Appellate Court of Maryland
The Appellate Court of Maryland is the intermediate appellate court for the U.S. state of Maryland. The Appellate Court of Maryland was created in 1966 in response to the rapidly growing caseload in the Supreme Court of Maryland. Like the state's highest court, the tribunal meets in the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building in the state capital, Annapolis.
| Appellate Court of Maryland | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1966 |
| Location | Annapolis, Maryland, United States |
| Composition method | Appointment by the Governor of Maryland |
| Authorized by | Md. Courts and Judicial Proceedings Code Ann. § 1-401 |
| Number of positions | 15 |
| Chief Judge | |
| Currently | E. Gregory Wells |
| Since | April 15, 2022 |
The Appellate Court of Maryland originally could hear only criminal cases. However, its jurisdiction has expanded so that it now considers any reviewable judgment, decree, order, or other action of the circuit and orphans’ courts, unless otherwise provided by law. Judges sitting on the Appellate Court of Maryland generally hear and decide cases in panels of three. In some instances, however, all 15 judges may listen to a case, known as an en banc hearing.
A ballot proposal in the 2022 general election asked Maryland voters whether to change the court's name from the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to the Appellate Court of Maryland. The measure was approved by 74.2% of voters on November 8, 2022. It changed to this name on December 14, 2022.