Committee on Access to Court Records

Maryland Rules on Access to Court Records - Title 16, Chapter 1000
  • Notes from Open Meeting held 2/9/06 re Victim/Witness Information in Court Records
  • Access Rules Implementation Committee - Final Report (8/29/05) in PDF
  • Interim Report on Child Abuse and Neglect (July 2005) in PDF
  • Interim Report on Disclosure of Victim/Witness Information in Word Perfect and Word. (Hearing held by the Court of Appeals on 6/14/05 to consider the Interim Report.)
  • Written comments submitted concerning the proposed new rules.
  • Stylized version of  Proposed New Rules 16-1001 through 16-1011, developed by the Rules Committee's Style Subcommittee - will be used by the Court during discussions in the open meeting on February 9th.
  • On November 17, 2003, the Court Committee offered to the Court of Appeals proposed new Rules 16-1001 through 16-1011 to govern public access to court records. Interested parties were invited to send written comments before January 12, 2004.
  • On January 6, 2003, the Court of Appeals deliberated on the Final Report of the Committee on Access to Court Records and considered the testimony provided at the December 9th public hearing.  After the Court's discussion, Chief Judge Robert Bell asked Court of Appeals' Judges Battaglia and Wilner (Court Committee) to join him in making recommendations to the Court about how to proceed.
  • On December 9, 2002, the Court of Appeals held a public hearing to consider the Final Report of the Committee on Access to Court Records. 
Final Report of the Committee on Access to Court Records

Final Draft Report issued 2/5/02 

MEETINGS:

October 25 Committee meeting summary.
September 24 Committee meeting summary and subcommittee reports.
July 5 Committee meeting summary.
April 23 Committee meeting summary.

Subcommittee reports available in PDF.

Subcommittee Updates in PDF.

The Committee participated in an educational seminar on Privacy and Access Involving Criminal Justice Records held May 29, 2001.  Keynote Speaker was Robert R. Belair, Task Force Chairman, General Counsel to SEARCH, and CEO, Privacy and Legislative Associates.  His presentation - Final Report of the Task Force on Privacy, Technology and Criminal Justice Information is available in PDF.  A panel discussion followed the presentation.  In addition to Mr. Belair, panelists included Rebecca Daugherty, Director, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Steve Emmert, Director of Government and Industry Affairs, Lexis-Nexis, and Tom Henderson, Executive Director of Court Association Services, National Center for State Courts.