MESSAGE FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT REGARDING CRIMINAL PLEAS (4/9/21)
This is a reminder that the “all active judges are plea eligible” policy will end on Friday, April 23, 2021. Thereafter the only judges who can hear guilty pleas in criminal cases will be those in the criminal rotation, resolution conference (senior) judges, or the Administrative Judge, provided a plea memo is filed on or before the pretrial date with the appropriate judge.
Consistent with previous policy, a resolution conference may be moved administratively one time via court memo to a date before the pretrial, as long as it is done before the date of the hearing. Thereafter, any continuances of resolution conferences must be approved by the Administrative Judge.
When counsel wishes to clear dates for pleas or sentencings before a resolution conference (senior) judge, they must do so by contacting Ember Sylvester (240-777-9029) or Trina Armstrong (240-777-9030). Do not call the Assignment Office for dates of availability, as they will simply refer you to Ember or Trina. This applies to dates for pleas or sentencings.
Thank you for your anticipated cooperation in this matter.
Robert A. Greenberg, Administrative Judge