Although Baltimore City Circuit Court has used an electronic filing system for the asbestos docket for a number of years, all other matters have used a paper filing system from the dawn of time. That is now changing. The Maryland Electronic Court (“MDEC”), which made its debut in Anne Arundel County in October 2014, will eventually create a single judiciary-wide integrated case management system that will be used by all courts in the state. Currently, the Circuit and District Courts in Anne Arundel County, the Maryland Court of Appeals, and the Maryland Court of Special Appeals are taking part in MDEC. All attorneys practicing in these courts are now required to electronically file all documents. The initial focus will be on civil, family and juvenile cases with criminal matters going live in January/February 2015.

MDEC will allow the courts to collect, store and process records electronically, and will be able to instantly access complete records as cases travel from District Court to Circuit Court and on to the appellate courts.  

During the implementation of MDEC the Maryland Judiciary Case Search will still exist. Case types that currently appear on Maryland Judiciary Case Search will still be found there, even if the court where the case is filed has transitioned to MDEC.

As part of the MDEC effort, courtrooms in Maryland will be evolving to become “paperless.” The District Court in Glen Burnie has been testing a new audio-visual solution that will allow a courtroom to operate in a paperless environment.

While the MDEC system is still working out some kinks, the plan is to stay focused on Anne Arundel County for approximately six months and then expand to counties in the upper Eastern Shore, lower Eastern Shore and then to Baltimore County and the remainder of the state.