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Over the course of the last decade, I've published in excess of 700 articles in the areas of personal injury, criminal defense, workers' compensation and insurance disputes, generally. If you can't find what you're looking for, feel free to contact me to discuss the details of your case and learn how I can help.

What Do These Letters, Abbreviations or Codes Mean On Maryland’s Case Search?

The State of Maryland provides a free, and easily accessible database containing important information about civil and criminal cases, as well as data about liens. Most who use it regularly call it “case search”. The official name is the Maryland Judiciary Case Search. While much of the information is plain and clear, docket entries can contain a byzantine gallimaufry of initials, abbreviations, acronyms and partial words. These entries often confuse lawyers and litigants alike. Ascertaining what those entries mean is sometimes the result of experience, sometimes the result of guesswork tinged with experience, and sometimes just plain guesswork. The best method might not be an anonymous, 2 a.m. post on AVVO, Justia, or other similar services, but rather self-help. It might not be possible, and frequently is not possible, to ascertain the meaning of these arcane acronyms from memory. All is not lost. There is a method to obtain to the answer for the involved person. A routine and frequently asked question is what do all of these codes, letters, and abbreviations mean? As Attorney Eric T. Kirk will tell you.

The State of Maryland provides a comprehensive listing of what each of the codes, letters or abbreviations mean.

Event History Information and comment codes.

Criminal Event Codes

Traffic event codes and descriptions

Civil event codes and descriptions

The State also provides a very detailed glossary of legal terminology.  It takes a little work, but you can easily navigate your way through the system and potentially gain some valuable insight, by simply accessing this readily available information.