Washington County - Judgeships - District Court
HB0493 makes two judicial staffing changes in Maryland. First, it increases the number of resident judges for the Circuit Court in St. Mary’s County from three to four. Second, it increases the number of associate judges in District 11 of the District Court from five to six, while specifying that three of those judges are to be appointed from Washington County rather than two.
The bill amends the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland to revise the statutory judge counts for those jurisdictions. It does not create new courts or alter jurisdiction; instead, it changes the number of authorized judgeships and the county-based appointment allocation within District 11. The act takes effect October 1, 2026.
HB0493 directly changes Maryland law governing the composition of the Circuit Court in St. Mary’s County and the District Court in District 11. By increasing the authorized number of judges, it expands judicial capacity in those areas and may affect case assignment, docket management, and local judicial administration. It also changes the statutory appointment distribution for District 11 by increasing Washington County’s share of associate judges from two to three.
The available record suggests the bill moved forward without recorded opposition in the provided materials. It was enacted as Chapter 474 and approved by the Governor, indicating general legislative and executive support for the judicial staffing changes. No committee transcript or vote details are provided, so the specific debate is not available.
The bill’s only apparent point of contention would be the allocation of additional judgeships between counties and courts, particularly the increase in Washington County’s appointed associate judges and the separate increase for St. Mary’s County resident judges. However, no objections, amendments, or recorded dissent are included in the provided context, so any controversy appears limited or undocumented in the supplied materials.