(a) Application. — This Rule applies only in the First, Second, and Fourth Judicial Circuits.
Rule 2-509.Jury trial — Special costs in First, Second, and Fourth Judicial Circuits
Circuit Court · Last amended January 1, 2008 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceRule 2-509 lets courts in Maryland's First, Second, and Fourth Judicial Circuits charge a party the cost of reimbursing jurors who showed up for a jury trial that got pulled at the last minute.
Full Text of Rule 2-509
(b) Special costs imposed. — When a jury trial is removed from the assignment at the initiative of a party for any reason within the 48 hour period, not including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, prior to 10:00 a.m. on the date scheduled, the court in its discretion may assess as costs against a party or parties an amount equal to the total reimbursement paid to qualified jurors who reported and were not otherwise used. The clerk shall remit to the county the costs received pursuant to this section. The County Administrative Judge may waive assessment of these costs for good cause shown.
Amendment History
Amended Nov. 23, 1988, effective Jan. 1, 1989; Dec. 10, 1996, effective Jan. 1, 1997; Dec. 16, 1999, effective Jan. 1, 2000; Dec. 4, 2007, effective Jan. 1, 2008.
Committee Note & Source
Source. This Rule is derived from former Rule 548.
Plain-English Summary
The rule applies only within the First, Second, and Fourth Judicial Circuits. When a party's own initiative removes a jury trial from the assignment within the last 48 hours before it's scheduled to start — not counting Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, and measured against 10:00 a.m. on the scheduled date — the court can, at its discretion, assess costs against that party equal to the reimbursement the county already paid to jurors who reported for the case but were never used.
The clerk remits whatever costs are collected back to the county, and the County Administrative Judge can waive the assessment for good cause. Because the rule ties the cost to jurors who showed up and went unused, it puts a price on last-minute cancellations that waste the panel's time without punishing removals that happen early enough for the court to avoid summoning jurors in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Maryland circuits does this rule cover?
Only the First, Second, and Fourth Judicial Circuits. It doesn't apply anywhere else in the state.
What triggers the special cost assessment?
A party's own initiative pulling a jury trial from the assignment within 48 hours — excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays — before 10:00 a.m. on the date the trial was scheduled to start.
How is the amount calculated?
It equals the total reimbursement the county paid to qualified jurors who reported for the case but weren't used, and it's remitted by the clerk back to the county.
Can this cost be waived?
Yes. The County Administrative Judge can waive the assessment for good cause shown.
Source & verification. Rule text, Committee Note, Source note, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Maryland Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Maryland. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: Maryland jury trial cancellation costsMd Rule 2-509 special costsjuror reimbursement fee Marylandlate jury trial cancellation Maryland circuit court