Somerset County Circuit Court
The Circuit Court for Somerset County sits at 30512 Prince William Street in Princess Anne. Official court materials describe it as the local trial court for major civil, serious criminal, juvenile, family, appeal, and jury-trial matters. The courthouse is also historically important. The current structure was built in 1904, and official court service to Somerset County residents dates to 1747. The court describes itself as open to parties, jurors, and members of the public who want to observe court operations.
The building houses the Circuit Court, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Orphans' Court contact point, Register of Wills, civil and criminal records counters, land records, marriage licenses, business licenses, notary authentication, and other court-related services. The Circuit Court division contact page lists the court phone as 410-621-7580 and fax as 410-621-7595. The Clerk's Office main phone is 410-845-4840. TTY users are directed to Maryland Relay 711.
Circuit Court for Somerset County
30512 Prince William Street
Princess Anne, MD 21853
410-621-7580
Clerk: 410-845-4840
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Somerset County Court Table
Maryland has four court levels: Circuit Courts and District Court as trial courts, then the Appellate Court of Maryland and Supreme Court of Maryland as appellate courts. In Somerset County, the Circuit Court is the general-jurisdiction trial court. The District Court is the lower trial court for traffic, landlord-tenant, replevin, misdemeanors, certain felonies, and civil cases within its monetary limits. The Orphans' Court and Register of Wills handle probate estates.
| Court / Office | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court for Somerset County | General-jurisdiction trial court for major civil, serious criminal, family, juvenile, appeals, and jury trials. | 30512 Prince William Street, Princess Anne, MD 21853 | 410-621-7580; Clerk 410-845-4840 |
| Clerk of the Circuit Court | Circuit Court records, civil/criminal files, land records, marriage licenses, business licenses, notary, public commissions. | 30512 Prince William Street, Princess Anne, MD 21853 | 410-845-4840; 800-341-2206 |
| District Court of Maryland, Somerset County | Traffic, landlord-tenant, replevin, misdemeanors, certain felonies, civil claims up to $30,000, no jury trials. | 12155 Elm Street, Suite C, Princess Anne, MD 21853-1348 | 410-845-4700; 1-800-939-7306 |
| Orphans' Court / Register of Wills | Probate estates, wills, personal representatives, minors' estates, and estate records. | 30512 Prince William Street, Princess Anne, MD 21853 | 410-651-1696; 888-758-0039 |
Somerset County Court Comparison
The local court comparison matters because filing in the wrong place can delay access to a docket or complete record. Circuit Court is broad and can hold jury trials. District Court is statewide, local, and limited by subject matter and civil amount. Orphans' Court is Maryland's probate court, with the Register of Wills handling estate filings and estate records. Appeals from District Court, Orphans' Court, and administrative agencies can reach Circuit Court under the rules that apply to the case type.
| Circuit Court | District Court | Orphans' Court / Register of Wills | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main role | General-jurisdiction trial court. | Lower trial court for traffic, landlord-tenant, replevin, misdemeanors, certain felonies, and civil claims within limits. | Probate court and estate filing office. |
| Civil matters | Major civil cases, family cases, appeals, and jury matters. | Exclusive up to $5,000 and concurrent above $5,000 but below $30,000. | Estate administration, wills, caveats, claims, minors' estates. |
| Criminal matters | Serious criminal matters, felonies, appeals, jury-trial requests, certain filings by State's Attorney or grand jury. | Misdemeanors, certain felonies, and traffic-related offenses within District Court jurisdiction. | No general criminal jurisdiction. |
| Jury trials | Yes, where allowed. | No jury trials. | Probate role, not a jury-trial court for ordinary civil or criminal cases. |
| Record path | Case Search summary, then Clerk of the Circuit Court for complete file. | Case Search summary, District Court counter, and traffic payment channels. | Estate Search, Register of Wills, and Orphans' Court records. |
Somerset County Case Flow
A Somerset County case can move between courts depending on the subject, jury demand, appeal, and seriousness of the matter. A District Court traffic or misdemeanor case may stay in District Court if no jury trial or appeal changes the path. A felony or serious criminal matter can be filed or transferred into Circuit Court. A civil matter may begin in District Court if it fits District Court limits, or in Circuit Court if it belongs there by subject, amount, family-law category, or appeal status.
