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Circuit Court For Baltimore County in Towson, Maryland

Amar S. Weisman Practices Family Law in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, 401 Bosley Avenue, Towson, MD 21204

The Law Offices of Amar S. Weisman and Amar S. Weisman regretfully notes the recent passing of the Honorable Justin King, who was a very thoughtful, considerate, and personable judge whom all lawyers I know enjoyed appearing before.
The Law Offices of Amar S. Weisman has been located near the Circuit Court for Baltimore County since it was founded in December 2007. Amar S. Weisman has litigated more than 700 cases in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, County Courts Building, which is a trial Court of general jurisdiction as defined by MD Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings 1-501, that hears most family law matters including:

The family division of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County is governed by the Differentiated Case Management Plan which is periodically updated to meet the needs of litigants. The divisions of the Court include:

The Judges of the Circuit Court
The Assignment Office
The Clerk of the Circuit Court
The Digital Recording Office
The Family Division Magistrates
Family Support Service
The Office of the Court Psychiatrist
The Office of Family Mediation
The Law Library
Office of Family Mediation

Links Related tot Family Law and the Circuit Court for Baltimore County

Organization of the County Courts Building

Please note that Scheduling Conferences are conducted remotely via Zoom with the Family Law Magistrates. The Circuit Court has recently added several new and highly qualified Family Law Magistrates, including Magistrate Paliath, Magistrate Polley, Magistrate Farace, and Magistrate Parvizian. What this means, on a practical level, is that the judicial officers on the Circuit Court for Baltimore County are among the most experienced jurists in Maryland and the region.

FLOOR	ROOM NUMBER	DESCRIPTION
GR	Main Entrance	Closed due to Security
GR	Sheriff	R. Jay Fisher, Sheriff
GR	Child Support	Child Support Hearings
1ST	Main Entrance	Mandatory Security
1ST	Bar Association	Important Local Organization.
2ND	Law Library	Open To Public 830AM-430PM
2ND	Clerk/File Room	Civil/Criminal/Family Filing; Copy Center.
2ND	Deed Recording	Opposite Family Filing Window
3RD	Courtroom No. 2	The Honorable Colleen A. Cavanaugh
3RD	Courtroom No. 3	The Honorable Garrett Glennon
3RD	Courtroom No. 4	The Honorable Patricia M. DeMaio
3RD	Courtroom No. 5	The Honorable Wendy S. Epstein
3RD	Courtroom No. 6	The Honorable Marc A. DeSimone, Jr.
3RD	Courtroom No. 7	The Honorable James L. Rhodes
3RD	Courtroom No. 8	The Honorable Michael S. Barranco
3RD	Courtroom No. 9	The Honorable Paul J. Hanley.
3RD	Courtroom No. 10	The Honorable Keith R. Truffer.
3RD	Courtroom No. 11	The Honorable Nancy M. Purpura
3RD	Courtroom No. 12	The Honorable Julie L. Glass
3RD	Courtroom No. 13	The Honorable Michael Finifter.
4TH	Courtroom No. 14	The Honorable Judith C. Ensor
4TH	Courtroom No. 15	The Honorable Sherrie R. Bailey
4TH	Courtroom No. 16	The Honorable Jan Marshall Alexander
4TH	Courtroom No. 17	The Honorable Dennis Robinson, Jr.
4TH	Courtroom No. 18	The Honorable Robert E. Cahill, Jr.
4TH	Courtroom No. 19	The Honorable Stacey A. Mayer
4TH	Courtroom No. 20	The Honorable Andrew M. Battista
4TH	Courtroom No. 21	The Honorable Thomas R. Tompsett, Jr.
GR	Hearing Room A	Family Magistrate Katherine Woods.
GR	Hearing Room B	Family Magistrate James Farmer.
GR	Hearing Room C	Family Magistrate Carrie Polley
4TH	Hearing Room D
4TH	Hearing Room E	Magistrate Adams
4TH	Hearing Room F	Family Magistrate Dilip Paliath
4TH	Hearing Room G	Family Magistrate Michael McBee
5TH	Room No. 507	Settlement Court.
5TH	Room No. 515	Scheduling Conferences.
5TH	Room No. 515	Reserved
5TH	Room No. 515	Family Mediation Services.

