ADR Landscape Alternative Dispute Resolution Landscape: An Overview of ADR in the Maryland Court System Administrative Office of the Courts April 2014 Acknowledgements This report was prepared by the Center for Dispute Resolution at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law (C-DRUM) in collaboration with the Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). This report is connected to a broader study of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in Maryland courts being conducted by the AOC in collaboration with the Bosserman Center for Dispute Resolution at Salisbury University, Community Mediation Maryland, and the Institute for Governmental Service and Research, University of Maryland, College Park, with funding from the State Justice Institute. The report was authored by Toby Treem Guerin, Managing Director of C-DRUM. Others contributing to the project include research assistants Jacob Stone and Edward Emokpae and C- DRUM Director Professor Deborah Thompson Eisenberg. Most importantly, the ADR Landscape would not have been possible without the time and contributions of the various ADR program administrators, administrative judges, and court personnel throughout the state. Particularly the researchers appreciate the continued contributions and input provided by the ADR Research Advisory Committee. Questions concerning this report should be directed to Diane S. Pawlowicz, Executive Director of Court Operations, Administrative Office of the Courts, at 410-260-1725 or via e-mail at [email protected]. i ADR Landscape Table of Contents Table of Contents Acknowledgements ______________________________________________________ i Table of Contents _______________________________________________________ ii Executive Summary _____________________________________________________ vi Introduction ___________________________________________________________ 1 Methodology __________________________________________________________ 2 Definitions ____________________________________________________________ 3 Part One: ADR Process Overview: A Statewide Perspective _____________________ 6 The District Court of Maryland ____________________________________________ 6 CIVIL ADR PROGRAMS _______________________________________________________ 6 CRIMINAL ADR PROGRAMS __________________________________________________ 10 Circuit Courts of Maryland _______________________________________________ 13 CIVIL GENERAL ADR ________________________________________________________ 13 CIVIL DOMESTIC ADR _______________________________________________________ 19 DELINQUENCY ADR _________________________________________________________ 28 Court of Special Appeals ________________________________________________ 31 Part Two: Trends and Themes in ADR Programs _____________________________ 32 Growth of ADR ____________________________________________________________ 32 Circuit Court, Civil General __________________________________________________________ 32 Circuit Court, Civil Domestic _________________________________________________________ 32 Circuit Court, Delinquency __________________________________________________________ 33 District Court, Civil ________________________________________________________________ 33 District Court, Criminal _____________________________________________________________ 34 Other Courts _____________________________________________________________________ 35 Program Evaluation and Quality Control Practices ________________________________ 35 Overview ________________________________________________________________________ 35 The Role of Quality Control _________________________________________________________ 37 Evaluation Practices _______________________________________________________________ 42 Future Evaluation of Court ADR ______________________________________________________ 45 Free and Reduced Fee ADR Services ___________________________________________ 46 Court-subsidized ADR ______________________________________________________________ 46 Pro Bono Services _________________________________________________________________ 49 Partnerships with Non-fee-for-service Providers ________________________________________ 49 Lack of Access ____________________________________________________________________ 50 Data Collection ____________________________________________________________ 51 Funding __________________________________________________________________ 51 Circuit Courts, Domestic and General Civil _____________________________________________ 51 ii ADR Landscape Table of Contents Circuit Court, Delinquency __________________________________________________________ 52 District Court, Civil and Criminal _____________________________________________________ 52 Community Mediation _____________________________________________________________ 53 Part Three: State Appellate and County Summaries __________________________ 54 Overview _________________________________________________________________ 54 COURT OF SPECIAL APPEALS _________________________________________________ 56 ALLEGANY COUNTY _________________________________________________________ 59 Circuit Court- General Civil __________________________________________________________ 59 Circuit Court- Civil Domestic _________________________________________________________ 60 ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY ____________________________________________________ 63 Circuit Court- General Civil __________________________________________________________ 64 Circuit Court- Civil Domestic _________________________________________________________ 66 Circuit Court- Delinquency __________________________________________________________ 69 District Court- Civil ________________________________________________________________ 70 District Court- Criminal _____________________________________________________________ 72 BALTIMORE CITY ___________________________________________________________ 75 Circuit Court- General Civil __________________________________________________________ 76 Circuit Court- Civil Domestic _________________________________________________________ 78 Circuit Court- Delinquency __________________________________________________________ 81 Orphans’ Court ___________________________________________________________________ 83 District Court- Civil ________________________________________________________________ 84 District Court- Criminal _____________________________________________________________ 86 BALTIMORE COUNTY _______________________________________________________ 88 Circuit Court- General Civil __________________________________________________________ 89 Circuit Court- Civil Domestic _________________________________________________________ 91 Circuit Court- Delinquency __________________________________________________________ 93 Orphans’ Court ___________________________________________________________________ 96 District Court- Civil ________________________________________________________________ 97 CALVERT COUNTY __________________________________________________________ 99 Circuit Court- General Civil _________________________________________________________ 100 Circuit Court- Civil Domestic ________________________________________________________ 100 District Court- Civil _______________________________________________________________ 102 District Court- Criminal ____________________________________________________________ 104 CAROLINE COUNTY ________________________________________________________ 106 Circuit Court- General Civil _________________________________________________________ 106 Circuit Court- Civil Domestic ________________________________________________________ 107 CARROLL COUNTY _________________________________________________________ 111 Circuit Court- General Civil _________________________________________________________ 112 Circuit Court- Civil Domestic ________________________________________________________ 113 District Court- Civil _______________________________________________________________ 116 District Court- Criminal ____________________________________________________________ 117 CECIL COUNTY ____________________________________________________________ 120 Circuit Court- General Civil _________________________________________________________ 120 Circuit Court- Civil Domestic ________________________________________________________ 121 District Court- Criminal ____________________________________________________________ 124 iii ADR Landscape Table of Contents CHARLES COUNTY _________________________________________________________ 126 Circuit Court- General Civil _________________________________________________________ 126 Circuit Court- Civil Domestic ________________________________________________________ 129 District Court- Civil _______________________________________________________________ 131 DORCHESTER COUNTY _____________________________________________________ 133 Circuit Court- Civil Domestic ________________________________________________________ 133 FREDERICK COUNTY _______________________________________________________ 135 Circuit Court- General Civil _________________________________________________________ 135 Circuit Court- Civil Domestic ________________________________________________________ 136 District Court- Civil _______________________________________________________________ 139 GARRETT COUNTY _________________________________________________________ 141 Circuit Court- Civil Domestic ________________________________________________________ 141 HARFORD COUNTY ________________________________________________________