Maryland Supreme Court

The Court of Appeals of Maryland is the supreme court of the U.S. state of Maryland. The court, which is composed of one chief judge and six associate judges, meets in the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building in the state capital, Annapolis.

The term of the Court begins the second Monday of September. The Court is unique among American courts in that the judges wear red robes. The Maryland Court of Appeals joins the New York Court of Appeals in being the only two state Supreme Courts to bear the name “Court of Appeals” rather than “Supreme Court”.

The court does not sit in panels; all seven judges sit on each case (en banc) unless there is a disqualification, in which event a judge from another court, or a retired appellate judge, may be specially assigned to sit in the place of the disqualified judge. In practice, almost all cases are heard by seven judges, though a quorum for the court is five judges.

While it is generally an Appellate court and hears most cases on appeal, the Court of Appeals has exclusive jurisdiction over certain matters, such as legislative redistricting, removal of certain officers, and certification of questions of law. Additionally, it has exclusive jurisdiction in death penalty appeals.

As the state’s “supreme court,” the Court of Appeals likewise retains original jurisdiction to discipline all attorneys admitted to the practice of law in Maryland. They can impose penalties ranging from reprimands to the ultimate punishment, disbarrment.

Unlike most other states, the jurists on the Maryland Court of Appeals are called judges, not justices. Also unlike most other American federal, state, and local courts, the judges on the Court of Appeals wear red robes and with white cross-collars, reminiscent of British court dress. Judges at all other levels of the Maryland judiciary wear the more customary black robes.

World Justice News show the Court of Appeals of Maryland oral arguments free. For the link to view the Maryland Supreme Court oral arguments please click here to see our daily schedule.