Are you familiar with Maryland’s court system? Contact Malloy Law Offices, LLC today to learn more!
In Maryland, we have a two-tier trial court system consisting of district court and circuit court. This is Maryland’s state court system, not federal court. In district court you have a bench trial or a judge decides the case. There is no jury trial in district court. Also, discovery is limited to written discoveries. Your lawyer does not have the right to take the other party’s deposition. Also, the other party doesn’t have the right to take your deposition.
For injury cases filed in the state district court in Maryland, there is a mechanism that allows your lawyer and your medical records without a doctor’s presence to testify. This is a very nice feature of Maryland’s state district courts and it can be very useful depending on the facts of your case. Also in district court, the time between the day you filed your district court lawsuit and getting a trial is usually much quicker than at circuit court. By contrast, Maryland’s circuit court allows a jury by trial.
The amount of controversies is not limited meaning you can sue for any event. Your lawyer has more discovery tools available in circuit court. Such as taking depositions of other parties, witnesses, doctors, experts, medical witnesses, and your attorney has the ability to subpoena other parties. In Maryland circuit court, you typically must hire medical expert doctors to testify on your behalf at trial. You also have to comply with Maryland’s pretrial requirements to disclose your medical expert doctor’s opinions in writing. This can be a cumbersome requirement with respect to Maryland’s circuit court, the time between filing your circuit court case and the trial is much longer than at district court.
You and your lawyer should weigh the advantages and disadvantages filing a suit in district court or at circuit court and then decide which court would be the best for you and your case. Here at Malloy Law Offices, LLC, our lawyers are well aware about Maryland’s court system. If you would like to see more on how they handle cases in court, click here. Call (888) 607-8690 for a free consultation.