The District Court of Maryland is a court of record, which means that all proceedings before the court are recorded. A typed transcript of a proceeding will be produced under certain limited conditions. Electronic recordings or recordings on compact disc format may be requested by anyone.
- Transcripts
- Recordings
- Recordings - District Court Commissioners
- Electronic Records: (Statewide as of 12/2020)
- Making a Request
Transcripts may be obtained only when the person making the request has appealed a District Court judgment in a civil case where the amount of the claim is more than $5,000 ($2,500 if case was filed prior to 10/1/03). In such instances, you must request that a transcript be forwarded to the circuit court.
When you make your request, you must submit a copy of your appeal letter, along with a $75 deposit. The court will prepare one original, which is sent to the circuit court and one copy, which is sent to you.
The cost for a transcript is $3 per page. If your final cost totals less than $75, a copy of the transcript will automatically be mailed to you and the balance of your deposit returned.
If your final cost totals more than $75, the court will bill you. Your copy of the transcript will be released to you upon payment of the bill.
A transcript includes the proceedings in a case. For example, if the judge held a preliminary hearing in the case just prior to the trial, both that hearing and the trial will be transcribed.
Anyone may request a copy of an audio recording of a case, regardless of whether the individual making the request was a party in that case. Requests for recordings must be submitted in writing to the clerk’s office. The cost for the recording is $15 per case.
The District Court uses a data compact disc (CD) format recording system. All recordings will be provided on a CD that can be played back on a Windows-based computer. A party to any case, or the attorney for any party, may be permitted to listen to the recording of the trial of that case, at a time and a place determined by a judge to be appropriate.
Recordings - District Court Commissioners
Proceedings before District Court Commissioners are recorded when an advice of rights to counsel is given to a person charged with a crime, except certain portions of the proceeding that shall be muted. Any malfunction or unavailability of recording does not affect the validity of determinations or actions of the commissioner.
Electronic Recording (Statewide as of 12/2020)
Electronic delivery of recordings by e-mail using Citrix ShareFile. The cost for the recording is $10 per case. Requests are processed on a first come first served basis. Cases heard more than three (3) years ago may not be available.
To request a transcript or recording, you must submit a letter or Request for CD Recording / Transcript (DCA-119) to the District Court location where your case was heard. Your request must include the following information:
• the case number
• the trial/hearing dates
• the names of both parties to the case; and
• your name, address, and phone number
Transcripts are generally completed within 60 days of a request, while recordings are completed within 30 days.
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