Talbot County
Talbot County, formed in 1661 in the eastern part of Maryland, has approximately 37,526 people living on 268.6 square miles of land. With its county seat in Easton, Talbot County consists of five municipalities, and it is the 21st largest county in the state by total area.
The judicial system in Talbot County comprises the Circuit Court, District Court, and Orphans' Court. Talbot County Circuit Court, operating under the state's 2nd Judicial Circuit, oversees serious criminal cases like felonies and major civil cases with claims exceeding $30,000. It sometimes shares authority with the District Court on civil cases involving claims ranging between $5,000 and $30,000. Domestic violence, juvenile, and other family law cases, such as delinquencies, custody, guardianship, and child support, as well as matters related to titles to property and foreclosures, also fall under the Talbot County Circuit Court's jurisdiction. It handles both jury and non-jury trials and also hears appeals from the District and Orphans' courts.
Talbot County District Court handles the highest caseloads in the county. It generally decides civil cases limited to $30,000 or less and has exclusive jurisdiction over small claims up to $5,000. Additionally, the District Court handles criminal cases like misdemeanors and specific felonies. It also sits on cases related to domestic violence, landlord-tenant disputes, replevins, and traffic violations. Talbot County Orphans' Court's jurisdiction covers probate cases, such as wills and administration of decedents' estates. Some guardianship matters are also handled by the Orphans' Court.
In Talbot County, legal papers and information collected during normal court processes constitute court records. They include warrants, petitions, summons, evidence, affidavits, transcripts, and court orders, typically maintained by the clerks of respective courts. The Circuit Court's case records are kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Most Talbot County court records, except juvenile, expunged, shielded, and sealed records, are publicly accessible.
Some of the public court records in Talbot County are:
- Civil Records
- Criminal Records
- Probate Records
- Family Law Records
Interested individuals may search Talbot County court records online through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal. The case number is required to perform this online search. Alternatively, interested persons may obtain court records in person from the local courts where the cases were heard.
