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Mission Statement

The mission of the Circuit Court is to serve Sixth Judicial Circuit residents in the determination of litigation in serious criminal matters, substantive civil cases, domestic cases, and child support cases in accordance with the United States and Maryland Constitutions while administering justice in an honest, fair, and efficient manner.

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Budget Overview

The total recommended FY25 Operating Budget for the Circuit Court is $19,389,766, an increase of $2,223,521 or 12.95 percent from the FY24 Approved Budget of $17,166,245. Personnel Costs comprise 85.22 percent of the budget for 126 full-time position(s) and five part-time position(s), and a total of 128.50 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 14.78 percent of the FY25 budget.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following are emphasized:

  • Thriving Youth and Families
  • Safe Neighborhoods
  • Effective, Sustainable Government

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Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY24 estimates reflect funding based on the FY24 approved budget. The FY25 and FY26 figures are performance targets based on the FY25 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY26.

Program Descriptions

  Administration

The Administrative Office of the Circuit Court serves as a conduit for many operations of the Court. The Court Administrator's role is to facilitate the administrative functions of the Court and to develop policies to enhance systems performance, while maintaining the independence of the Judiciary. Basic functions performed by the...

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  Adjudication

Adjudication encompasses support staff for the Judiciary, Case Management, and Data Quality. Conceptually, this division monitors case assignments (criminal, civil, and family cases), provides expedited case disposition for incarcerated offenders, and provides supervision consistent with the complexity of each case filed. Adjudication and case management improve the efficiency of case...

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  Family Magistrates

Family Magistrates are qualified individuals appointed by the Judges of the Circuit Court to hear family matters and make reports and recommendations based on testimony and analysis of the testimony received at hearings. Family Division Judges continue to review the recommendations, make rulings, and issue orders based on the recommendations...

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  Case Assignment

The Assignment Office schedules and maintains all hearings, trials, and motion dates as well as special event dates for Judges and Family Magistrates of the Court, and ensures that these events are scheduled in accordance with the Court's DCM plans. The Assignment Office maintains all scheduling information related to criminal...

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  Jury

The Jury Office manages prospective and active jurors for civil and criminal proceedings. In accordance with Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings, Title 8, every citizen may serve as a juror and must serve when summoned. The Jury Commissioner and staff dispatch questionnaires to prospective jurors using information gathered from voter...

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  Family Division Services

This program provides a variety of services for children and families, most of them funded by the Family Law Grant. Services include case managers that provide day-to-day management of cases supported by Family Magistrates, Judges, counsel, and litigants; custody mediation involving litigants in an effort to obtain a settlement of...

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  Technical Services

Technical Services is responsible for every aspect of the Court's information systems. The duties of, and services performed, range from installing and maintaining server/PC hardware and software applications to designing and troubleshooting complex computer networks and information databases. The department manages the electronic recording of all courtroom and hearing room...

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  Law Library

The Law Library supports the research activities of the Court, the Bar, and the public, and is the only law library open to the public in Montgomery County. The Library has a comprehensive collection of law, including U.S. statutes and the codes of Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, and local ordinances....

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  Trust and Guardianships

The Trust Office administers the case files for fiduciary entities (primarily guardianships) who are required to comply with the reporting requirements set forth in the Maryland Court Rules, Title 10, Guardians and Other Fiduciaries. The reports required to be filed include the Inventory and Information Report and Annual Fiduciary Report...

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  Grants

The Family Law Grant is funded by the State Judiciary and provides services to families to reduce conflict and introduce the parties involved in litigation to problem-solving techniques to help reduce future litigation. See the Family Division Services Program for a description of the services supported by this grant. The...

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Budget Trends
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Program Contacts

Contact Timothy Sheridan of the Circuit Court at 240.777.9103 or Vivian Ikoro of the Office of Management and Budget at 240.777.2780 for more information regarding this department's operating budget.

Related Links
Budget Summary
TitleActual
FY23
Budget
FY24
Estimate
FY24
Recommended
FY25
%Chg
Bud/Rec
COUNTY GENERAL FUND
EXPENDITURES
Salaries and Wages7778177.008452132.00 8956548.00 9608457.0013.7
Employee Benefits2561703.002864456.00 2828623.00 3061130.006.9
County General Fund Personnel Costs10339880.0011316588.00 11785171.00 12669587.0012.0
Operating Expenses2699161.002549879.00 2597872.00 2552012.000.1
County General Fund Expenditures13039041.0013866467.00 14383043.00 15221599.009.8
PERSONNEL
Full-Time99.0099.00 99.00 99.000.0
Part-Time4.004.00 4.00 4.000.0
FTEs101.23101.60 101.60 101.28-0.3
REVENUES
State Jury Fee Reimbursement567840.001165570.00 1165570.00 1165570.000.0
Miscellaneous Revenues54291.0055230.00 55230.00 55230.000.0
County General Fund Revenues622131.001220800.00 1220800.00 1220800.000.0
 