Civil flow: Filing › Service › Answer › Motions › Hearing or trial › Judgment › Post-judgment action or appeal.
Criminal flow: Charge or indictment › Initial court events › Arraignment or plea stage › Pretrial motions › Plea or trial › Disposition › Sentencing or appeal.
Probate flow: Estate opening › Personal representative appointment › Inventory, claims, notices, and account filings › Orphans' Court action if required › Estate closing.
Somerset Circuit Court Personnel
The official Somerset Circuit and District Court pages identify several current judicial and court personnel. Circuit Court County Administrative Judge Daniel W. Powell is listed for Somerset County. Mary Margaret Kent is listed as a visiting Family Law Judge or visiting judge. Magistrate Mark A. Tyler appears on current Circuit Court about and contact pages. District Court materials list Administrative Judge Hon. Melvin J. Jews, Administrative Clerk Constance "Connie" Hurley, and Administrative Commissioner Megan Howell.
These names help distinguish the court levels in public records. Circuit Court personnel appear in serious civil, family, criminal, juvenile, appeal, jury, and specialty-program contexts. District Court personnel are tied to the lower court location that handles traffic, landlord-tenant, misdemeanor, certain felony, and smaller civil matters. The Register of Wills page identifies Hon. Keith B. Ward for Somerset estate filings, which are separate from Circuit Court case files even though the offices share the courthouse address.
Visit Somerset County Circuit Court
The official Circuit Court about page gives driving directions through US-13, Manokin Avenue, Mansion Street, and Prince William Street. From the north, travel south on US-13, turn left onto Manokin Avenue, right onto Mansion Street, and left onto Prince William Street; the courthouse is two blocks ahead on the left. From the south, travel north on US-13, turn right onto Manokin Avenue, right onto Mansion Street, and left onto Prince William Street; the courthouse is two blocks ahead on the left. Parking is available along both sides of Prince William Street, on Somerset Avenue, behind the courthouse, and along Church Street.
The District Court location has its own visitor rules. It is at 12155 Elm Street, Suite C, with public parking in front of the courthouse at no charge. The District Court page says no food or drink are permitted, all entrants must pass through security and metal detectors, and people needing special-needs assistance should contact the court immediately. Shore Transit Route 1 is listed for the District Court. Circuit jury questions go to the Jury Clerk at 410-845-4849, and spoken-language interpreter requests should be filed with the Clerk with enough lead time.
Somerset Court Programs
Somerset County Circuit Court has local problem-solving court programs identified in the research. Adult Recovery Court is treatment-focused and serves criminal defendants whose crimes are driven by addiction. The team includes Circuit Court, District Court, State's Attorney, Public Defender, Somerset County Health Department, Somerset County Detention Center, Division of Parole and Probation, and local law enforcement. It is a post-plea, pre-sentence model with four phases and a 15-to-18-month structure. The program began operation in January 2019.
The Truancy Reduction Court Program is also listed for Somerset County. The research describes it as a four-phase program with a shorter six-to-nine-month structure. These specialty programs can affect docket entries because participants may have status reviews, compliance checks, treatment milestones, or program-related hearings. Adult Recovery Court contact information is listed at the Circuit Court address with phone 410-621-7588. Program participation and eligibility details should be confirmed with the official court office.
Somerset Circuit Case Search
Circuit Court public case summaries are available through Maryland Judiciary Case Search / Case Search & Record Portal. Search by case number when known, or use party names with Somerset County selected. Use court and case-type filters to distinguish Circuit Court records from District Court cases. If a search exceeds 500 records, the FAQ says only the first 500 cases pulled from the database are returned, so a broad name search may miss the target case.
Case Search is not the complete Circuit Court file. Full documents, certified copies, transcript issues, or audio recordings require the court office path. The manifest source for the Somerset Circuit Court transcript and audio-recording request page describes the local request contact and $25 audio CD fee.
The transcript and audio path is separate from public docket lookup; audio CDs are not official transcripts and duplication is prohibited under the researched court notes.