Maryland Federal Court Structure at a Glance
Court Locations in Maryland — 28 U.S.C. § 100
The district structure of Maryland is set by statute, quoted below from 28 U.S.C. § 100:
“The Northern Division comprises the counties of Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester, and the City of Baltimore.”
Court locations under the statute:
Court for the Northern Division shall be held at Baltimore, Cumberland, and Denton.
Court for the Southern Division shall be held at a suitable site in Montgomery or Prince George’s County not more than five miles from the boundary of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
Court for the District of Maryland on such date.
Federal White-Collar Cases in Maryland
Federal fraud offenses committed in Maryland are prosecuted in the district where the offense occurred. Jurisdiction is statutory: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.” (18 U.S.C. § 3231).
Circuit assignment is statutory as well. 28 U.S.C. § 41 provides:
“Fourth Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia.”
The Fourth Circuit hears appeals from the district courts in Maryland. The district courts listed above maintain public websites with local rules, judge information, and case-location details; the federal court finder at uscourts.gov also covers Maryland.
The principal federal fraud statutes — mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), wire fraud (§ 1343), and bank fraud (§ 1344) — apply in every federal district. Bank fraud carries a statutory maximum of 30 years: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.” (18 U.S.C. § 1344).
This page is part of the White-Collar Case Law Research Desk reference library. Additional research notes are published as new court decisions are issued.
Primary sources
- 28 U.S.C. § 100 — Maryland (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The Northern Division comprises the counties of Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester, and the City of Baltimore.”
- 28 U.S.C. § 41 — Number and composition of circuits (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Fourth Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 3231 — District courts (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 1344 — Bank fraud (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.”
White-Collar Federal Defense Reference by State
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