GRANT FUND - MCG
EXPENDITURES
Salaries and Wages1998101.002306629.00 2306629.00 2926106.0026.9
Employee Benefits674607.00696090.00 696090.00 929002.0033.5
Grant Fund - MCG Personnel Costs2672708.003002719.00 3002719.00 3855108.0028.4
Operating Expenses231835.00297059.00 297059.00 313059.005.4
Grant Fund - MCG Expenditures2904543.003299778.00 3299778.00 4168167.0026.3
PERSONNEL
Full-Time24.0025.00 25.00 27.008.0
Part-Time1.001.00 1.00 1.000.0
FTEs24.2724.90 24.90 27.229.3
REVENUES
State Grants2891866.003299778.00 3299778.00 4168167.0026.3
Federal Grants12676.000.00 0.00 0.000.0
Grant Fund - MCG Revenues2904542.003299778.00 3299778.00 4168167.0026.3
 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
Total Expenditures15943584.0017166245.00 17682821.00 19389766.0013.0
Total Full-Time Positions123.00124.00 124.00 126.001.6
Total Part-Time Positions5.005.00 5.00 5.000.0
Total FTEs125.50126.50 126.50 128.501.6
Total Revenues3526673.004520578.00 4520578.00 5388967.0019.2
FY25 Recommended Changes
TitleExpendituresFTEs
COUNTY GENERAL FUND
FY24 ORIGINAL APPROPRIATION13866467101.60
Changes (with service impacts)
Add: Mid-Year Creation of Mediator Position [Family Division Services]1653371.00
Eliminate: Inactive Evaluator Position [Administration]-92464-1.00
Other Adjustments (with no service impacts)
Increase Cost: FY25 Compensation Adjustment5876150.00
Increase Cost: Annualization of FY24 Compensation Increases5419980.00
Increase Cost: Restore One Time Lapse Increase [Administration]4890000.00
Shift: Personnel Costs from Trial Court Research Grant to General Fund (General Fund) [Administration]78970.05
Increase Cost: Printing and Mail27460.00
Decrease Cost: Motor Pool Adjustment-6130.00
Decrease Cost: Retirement Adjustment-65400.00
Decrease Cost: Annualization of FY24 Personnel Costs-1545350.00
Shift: Personnel Costs for the Family Grant (Grant Fund) to the General Fund [Family Division Services]-185309-0.37
FY25 RECOMMENDED15221599101.28
 
GRANT FUND - MCG
FY24 ORIGINAL APPROPRIATION329977824.90
Federal/State Programs
Add: Mid-Year Creation of a DEI Coordinator for the DEI Grant1065531.00
Add: Mid-Year Creation of an Administrative Aide IV for the ADR Grant897481.00
Enhance: DEI Grant160000.00
Other Adjustments (with no service impacts)
Increase Cost: Annualization of FY24 Personnel Costs4786760.00
Shift: Personnel Costs for the Family Grant (Grant Fund) to the General Fund [Family Division Services]1853090.37
Re-align: Personnel Costs from Trial Court Research Grant to the General Fund [Administration]-7897-0.05
FY25 RECOMMENDED416816727.22
Program Summary
Program NameFY24 APPR
Expenditures
FY24 APPR
FTEs
FY25 REC
Expenditures
FY25 REC
FTEs
Adjudication419114435.50453818335.50
Administration23073588.2330505749.28
Case Assignment141596014.00155464614.00
Family Division Services184963915.27192176315.00
Family Magistrates7699537.006184186.00
Grants331764125.00416816727.22
Jury9583734.009953934.00
Law Library5005243.005276953.00
Technical Services156019612.00168752212.00
Trust and Guardianships2954572.503274052.50
Total17166245126.5019389766128.50
Funding Parameter Items ($000s)
TitleFY25FY26FY27FY28FY29FY30
COUNTY GENERAL FUND
EXPENDITURES
FY25 Recommended15222.00000015222.00000015222.00000015222.00000015222.00000015222.000000
No inflation or compensation change is included in outyear projections.
Labor Contracts0.000000304.000000304.000000304.000000304.000000304.000000
These figures represent the estimated annualized cost of general wage adjustments, service increments, and other negotiated items.
Subtotal Expenditures15222.00000015526.00000015526.00000015526.00000015526.00000015526.000000