Differentiated Case Management System

The Circuit Court for Baltimore City schedules civil non-family cases according to its Differentiated Case Management (“DCM”) plan. Under the DCM system, a case is designated to one of eight tracks based on the nature of the claim, the number of parties, and the relief requested.  Under Maryland Rule 2-111, every complaint filed with the Clerk of the Court must include a Civil Non-Domestic Case Information Report.  This Case Information Report is used by the DCM Coordinator to designate the case to a particular track.

Depending on the track, each civil case is given a scheduling order when the case initially becomes “at issue,” i.e., when the first Answer is filed by a defendant.  The scheduling order sets a trial date, a pre-trial settlement conference, and other pre-trial dates, including a deadline for discovery and the filing of dispositive motions, depending on the nature of the case.

More detail on case types assigned to each track is available in the DCM Plan.  The tracks are:

Track 1	Expedited		Trial 30 to 120 days from notice.  Certain non-jury matters.
Track 2	Civil Short		Trial 210 days (seven months) from first Answer. Includes certain jury and non-jury cases with lower damages claims or non-monetary relief.
Track 3	Civil Standard		Trial 360 days (twelve months) from first Answer.  Includes most civil jury cases.
Track 4	Civil Custom		Individualized case management.  Limited to Business & Technology Program cases and certain complex cases specially assigned by the Administrative Judge.
Track 5	Asbestos		Special scheduling orders.
Track 6	Lead Paint		Special scheduling orders.
Track 7	Tax Sale Foreclosure		Special scheduling orders.
Track 8	Mortgage Foreclosure		No scheduling order.