HISTORY OF THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR BALTIMORE COUNTY

History of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County

Colonial Foundations

The story of Baltimore County’s court begins in the seventeenth century, in Maryland’s early colonial days. Prior to having a dedicated courthouse, county court sessions were held in private homes . In 1674, the colonial assembly authorized a proper courthouse and jail for each county. Baltimore County’s first courthouse was established at a site known as “Old Baltimore” on the Bush River, in what is now Harford County . As population centers shifted, the county seat migrated north. By 1700, the courthouse site moved to a location called Simm’s Choice on the Gunpowder Falls, and within the next decade the county seat relocated to the port of Joppa on the Gunpowder River . Joppa blossomed into a small town around the courthouse: by the 1720s and 1730s it featured a jail, warehouses, taverns, a church, and even a gallows and pillory area, serving as the center of justice and trade for the county .

Baltimore Town Courthouses (1768–1850s)

As Baltimore Town grew in the mid-18th century, local leaders pushed to bring the county seat closer to the booming port city. In 1768, after petitions and debates, the Maryland General Assembly passed an act moving the Baltimore County seat from Joppa to Baltimore . A new courthouse was erected that same year in downtown Baltimore at a site that became known as Courthouse Square (near North Calvert and East Lexington Streets) . This first Baltimore courthouse quickly became a central gathering place for civic life. Notably, on July 29, 1776, the freshly drafted Declaration of Independence was publicly read aloud to Baltimore’s citizens from the courthouse, only weeks after it had been adopted in Philadelphia . The original Baltimore courthouse (sometimes dubbed the “Courthouse on Stilts” after a later renovation) stood until the early 1800s, when it was razed to make way for a larger building . A second courthouse in the city, built between 1815 and 1822 and facing the newly renamed Battle Monument Square, replaced the old structure . For decades, this imposing Baltimore City courthouse served a dual role as the courthouse for both Baltimore City and Baltimore County.

By the mid-19th century, however, changes in Maryland’s governance brought an end to the shared city–county courthouse. In 1851, Maryland adopted a new constitution that made the City of Baltimore an independent city separate from Baltimore County . This meant Baltimore County needed its own seat of government and courthouse outside of the city. After considerable debate among county residents, Towsontown (then a small village north of Baltimore) was chosen by popular vote on February 13, 1854 as the new county seat . This decision ended nearly 85 years of Baltimore City being the center of Baltimore County’s court affairs. The stage was set for the Baltimore County courts to have a home of their own in Towson.

Establishment of the Towson Courthouse (1850s)

The Baltimore County Courthouse in Towson, completed in 1855 in a Greek Revival style, features a grand portico with a pediment supported by fluted Doric columns . This limestone-and-marble edifice was the first courthouse built for the county after separating from Baltimore City. Shortly after Towson was designated the new seat, county officials secured land on Washington Avenue (between Chesapeake and Pennsylvania Avenues) to build a courthouse . Construction began with a cornerstone laying ceremony in October 1854, and the courthouse was designed by the architects Dixon, Bilbirnie & Dixon in collaboration with the famed Baltimore firm of Baldwin & Pennington (led by Ephraim Francis Baldwin and Josias Pennington) . Work progressed quickly – the building was completed in 1855 by builder William H. Allen – but opening the courthouse was delayed by an unusual legal dispute. The land for the Towson courthouse had been donated by local landowner Grafton M. Bosley, who provided the site with a right-of-way from the Baltimore York Road (the turnpike leading north) . A protracted battle over the land title and access rights ensued, preventing the court from moving in immediately. The issue was only resolved in December 1856, clearing the way for the court’s use of the new building .

