Welcome to: Civil Division

Civil Division
- The Civil Division has jurisdiction over any civil action or action in equity (e.g. temporary restraining orders) brought in the District of Columbia, except when the federal court has exclusive jurisdiction. The Office of the Director is responsible for the overall management of all branches within the Civil Division.
- Hours of Operation
  Mondays-Fridays: 8:30a.m.-5:00p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon (for filings only)
  Filings can be made in the after-hours filing box in the lobby of the Moultrie Courthouse.
- Main Contacts
  Civil Actions Branch: (202) 879-1133
  Landlord and Tenant Branch: (202) 879-4879
  Small Claims and Conciliation Branch: (202) 879-1120
  Quality Review Branch: (202) 879-1750
- Location
  Moultrie Courthouse
  500 Indiana Avenue N.W., Room 5000
  Washington, D.C. 20001
  Each branch has a separate location. Please click below for the address of the appropriate branch for filing cases or for information.
  
  Deborah Taylor-Godwin, Esq., Division Director
  Phone: (202) 879-1680
  Presiding Judge: Melvin Wright
  Deputy Presiding Judge: Judith Bartnoff
The Civil Division has four branches:
- Civil Actions Branch
  The Civil Actions Branch has responsibility for processing all civil cases requesting damages above $5,000 or cases requesting equitable relief such as declarative judgments and injunctive relief (meaning that you are requesting that the Court enter an order to prevent someone from doing something or to perform some action); writs of attachment, judgments.
- Quality Review Branch
  The Quality Review Branch handles scheduling for all civil cases, including Landlord & Tenant and Small Claims jury cases; provides courtroom support for Civil Division judges and magistrate judges; and manages courtroom staffing and operations.
- Landlord and Tenant Branch
  The Landlord and Tenant Branch processes cases filed for possession of real property or violations of lease agreements.
- Small Claims and Conciliation Branch
  The Small Claims and Conciliation Branch has responsibility for processing cases where the amount requested for damages is $5,000 or less.
Landlord and Tenant Note
- Note:
  The US Marshal’s fee for evictions is going up by $8, effective November 1st.