Search Somerset County Felony Records

Somerset County felony records are handled by the Circuit Court in Princess Anne, a small but fully operational court serving one of Maryland's least populated counties with about 24,000 residents. Despite the small population, the court maintains complete records of all felony cases filed in the county, including charges, proceedings, and final dispositions. Records are searchable for free through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal, and physical documents can be requested from the clerk's office at the courthouse on Prince William Street. This guide walks through where to find records, how to request them, and what Maryland law says about public access and expungement.

Somerset County Circuit Court Felony Records

The Somerset County Circuit Court is located at 30512 Prince William Street, Princess Anne, MD 21853. The clerk's office can be reached at (410) 845-4840 and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All felony cases in Somerset County are processed here. That includes drug distribution and trafficking charges, assault, robbery, weapons offenses, burglary, and other crimes that fall outside the jurisdiction of the District Court.

To view or get copies of records at the courthouse, visit the clerk's office and give the defendant's full name and date of birth, or the case number if you have it. Staff can pull the docket sheet, which lists every event in the case, as well as specific documents like the charging indictment, any plea agreement, and the sentencing order. Paper copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies run $5.00 each. You can also make a written records request by mail to the Prince William Street address, but include as much detail as possible to avoid back-and-forth correspondence.

Somerset is a small county court. The docket volume is much lower than in larger jurisdictions like Baltimore or Montgomery. That often means staff have more time to assist with records requests, and older archived cases are generally accessible without excessive wait times. Still, calling ahead at (410) 845-4840 is a good idea if you are coming from out of the area to access specific records.

Online Case Search for Somerset County

The Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal at casesearch.courts.state.md.us covers Somerset County Circuit Court and District Court records. The site was updated with a new interface on February 5, 2024. You can search by person name, case number, or attorney. Somerset County Circuit Court cases carry the "CT" prefix. District Court cases from the county, filed at 11703 Baptist Church Road, Princess Anne, MD 21853, phone (410) 651-0360, use the "5D" prefix.

The Maryland Judiciary Case Search tool provides free online access to Somerset County felony case records, with docket entries, charge information, and case status available for all public criminal cases.

The portal returns up to 500 results per query. For Somerset County, searches typically return a manageable number of results given the low case volume. When you find a case, clicking the case number opens the full docket with every hearing date, document filing event, and status update from opening through final disposition. Case outcomes like acquittals, dismissals, guilty verdicts, and sentences appear in the docket events.

Not all documents are available online. The Case Search shows docket entries and case status, but the actual text of documents, such as the charging indictment or the sentencing order, often requires a clerk request. For MDEC cases, some document access is possible through the MDEC portal at mdecportal.courts.state.md.us. Somerset County's MDEC implementation status may vary, so check with the clerk at (410) 845-4840 if you need clarification on whether a specific case is in the electronic system.

What Somerset County Felony Records Show

Somerset County felony case records contain several types of information. The charging document sets out the specific crimes alleged and the Maryland code sections violated. The docket is the running log of every court event, from the defendant's first appearance through final disposition. It shows continuances, attorney changes, motion filings, hearing outcomes, and trial results.

Records also reflect bail and bond decisions made at the initial appearance, any modifications to bail conditions, plea agreements between the defendant and the State's Attorney, and all sentencing details. Sentencing orders specify prison or jail time, probation terms, fines, court costs, restitution to victims, and any conditions like drug treatment or community service. If the case went to trial, the verdict form or judge's written findings are part of the record.

Some information is restricted. Juvenile cases are confidential under Maryland law. Expunged records are removed from all public access points. Records sealed by court order are not available. Some exhibits entered during trial, such as photos or medical records, may be restricted if the court so orders. Pre-sentence investigation reports prepared by the Division of Parole and Probation are typically not public. The clerk can advise whether a specific document in a given case is available before you make a formal request.

Somerset County Sheriff Records

The Somerset County Sheriff's Office is located at 30512 Prince William Street, Room 207, Princess Anne, MD 21853, phone (410) 651-1712. The Sheriff is the main law enforcement agency for Somerset County. Arrest records, booking information, and incident reports from the Sheriff's Office are held by the law enforcement agency, not the court, and must be requested separately from court records.

