In Maryland, misdemeanors (including traffic cases) and petty offenses/infractions generally are heard in District Court. A case starts with a referral to court by law enforcement, generally following an arrest, or through a complaint. Prosecutors then review cases to determine if the case should proceed or if it should be declined, generally through the decision by prosecutors to "Nolle Pros" the case.

In 2023, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney's Office (BCSAO), in cooperation with local law enforcement, launched a new citation docket to address quality-of-life offenses in Baltimore. Instead of an immediate arrest for quality-of-life offenses, an individual may be given a citation by law enforcement that requires an appearance in District Court. At court, the judge will arraign the case and the BCSAO will offer the individual community service and/or wrap-around services to be completed pending a trial date. If the individual accepts the BCSAO's offer, the prosecutor will dismiss the charges on the next trial date following successful completion of the community service and/or wrap-around services.

This section presents data on cases referred to District Court and cases referred to the citation docket.

Why is this important? The SAO makes decisions based on the cases they receive from law enforcement; they are not responsible for arresting or citing individuals. The office may decide not to file a case for a number of reasons, such as insufficient evidence or when the charges did not rise to the level of a crime. To support community safety, we want to maximize limited resources by focusing on serious crime while minimizing unnecessary punitiveness. Understanding the number and types of cases filed by the SAO helps to ensure we use resources efficiently, effectively, and fairly.