Maryland

Maryland’s highest court is the Supreme Court of Maryland. The court has six associate justices and one chief justice, who is designated by the governor. (Source: Maryland Manual)

Judicial Selection 

The governor nominates justices to the Supreme Court of Maryland. The governor receives a list of candidates from the judicial nominating commission but is not required to select a candidate from the list. The nominee must be confirmed by a majority of the state senate. After at least one year on the court, the justice may stand for a 10-year term in an unopposed yes/no retention vote at the time of Maryland’s next general election. Justices may stand for additional terms in the same retention process. To fill an interim vacancy, the governor appoints a candidate from a list provided by the judicial nominating commission, but the governor is not required to select a candidate from the list. The nominee must be confirmed by a majority of the state senate. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 70. 

State Constitution

Maryland has had four constitutions adopted between 1776 and 1867. As of January 1, 2024, it had 239 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)