St. Mary's County Circuit Court Overview
The Circuit Court for St. Mary's County is Maryland's general-jurisdiction trial court in Leonardtown. It hears jury trials, felony criminal matters, certain misdemeanor matters, major civil cases, family law, divorce, juvenile matters, and appeals from the District Court of Maryland. The Clerk of the Circuit Court maintains the case files and related public records for this court, so record access is split between online case summaries and direct clerk services.
The official Clerk of the Circuit Court page identifies court-file, land-record, license, notary, marriage, civil ceremony, and oath functions. The Circuit Court sits at 41605 Courthouse Drive in Leonardtown. Judges listed by the Clerk are Hon. Joseph M. Stanalonis, County Administrative Judge; Hon. Amy D. Lorenzini; and Hon. Kevin R. Hill. Appeals from the Circuit Court usually go to the Appellate Court of Maryland, with possible further review by the Supreme Court of Maryland.
The Maryland State Archives population table gives statewide county context for St. Mary's County and supports local court planning background.
County context matters because Circuit Court is the broad local trial court for St. Mary's County, while other nearby offices hold different record sets.
St. Mary's County Court Offices
St. Mary's County does not have numbered county trial courts in the Texas sense. The useful local table is the Maryland court and records-office split. It shows where a person should go for Circuit Court case files, lower District Court records, commissioner matters, and probate work. The offices are close in Leonardtown, but they are not interchangeable.
| Court or office | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court for St. Mary's County | General-jurisdiction trial court | 41605 Courthouse Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650 | 301-475-7844 |
| Clerk of the Circuit Court | Circuit Court record custodian | 41605 Courthouse Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650 | 301-475-7844 |
| District Court of Maryland | Limited-jurisdiction trial court | 23110 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650-5831 | 301-880-2700 |
| District Court Commissioner Station | Commissioner and charging access | 23110 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650-5831 | 301-880-2720 |
| Orphans' Court and Register of Wills | Estate and probate records | 41605 Courthouse Drive, Room G008, Leonardtown, MD 20650 | 301-475-5566 |
St. Mary's County Circuit Court Cases
Circuit Court jurisdiction is broad. Criminal files include felony cases, indictments, jury-trial prayers, appeals from District Court, motions, pleas, verdicts, dispositions, and sentencing entries. Civil files can include larger claims, equity matters, judgments, liens, appeals, and matters requiring jury trial. Family files include divorce, custody, child support, protective orders, adoption, and related domestic case activity, though sensitive family and adoption records may be restricted.
District Court remains the first court for many high-volume matters. It handles motor vehicle violations, landlord-tenant cases, replevin, misdemeanors, certain felonies, and civil cases up to $30,000, and it does not conduct jury trials. If a District Court matter is appealed, prayed to jury trial, or indicted at the Circuit Court level, the record path can shift. A person searching for St. Mary's County Circuit Court records should check the court name on the case summary before calling the wrong counter.
| Issue | Circuit Court | District Court of Maryland | Commissioner Station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil limit | Major civil cases and matters outside District Court limits | Civil claims up to $30,000 | Not a civil trial court |
| Criminal jurisdiction | Felonies, certain misdemeanors, jury matters, appeals | Misdemeanors and certain felonies without jury trials | Initial charging and commissioner access |
| Family cases | Divorce, custody, child support, juvenile, adoption where allowed | Limited domestic violence and related District Court matters | Commissioner functions, not family case files |
| Record custodian | Clerk of the Circuit Court | District Court clerk | Commissioner/District Court records as applicable |
St. Mary's County Case Flow
A Circuit Court case can start through a complaint, petition, indictment, appeal, transfer, or jury-trial request. Criminal matters may begin with arrest, citation, District Court commissioner review, or District Court filing before moving to Circuit Court. Civil and family matters usually begin with a filed complaint or petition at the Clerk's Office. The docket then records service, motions, hearings, orders, dispositions, judgments, and appeal activity.
Criminal flow: arrest or charge › commissioner or District Court event › indictment, information, jury trial prayer, or appeal › arraignment › pretrial motions › plea or trial › disposition › sentencing › appeal.
Civil and family flow: complaint or petition filed › service › answer › motions › mediation or settlement activity when ordered › hearing or trial › judgment or decree › post-judgment activity or appeal.
Note: Case Search can show public docket events, but full filings and certified copies must be requested from the custodian.
Search St. Mary's County Circuit Court Records
Circuit Court case summaries are searched through Maryland Judiciary Case Search. Search by case number when possible, or by party name with St. Mary's County and Circuit Court selected. The official FAQ lists St. Mary's Circuit civil coverage from 07/01/1997 and criminal coverage from 03/06/2000. Some criminal records are removed from online display even when courthouse access may remain available.
For full records, use the St. Mary's Clerk contact directory. Department extensions include Criminal ext. 74564, Civil ext. 74562, Juvenile ext. 74587 and 74590, Land Records ext. 74579, 74586, and 74563, Marriage Licenses ext. 74563 and 74580, and Jury ext. 74560 and 74566. Judicial-record requests may be made to the custodian under Maryland Rules 16-901 et seq.
Clerk of the Circuit Court
41605 Courthouse Drive
Leonardtown, MD 20650
Mailing: PO Box 676, Leonardtown, MD 20650
301-475-7844
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
St. Mary's County Circuit Court Dockets
Circuit Court docket access differs from the District Court weekly docket PDF. Case Search can show public hearing dates and docket entries for a specific case, while full calendar questions may require clerk contact. The District Court weekly docket is a separate PDF channel for District Court hearings and includes party name, case number, hearing time, courtroom, and remote-hearing fields. It is updated at 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and remains subject to change.
Missed court dates can create serious consequences, including bench-warrant risk in criminal and traffic matters. District Court and Circuit Court use different phone lines, so a person should first identify which court issued the hearing notice. District Court questions go to 301-880-2700. Circuit Court criminal docket and file questions go through the Clerk's Criminal Department extension.
St. Mary's County Specialty Courts
St. Mary's County has local problem-solving and diversion context that can affect court records. The Adult Recovery Court page identifies a treatment-court team and program roles. Maryland Judiciary materials also reference the Circuit Adult Recovery Drug/DWI Court. These programs do not erase the need to check the official case file, but they explain why a criminal or DUI-related case may include treatment, supervision, and review-hearing entries.
Teen Court is another local program. The county's Teen Court information describes eligible youth offenses and referral channels for certain misdemeanor, traffic, and nonviolent youth matters. Juvenile records remain restricted, so public adult Case Search results should not be used to infer that all youth incidents appear online.
Visit St. Mary's County Circuit Court
The Circuit Court, Clerk, Register of Wills, and Orphans' Court are clustered at the Courthouse Drive courthouse. Jurors report to the Circuit Court at 41605 Courthouse Drive and enter through the main front door, where security personnel direct reporting. The Register of Wills page warns that courthouse visitors must pass security screening and recommends calling first because many needs can be handled by phone, mail, or online.
District Court is nearby but separate. Official District Court directions place it in the Carter State Office Building behind the Governmental Center. From Route 5 south, turn left onto Route 245; from Route 5 north, turn right onto Route 245; then turn right on Baldridge Street. Public transportation includes St. Mary's Transit System routes serving the courthouse area.