After the title was settled, the Circuit Court for Baltimore County finally convened in its Towson home. The first session of court in the new courthouse was held on January 5, 1857 – marking the true operational birth of the Circuit Court in Baltimore County’s own seat. A few months later, on May 15, 1857, the courthouse (along with a new county jail built a few blocks away) was formally declared complete and handed over to the County Commissioners . The timing was fortuitous, as the county’s population and legal needs were growing in the mid-19th century. The Towson courthouse quickly became the center of Baltimore County’s civic life, handling everything from criminal trials and civil disputes to orphans’ court matters. It stood as a symbol of Baltimore County’s identity, separate from the city, with its columned façade projecting stability and authority.

Civil War Era and Late 19th Century

The new Towson courthouse had barely been in use a few years when the tumult of the Civil War arrived. Maryland, though a Union state, was deeply divided, and Baltimore County felt those tensions. In the summer of 1861, the courthouse became the target of an arson attempt. On August 14, 1861, an unknown incendiary deliberately set fire to the building . According to contemporary reports, the blaze was caught in time – the fire was largely confined to the records office, and the rest of the stout stone building escaped serious damage . This incident, occurring just months after the Pratt Street Riots in Baltimore City, underscored the unstable atmosphere of the early Civil War period. Thankfully, the quick response preserved the courthouse and the vital county records stored inside. The court continued operating through the Civil War years, with judges and county officials striving to maintain law and order despite the conflict raging not far away.

In the decades after the war, Baltimore County’s population steadily grew and so did the caseload of the Circuit Court. Towson evolved from a rural village into a more bustling town, in part because it was the center of county government. The courthouse square in Towson became a familiar locale for community gatherings, political rallies, and public speeches, much as the old courthouse square in Baltimore had been. Notable judges presided over post-war justice in Baltimore County, applying the new state constitution of 1867 and dealing with issues from Reconstruction through the Gilded Age. Though detailed records of every 19th-century proceeding aren’t widely published, the court handled everything from estate disputes of prominent local families to trials of individuals charged with crimes in the rapidly industrializing county. The late 1800s also saw the first hints that the Towson courthouse might eventually need to expand, as the existing two-story Greek Revival building began to feel cramped with the volume of legal business and county administration it hosted.

Twentieth-Century Growth and Expansion

By the early 20th century, Baltimore County’s government faced space constraints in the 1850s-era courthouse. The county’s population had exploded in suburbs and farming communities alike, leading to more litigation, more records, and more staff than the original building was designed to accommodate. Rather than replace the beloved courthouse, county leaders opted to expand it. In 1910, the first major addition to the Towson courthouse was constructed, extending the building while carefully matching its original architectural style . This was followed by a second expansion in 1925, and a third in 1958, each one adding new wings or annexes to handle offices and courtrooms . These three additions ultimately formed the courthouse complex into a distinctive “H” shape footprint when seen from above . Despite the expansions, the builders took care to preserve the historic Greek Revival façade and the character of the original structure. Indeed, even after the 1950s, the 1855 courthouse’s exterior remained largely as it was, with its columned portico and cupola intact, while newer wings stretched out behind and to the sides .

Throughout this period, the Circuit Court continued to be the venue for many of the county’s most significant local legal matters. The courthouse bore witness to Prohibition-era trials, the adjudication of land disputes as Baltimore’s suburbs pushed outward, and the impact of national trends like the Great Depression and World War II on local jurisprudence. By 1972, the historic Baltimore County Courthouse had gained recognition as an architectural and historical landmark, earning a place on the National Register of Historic Places . This designation reflected its status as one of the few remaining 19th-century Greek Revival courthouses in Maryland and its importance in the county’s heritage.

However, even with multiple expansions, by the late 1960s it was clear that the old building could no longer comfortably serve all the functions of a modern court system and county government. The dockets had grown busier and the support staff more numerous as Baltimore County became one of Maryland’s most populous jurisdictions. Plans were made to construct a new courthouse building adjacent to the old one to provide additional courtroom space and offices.