To get an arrest report, submit a written MPIA request to the Sheriff's Office at the Prince William Street address. Describe the incident by date, the name of the person arrested, and the incident number if you have it. The office has 30 days to respond. Some information may be withheld if the investigation is ongoing or if release would identify a confidential informant or put a witness at risk. Routine completed-case requests are usually handled without issue.

The State's Attorney's Office for Somerset County is at 30512 Prince William Street, Room 206, Princess Anne, MD 21853, phone (410) 651-0860. The SAO prosecutes all felony cases in the county. The State's Attorney's internal files are not generally available to the public, but documents they file with the court, like charging informations and plea agreements, become part of the public court record accessible through the clerk's office.

Maryland's District Court in Princess Anne handles lower-level criminal matters and preliminary felony hearings for Somerset County. District Court records are also searchable through the statewide Case Search portal.

MPIA and Record Access Rights

Maryland's Public Information Act, found at marylandattorneygeneral.gov and codified under Criminal Procedure §§ 4-101 through 4-601, gives any person the right to inspect or copy most government records in Maryland. This includes arrest records, court administrative records, and other records held by Somerset County agencies. You don't need to justify why you want a record.

Requests must be in writing. The agency has 10 days to acknowledge and 30 days to fulfill or deny with explanation. The first two hours of staff time finding records are free. Copies cost $0.50 per page. If an agency denies your request, it must cite a specific statutory exemption in writing. You can appeal to the Public Access Counselor at the Office of the Attorney General, which reviews denials at no charge and issues advisory opinions.

For court records specifically, Maryland Rules 16-901 through 16-912 govern access to judicial branch records. The rules presume public access to court records subject to specific exceptions. If you are denied access to a court record by the clerk's office, you can file a petition with the court under Rule 16-912 to ask for a formal review of that access determination. This is different from an MPIA appeal and is handled by the circuit court judge.

Maryland Felony Record Laws

Criminal Procedure § 10-101 defines what Maryland considers a criminal record: descriptions and notations about arrests, charges, detentions, indictments, and all dispositions. Section 10-109 requires all criminal justice agencies, including Somerset County's Sheriff and State's Attorney, to report criminal history data to CJIS.

CJIS at 6776 Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, MD 21215, phone (410) 764-4501, maintains a statewide criminal history database that is more comprehensive than what is visible through Case Search. Personal record checks cost $38. The CJIS database pulls from all agencies and courts across Maryland, making it the most thorough source for a complete felony history. Law enforcement agencies, courts, and some licensed entities can also query CJIS for authorized purposes.

Maryland Rules 16-901 through 16-912 provide the statewide framework for court record access. These rules apply uniformly to all Maryland circuit courts, including Somerset's. The rules define what constitutes a court record, establish the general right of public access, set out what categories of information must be redacted before release under Rule 16-906 (like Social Security numbers and certain financial account data), and explain the process for requesting restricted records. Rule 16-912 allows a person to petition the court for access to records that the clerk or an agency has withheld.

Expungement in Somerset County

Maryland's expungement statute, Criminal Procedure §§ 10-300 through 10-306, allows some felony records to be cleared. If a felony charge ended in an acquittal, dismissal, or nolle prosequi, you may be eligible to file for expungement relatively quickly. If you were convicted of a qualifying felony, you must wait 15 years from the date you finished your full sentence, including any supervised release or probation. Serious crimes such as murder, first-degree sexual offense, and certain other violent felonies are permanently excluded from expungement.

Senate Bill 432, effective October 1, 2025, expanded what felony convictions qualify in Maryland. Some offenses that were ineligible before may now qualify after the 15-year wait under the new law. If you or someone you know was turned away from expungement in the past, that status may have changed.

To file in Somerset County, get form CC-DC-CR-072 from the Circuit Court clerk at 30512 Prince William Street or from the Maryland Judiciary website online. Complete the form and file it with the clerk along with your petition. The State's Attorney's Office at (410) 651-0860 will be notified and has 30 days to object. If there is no objection, the court usually grants the expungement without a hearing. Once granted, the record is removed from Case Search and from most agency databases. Legal aid services in the Lower Eastern Shore area can help if you need assistance with the forms or determining eligibility.

Nearby Maryland Counties

Somerset County borders Wicomico County to the north and east. Wicomico has a larger Circuit Court in Salisbury and felony records accessible through the same Maryland Judiciary Case Search system.