Montgomery County Court System

There are various courts which exist throughout the county. Most criminal cases have their original jurisdiction in the District Court of Montgomery County, located either in Rockville or in Silver Spring. The two courthouses handle misdemeanor cases as well as some low-level felony cases, such as felony thefts of amounts over $1000. They also have original jurisdiction over felony cases which are more major in nature.

That jurisdiction exists until either the matters are indicted or the judge finds probable cause at a preliminary hearing to move those cases to the Circuit Court after an indictment. Once the case is in the Circuit Court it is resolved by a judge or a jury in a trial, or will be resolved within the District Attorney’s office. This type of resolution is something short of a trial and occurs through a negotiation process after a settlement is reached that a Montgomery County criminal defense lawyer.

After an Arrest in Montgomery County

When somebody is arrested in Montgomery County they are usually taken to a police station. It could be any number of police stations. There are police stations in Wheaton, Maryland, Silver Spring, Maryland, Gaithersburg, Maryland, Germantown, Maryland, and Rockville, Maryland. So we really have police stations all over the county.
Where somebody is generally taken depends on where the incident took place. An officer will usually be assigned to a particular district within the county and they will take the arrested person to the location which is closest and most likely the place that that police officer works out of on a regular basis.

Important Things to Know

Things that people should know about the Montgomery County court system are that they are in a court system that is extremely complex. It might seem like a straightforward scene that you feel you can resolve yourself, but actually it presents major complexities. People think that they have misdemeanor charges and they are not that big of a deal. They think they can go to the court and resolve them on their own, and they do not need the assistance of a Montgomery County criminal attorney.
However, they do not recognize that oftentimes the exact language used during the course of the resolution can mean the difference between charges being on your record for the rest of your life or charges being eligible for expungement or being taken off your record immediately. It is important to talk with a lawyer who has experience with the court system, understands its nuances, and understands all the parties involved including judges, prosecutors, and police officers so that you can get the best results possible for your case.

District and Circuit Court

The most likely places that you would hear those criminal cases is going to be in the District Court or the Circuit Court of the county. District Court of the county is where misdemeanor cases have jurisdiction. Those are court systems where things like DUI violations, possession of small amounts of controlled or dangerous substances, disorderly conduct and things like that are going to be heard.
When we get into more serious criminal cases like murders, rapes, burglaries, armed robberies those kinds of cases will be heard in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County. This is where we hear primarily felony cases and it is where cases are usually decided by a jury as opposed to a judge.

Where Traffic Matters Are Heard in Montgomery County

There are Motor Vehicles Administrations all over the state and those Motor Vehicles Administrations have hearing facilities at most of the full service locations. In Montgomery County the places where Motor Vehicle Administration hearings are heard is at the Gaithersburg MVA which is just off of Clopper Road in Gaithersburg, Maryland. This is a full service Motor Vehicle Administration facility. There are three different hearing rooms that are occupied by judges and each hearing room will usually handle  anywhere between 18 or 20 Motor Vehicle hearings a day.