THE TWO COURTHOUSES OF ST. MARY’S COUNTY

Leonardtown is home to both courthouses in St. Mary’s County, where more than 110,000 live. Sometimes, the fact that there are two courthouses causes confusion about where people are supposed to go or what the differences in the operations are. In fact, the courthouses—one for Circuit Court and one for District Court—are quite distinct so it is worth learning about how they differ.

St. Mary's County Circuit Court

St. Mary’s Circuit Court is housed in the historic building in downtown Leonardtown, whereas District Court operates out of a modern office building in an office park on the other side of Route 5. The office park is also home to stations for both the state and county police, the county’s detention center, and several other county services.

Circuit Court and District Court function in unique ways; the separation of functions is an arrangement existing throughout all Maryland counties. Circuit Court handles most felonies and major civil cases. It is the only one of the two courthouses to handle jury trials. Circuit Court also takes care of family law cases such as divorce, custody, and child support in addition to juvenile cases and appeals from rulings in District Court.

The current judges operating out of Circuit Court are Administrative Law Judge Joseph Stanalonis and Amy Lorenzini, who just won re-election to her post in the spring of 2024. Kevin Hill is the county’s newest Circuit Court judge, elevated in August 2025 to fill a vacancy caused by the untimely death of Michael Stamm in 2024. Hill had been serving as Magistrate, an office that hears some family law cases. Now that he has moved on, Sue Ann Armitage is the new Magistrate; she, too, was appointed in August 2025.

Circuit Court Website

Meanwhile, District Court handles most misdemeanors, serious traffic offenses, and other traffic tickets—as well as civil trials with damages of $5,000 or less and landlord/tenant matters. Because District Court does not conduct jury trials, any matter in District Court will be decided by a bench trial in which the judge is both the fact finder and decision maker when it comes to determining guilt and sentencing. Defendants facing a maximum jail sentence of more than 90 days from any of their charges can ask a District Court judge for a jury trial in Circuit Court. Currently, the District Court judges are Karen Christy Holt Chesser and James Tanavage.

District Court Website

Both courts handle protective and peace orders and both have a clerk’s office. The clerk’s office at Circuit Court records land deeds, mortgages, and other such real property transactions. It also issues both business and marriage licenses and even will perform a civil marriage ceremony.

The Circuit Court building additionally houses orphans’ court and a law library open to the public. The District Court building contains the local office for the Maryland public defenders and some county social services. The prosecution team of the State’s Attorney for St. Mary’s County has offices in both courthouses.

To enter both buildings, metal detector screening is required. Neither courthouse charges any fee for parking. A computerized display board in each courthouse will tell visitors the proper room for the matter relating to their court attendance. Also, the courts in St. Mary’s County offer an inclement weather phone line to share information about closures; however, that information will likely also appear on the courts’ website.

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