

The People's Law Library of Maryland provides a list of organizations that offer free and low-cost legal services to eligible clients, with contact information and links.

Lawyer Directory

Search the Maryland State Bar Association directory of member attorneys by name, city, county, practice area, admission state, and section membership.

Lawyer Referral Services

View contact information for lawyer referral services by county.

Legal Aid

Maryland Legal Aid provides free legal assistance in civil matters to income-eligible residents. Income guidelines, types of cases handled, an online intake application, and information about additional service providers are included.

Maryland Attorneys

Search an index of active Maryland attorneys in good standing by name.

Volunteer Lawyers

The Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service provides income guidelines, counties served, types of cases handled, and an online application form for free or low-cost legal assistance. Links to clinics and local providers are also available.

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FAQs

What cases do district courts hear the most? ›

District courts hear nearly all categories of federal civil and criminal cases. The United States district courts are the trial courts of the federal court system. Within limits set by Congress and the Constitution, district courts have jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories of federal civil and criminal cases.

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Which is the most powerful court in the state of Maryland? ›

The Supreme Court of Maryland is the State of Maryland's highest court. The Supreme Court hears cases primarily by way of certiorari, a process that gives the Court discretion to hear appeals where it concludes that doing so is desirable and in the public interest.

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How long do you have to answer a complaint in Maryland circuit court? ›

The person served with the complaint has 30 days to answer, if they are served in Maryland; 60 days to answer, if they are served out of this State; and 90 days to answer, if they are served outside the United States. If the person served fails to answer in the time allowed, you may request an Order of Default.

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How do you respond to a complaint in Maryland District Court? ›

In the Maryland district court, a defendant must respond to a complaint by filing a notice of intention to defend within 15 days after service of the complaint (Md. Rule 3-307). However, a defendant has 60 days to file the notice if the defendant is: ∎ Served outside of the state.

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Is District Court worse than local court? ›

The district court is more formal, will require more court appearances by the defendant, it has more procedural safeguards and it has the ability to have trials to a jury. There are advantageous and disadvantages to having your case heard in the district court depending on whom you choose to be the fact finder.

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Which court in Maryland holds trials for the most serious cases? ›

Circuit Court

Circuit Courts generally handles more serious criminal cases, major civil cases, including juvenile and other family law cases such as divorce, custody and child support and most cases appealed from the District Court, orphans' courts and certain administrative agencies.

What's the difference between Circuit Court and District Court in Maryland? ›

The District Court does not conduct jury trials. In those instances where a party to a case is entitled to and requests a jury trial, the case is moved to a circuit court. As a result, civil claims for between $5,000 and $30,000, and certain criminal offenses can be heard in either District Court or circuit court.

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What happens if you fail to respond to a complaint? ›

Whether in state court, federal court or arbitration forums, a defendant in a civil action who does not file a response to the complaint against them within the time set forth by law effectively forfeits their right to defend the action.

Do you have to be served in person in Maryland? ›

The party you are serving must receive the documents personally. They must sign for the mail or receive the documents in person. There is one exception. The person delivering the documents in person may leave the papers with an adult resident of the other party's home.

What is the counterclaim rule in Maryland? ›

A party may assert as a counterclaim any claim that party has against any opposing party, whether or not arising out of the transaction or occurrence that is the subject matter of the opposing party's claim.

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What not to do when responding to a complaint? ›

Table of Contents

Don't Be Confrontational.
Don't Get Defensive.
Don't Take the Complaint Lightly.
Don't Dismiss Their Concerns.
Don't Write a Complicated Response.
Don't Delete Complaints.
Don't Alter Content.
Don't Acknowledge or Repeat PHI.

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Dec 1, 2021

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What makes a good complaint response? ›

Use bold headings to structure the response around the details of the complaint. It is also important to give an explanation of what evidence you have looked at and what your conclusions are. Ensure that, when you signpost a customer to the Legal Ombudsman, the information is clear and easy to find.

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What is the final response to a complaint? ›

What a good final response letter includes

Step 1: Set out the issues complained about and what the person wanted. ...
Step 2: Explain how you looked into the complaint. ...
Step 3: Present the evidence you considered. ...
Step 4: Explain the outcome and whether something went wrong.

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Which case would most likely be heard in US District Court? ›

The U.S. district courts are the trial courts of the federal court system. The district courts can hear most federal cases, including civil and criminal cases. There are 94 federal judicial districts in the United States and its territories. Each district includes a U.S. bankruptcy court.

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What is the most common type of cases the court hears? ›

Most common—roughly two-thirds of the total—are requests for review of decisions of federal appellate or district courts.

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What three types of cases do US district courts try? ›

More specifically, federal courts hear criminal, civil, and bankruptcy cases. And once a case is decided, it can often be appealed.

What type of cases are heard most frequently in municipal courts? ›

The National Center for State Courts defines a municipal court as a “stand-alone trial court of limited jurisdiction that may or may not provide jury trials and that is funded largely by a local unit of government … the principal and most common 'case' types of these courts include traffic and ordinance violations, ...

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