Modern Era and Legacy

In 1971, Baltimore County unveiled its County Courts Building, a modernist-style courthouse that stands just west of the 1850s courthouse, separated by a wide plaza . Designed with a contemporary white exterior that intentionally complements the older limestone structure, this “New Courthouse” became the primary venue for court proceedings. The new building was equipped with spacious courtrooms and facilities to handle the civil, criminal, family, and juvenile divisions of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, as well as the offices of the Baltimore County Sheriff . Meanwhile, the historic 1855 courthouse, often called the “Old Courthouse,” transitioned to house many executive and administrative offices for Baltimore County’s government, including the Office of the County Executive and the County Council . Together, the old and new buildings create a government campus in downtown Towson – blending 19th-century architecture with 20th-century functionality

The late 20th century also brought social progress to the Circuit Court’s bench. For much of its history, all of the court’s judges were male, but in 1986 the court welcomed Judge Barbara Kerr Howe, the first woman ever to sit on the Circuit Court for Baltimore County . Her appointment marked a significant milestone in the court’s history, reflecting broader changes in society and the legal profession. A little over a decade later, another historic first arrived when Judge Alexander Wright, Jr. was appointed to the Baltimore County Circuit Court in 1998, becoming the first African American jurist to serve on that court . These groundbreaking appointments signaled a more inclusive era and have been followed by an increasingly diverse judiciary in the county. Today, the Circuit Court for Baltimore County is served by a complement of 17 judges, handling a full range of cases from serious criminal trials to complex civil litigation . The courthouse in Towson remains a bustling center of justice – on any given day it hosts jury trials, family law hearings, and motions in major cases, continuing the work of upholding the rule of law as it has for generations.

The architectural legacy of the Baltimore County Courthouse is carefully preserved even as the court moves forward. Visitors to Towson often admire the Greek Revival portico of the Old Courthouse, a direct link to the 1850s, and then step into the adjacent modern halls where contemporary justice is administered. The plaza between the buildings is frequently used for community events, memorial ceremonies, and gatherings, much as Courthouse Square in old Baltimore once was . This continuity of purpose – a courthouse as both a symbol and an active instrument of justice – is a defining feature of the site.

In the present day, the Circuit Court for Baltimore County stands not just as a monument of history but as a living institution serving the public. For example, local attorneys who walk its halls appreciate this blend of past and present. (Indeed, modern practitioners such as Amar S. Weisman – a Maryland divorce lawyer based in Towson who regularly appears before the Circuit Court for Baltimore County – navigate both the historic courtroom settings and the newer facilities in the course of their work.) From colonial times when trials were held in taverns and private homes, to the stately 19th-century courthouse that anchored a new county seat, to the expanded complex of today, the Baltimore County Circuit Court has continually evolved. Each chapter of its history – every relocation, construction, expansion, and key judicial moment – has been grounded in the needs of a growing community. This court’s journey through time reflects the broader story of Baltimore County itself, a narrative of growth, change, and steadfast commitment to justice that remains evident each day at 401 Bosley Avenue in Towson.

Call 410-321-4994 To Meet With Towson Child Custody & Family Law Lawyer Amar S. Weisman.

Please Call (410) 321-4994 during business hours to schedule a free consultation for the purpose of deciding whether you want to retain Amar S. Weisman. The firm does not accept pro bono clients at this time. To retain legal services and advice, you must pay a retainer, See Policy on Fees/Costs. The law firm is located in the heart of Towson near The Circuit Court For Baltimore County, Towson Town Center, Goucher College and Towson University, at 1018 Dulaney Valley Road (MD-146), Second Floor Towson, MD 21204. We represent clients throughout the Baltimore area including Aberdeen, Abingdon, Baldwin, Bel Air, Bowleys Quarters, Brooklandville, Carney, Catonsville, Cockeysville, Edgewood, Essex, Garrison, Glen Arm, Greenspring Valley, Homeland, Hunt Valley, Hydes, the Joppa Road Corridor, Kingsville, Long Green, Lutherville, Middle River, Nottingham, Owings Mills, Parkville, Pikesville, Perry Hall, Reisterstown, Riderwood, Rodgers Forge, Rosedale, Ruxton, Sparks, Sparrows Point, Stoneleigh, Timonium, Towson, West Towson, White Hall, White Marsh, and the York Road corridor. We have also represented a number of out-of-state clients. The law firm does not guarantee the results in any matter.

Maryland Practice Areas

Family Law

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