Links To State Court Websites

If you're looking for a single page which provides links to state court websites in all 50 states, take a look at the following page from the National Center for State Courts. Aside from providing links to court websites, the site also includes a schematic for each state's court structure, like this one for Maryland. (Thanks to Jim Gernert for suggesting).

New Anne Arundel Code

Anne Arundel recently published a new county code. The new code was brought into being on November 8 by Bill No. 82-05. (Thanks to Carol Mundorf for alerting me to this).

Researching Maryland Banks

Most of us know that public companies have disclosure obligations with the SEC and that members of the public can use these publicly available documents as a primary resource for finding information about a company. But fewer of us are aware about how to locate information about banks. Unlike public companies, banks do not file disclosure documents with the SEC. Instead, banks are required to file with the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC). And, like the SEC's EDGAR database, the FFIEC has a website called the National Information Center where members of the public can do research and view documents about specific banks. From the links at the top of the page, select "Financial and Performance Reports." From the drop-down menu you will then be asked to select what type of document you're interested in viewing. As a start, select "Schedule HC-Consolidated Balance Sheet." Click "Submit" and then type in the name of a Maryland bank, select MD from the state menu, and you're done. The system will then lead you to a full financial report about the bank. This system also provides another very useful link on the left entitled "Institution Organization Hierarchy." Clicking this link provides a detailed description of how other entities are related to the entity you are researching.

Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland is a non-profit supported by the dues of its over 3,000 paying members. One of the most useful services Better Busines Bureaus around the country provide is the publication of reports on businesses in their area. The Baltimore bureau is no exception. You can search their database by either business name, phone number, or URL of the business. You can also search by business category. If you don't see your business listed, you may want to try searching the national database.

Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings

The Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) is Maryland’s answer to streamlining the process of adjudicating disputes between state agencies and their employees. Prior to the OAH’s creation, an employee seeking to bring an action against an agency would appear before an ALJ of that agency. Now, all actions from all state agencies are heard before the OAH. The OAH regulations are governed by Title 28 of COMAR. The OAH also has an FAQ which looks pretty useful.