St. Mary's County Court Records Search

St. Mary's County criminal court records are held at the Circuit Court at 41605 Courthouse Drive in Leonardtown, where Clerk Debra J. Burch maintains felony case files, serious misdemeanor records, and District Court appeals for this Southern Maryland county. The county applies a $7.50 record search fee in addition to standard copy fees, and the Clerk's Office does not perform criminal background checks. This page covers online access, in-person and mail requests, copy fees, the District Court, and the Sheriff's records process.

St. Mary's County Circuit Court Clerk

Debra J. Burch serves as Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County. Her direct extension is 74567 and the main courthouse phone is (301) 475-7844. The Criminal Department extension is 74564. Court Administrator Tracy Cantrell is at Ext. 74163. Assignment and Case Management staff can be reached at extensions 74101 and 74102. The Family Services Coordinator is at Ext. 74110. For jury information, call (301) 475-3550 or (301) 475-3507, or the toll-free jury recording line at 1-866-SMC-JURY.

The clerk's website at mdcourts.gov/clerks/stmarys lists forms and contact details for the office. St. Mary's County applies a $7.50 record search fee when staff must search for a case on your behalf. If you already have the case number from the online portal, you can reduce the time and cost of your request by including that information upfront.

How to Request Criminal Records

The free Maryland Judiciary Case Search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us is the best starting point for any St. Mary's County criminal court records request. Circuit Court cases from 1998 and District Court cases from 1989 are in the database at no cost, any time. The case search screenshot below shows the Maryland Judiciary portal covering St. Mary's County criminal court records alongside all other Maryland courts statewide.

Looking up the case number in the online portal before you submit a written request will save you the $7.50 search fee, since you can provide the exact case number rather than asking staff to locate it by name.

In-person requests go to the Circuit Court at 41605 Courthouse Drive. Complete a record request form at the clerk's office. Provide the defendant's name and date of birth if you have them along with a valid government-issued photo ID. Staff will pull the file and quote you the total cost. Payment is accepted in cash, check or money order, or by Visa, Mastercard, or Discover.

Mail requests go to: Attn: Criminal Department, P.O. Box 676, Leonardtown MD 20650. Include the case number or defendant name, the specific documents you need, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment. Include a phone number so staff can call you if there are questions about your request or if additional payment is needed. A $7.50 search fee applies if staff must look up the case by name, so include the case number whenever possible.

What Criminal Court Records Contain

St. Mary's County Circuit Court criminal files hold the full record of felony case filings and serious misdemeanor charges handled by this court. A typical file includes the initial charging document or grand jury indictment, bond records setting pretrial release conditions, all pleadings and motions filed by both parties, court orders from the judge during the proceedings, sentencing documents showing the final sentence imposed, and any probation records. Subpoenas issued for witnesses or documents are also part of the file. Warrants issued at any point during the case stay in the record permanently. Cases that went to trial may include transcripts, though those are ordered separately from the court reporter and are not automatically in the case jacket.

Access restrictions follow the same rules as other Maryland courts. Sealed cases require a court order before the clerk can release them. Juvenile proceedings are confidential. If you search the online portal and cannot find what you expect to see, the case may have been expunged under Maryland's expungement laws, or it may involve a juvenile matter that does not enter the public record.

Copy Fees

Standard copies are $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00 plus $0.50 per page for the document. There is also a $7.50 record search fee when staff must search for a case by name, DOB, or other criteria rather than a specific case number. Providing the exact case number when you request records eliminates this fee. Payment is accepted in cash, check or money order, or by Visa, Mastercard, or Discover. Mail requests require a check or money order payable to Clerk of Circuit Court.

St. Mary's County District Court

The St. Mary's County District Court is located in the Joseph D. Carter State Office Building at 23110 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown MD 20650. The main number is (301) 880-2700 and there is a toll-free line at 1-800-943-0091. Administrative Clerk Markisha A. Gross is at (443) 550-6704. County Clerk Dawn M. Dougherty is at (301) 880-2700. Administrative Commissioner Megan C. Harmon-Cooley is at (301) 934-5080. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The District Court handles misdemeanor charges, traffic violations, civil matters under $30,000, and landlord-tenant proceedings. Records from 1989 forward are searchable through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal. When a District Court defendant demanded a jury trial or appealed a conviction, the case moved to the Circuit Court at 41605 Courthouse Drive, where a new file was opened. Always check both courts when searching for records on a specific person, since cases can split across both levels depending on how charges were resolved.

St. Mary's County Sheriff

Sheriff Steven A. Hall leads the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Department. His email is steven.hall@stmarysmd.com. Chief Deputy Shawn L. Moses handles operations at Ext. 8025. The main sheriff's office is at the Patuxent Building, 23150 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown MD 20650, phone (301) 475-8008. The court division of the sheriff's department can be reached at (301) 475-4200. The fax is (301) 475-4658. The department website is at www.firstsheriff.com.

The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office website at firstsheriff.com is shown below, which covers public information resources and guidance on submitting PIA requests for sheriff records including incident reports, arrest records, and criminal investigation documents.

To request sheriff records, submit a Public Information Act request to the department. A valid photo ID is required. Captain Willenborg in Criminal Investigations handles case-specific inquiries at Ext. 1998. The Corrections Division at 41880 Baldridge Street is a separate facility from the main patrol and investigations office. Sheriff records, including incident reports and arrest records, are separate from the court case files held at the Circuit Court clerk's office at 41605 Courthouse Drive. You may need records from both offices depending on what you are researching.

Nearby Counties

St. Mary's County is bordered by two other Maryland counties in Southern Maryland, each with its own Circuit Court and criminal records office.