COURT OPERATIONS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and following all recommended guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maryland Department of Health. The Bankruptcy Court and the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland have issued orders limiting operations, suspending various proceedings, and extending certain deadlines.

Courthouse Operations / Emergency Matters

The Court is operating in Phase 3 of its recovery plan.  See USDC Standing Order 22-03 for current masking requirements in the courthouse (masks required in courtrooms unless otherwise directed by the presiding judge; masks optional in other public courthouse areas).  All persons entering the courthouse must also be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, or provide a negative COVID-19 test result from a test administered no more than 48 hours prior.  See this Memorandum regarding the Court's Vaccination Policy and USDC Standing Order 2021-15 and USDC Amended Standing Order 2021-16 for more details on requirements to enter the courthouse, including the waiting period following a COVID-19 diagnosis or contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19. 

Most hearings in Bankruptcy Court are being conducted as video conferences on the ZoomGov platform, unless the parties are otherwise notified.  Any parties seeking to have their matter heard “in person” should contact the presiding Judge’s courtroom deputy or chambers, copying all pertinent parties.

Public Intake Open – The Clerk’s Office public intake counters are open Monday through Friday (except for federal holidays) from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

The Clerk’s Office also remains open to the public through telephone access and the after-hours drop boxes located in the lobby of each courthouse.  Drop box hours are Monday through Friday, from 4:00 p.m. until midnight in Baltimore and from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. in Greenbelt.  The Electronic Document Submission System Pilot Program (EDSS) is also available  to self-represented parties who need to file documents with the court as an alternative to mailing or bringing the documents to the courthouse.  CM/ECF will continue to be available for electronic filings.

Any emergency matters, including first day motions as necessary, should be filed consistent with past practice and brought to the attention of the courtroom deputy for the presiding judge or the clerk of court.

Additional Information / Orders

For additional information, please refer to the following links: