For Immediate Release

Maryland Judiciary Expands Electronic Case Filing
in Anne Arundel County

(ANNAPOLIS, Md. – July 30, 2015) – Beginning Monday, August 3, 2015, attorneys will file criminal and traffic cases online in Anne Arundel County as the Maryland Judiciary moves forward to expand its Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) initiative. MDEC is a modern case management system that streamlines court processes and makes case filing more convenient for litigants.

Attorneys have been “e-filing” civil cases since the MDEC Anne Arundel County pilot program launched in October, 2014. Mandatory e-filing for attorneys originally applied only to Anne Arundel County civil cases in the District Court and Circuit Court, as well as appellate civil filings at the Court of Special Appeals and the Court of Appeals in cases that originated in Anne Arundel County. This latest action expands the program to include criminal and traffic cases in Anne Arundel County.

“The Maryland Judiciary is forward thinking. We focus continuously on improving our systems,” said Mary Ellen Barbera, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of Maryland. “We are working to modernize the way we manage our court records. MDEC is helping us to eliminate our reliance on paper files, improve the transfer of records as cases progress through the system, and make our courts more accessible to litigants.”

As of Monday, August 3, 2015, Anne Arundel District Court, Anne Arundel Circuit Court, the Court of Special Appeals, and the Court of Appeals no longer will accept paper filings from attorneys in Anne Arundel County cases. Maryland Rule 20-106(b), however, sets out the circumstances in which a person may be excused from the e-filing requirement. Nonpayment of rent cases filed under Maryland Code, Real Property, Section 8-401, will continue to be exempt from mandatory electronic filing until further notice.

To help attorneys and their staff prepare for e-filing, the Maryland Judiciary hosted preview sessions earlier this summer, sent informational emails, and provided webinars and online video tutorials. More information about MDEC and e-filing is available on the Maryland Judiciary website: http://mdcourts.gov/mdec/index.html and http://mdcourts.gov/mdec/efiling.html.

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