Maryland Senate Passes Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Raise Jury Trial Threshold to $30,000

As reported by the Maryland Daily Record (paywall), the Maryland Senate earlier this week approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the minimum threshold for a right to a jury trial in Maryland from $15,000 to $30,000. The measure now goes to the Maryland House of Delegates for a vote there.

The practical effect of this (in addition to removing the jury trial right for claims between $15,000 and $30,000) is that a defendant could no longer remove a case from the Maryland District Court to the Circuit Court by praying a jury trial for claims over $15,000. The benefit of this (or harm depending on one's perspective) is that the case would remain in the District Court where discovery is much more limited and thus expenses are much less, and where claims are typically scheduled and heard much more quickly. In contrast, the Circuit Court permits much more expansive discovery, including depositions, and typically takes far longer for cases to come to trial.