Maine Superior Court

The Maine Superior Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction in the Maine state court system.[1]

All state jury trials are held in the Superior Court. The court is located in each of Maine's 16 counties (with two locations in Aroostook County), in eight judicial regions.[2] The Court consists of 18 justices who all have statewide jurisdiction and travel to the different courthouses to hold court, with a number of active retired judges as well.[3][4][5] Justices are nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Maine Senate and are appointed to seven-year terms.[6][7]

Maine's Supreme Judicial Court created a statewide Business and Consumer Docket (BCD),[8][9] which includes within its jurisdiction complex case types that might be found on other states' business and commercial court dockets; but also includes, for example, class actions and complex consumer rights cases arising out of business or government dealings. Cases eligible for this specialized docket are cases that could otherwise have been heard in the Superior Court or Maine's District Court.[10][11] The BCD has a distinct set of procedural rules.[12] The BCD has two assigned judges from either the Superior or District Courts, who are designated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court.[13][14] As of June 2024, the current BCD judges are Superior Court judge Thomas McKeon and District Court judge Michael A. Duddy.[15] Then Superior Court Chief Justice Thomas E. Humphrey was one of the first BCD judges,[16] along with District Court Chief Justice John C. Nivison.[17][18][19]

  1. ^ "Superior Court; civil jurisdiction (Maine Revised Statutes Title 4, §105)". legislature.maine.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  2. ^ "Superior Court: State of Maine Judicial Branch". www.courts.maine.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  3. ^ "Constitution of court (Maine Revised Statutes Title 4, §101)". legislature.maine.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  4. ^ "Superior Court: State of Maine Judicial Branch". www.courts.maine.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  5. ^ "Justice or Active Retired Justice of Superior Court assigned to sit in District Court (Maine Revised Statutes Title 4 §121)". legislature.maine.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  6. ^ Me. Const. art. V, § 8; Me. Const. art. VI, § 4
  7. ^ "About: State of Maine Judicial Branch". www.courts.maine.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  8. ^ "Business and Consumer Court: State of Maine Judicial Branch". www.courts.maine.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  9. ^ "Maine Rule of Civil Procedure 130" (PDF).
  10. ^ "District Court; civil jurisdiction (Maine Revised Statutes Title 4, §152)". legislature.maine.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  11. ^ "District Court: State of Maine Judicial Branch". www.courts.maine.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  12. ^ "Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, Chapter XIV, Business and Consumer Docket Procedural Rules (130-138)".
  13. ^ "State of Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Administrative Order JB-07-1 (A. 11-08), Establishment of the Business and Consumer Docket" (PDF). November 17, 2008.
  14. ^ "Maine Rule of Civil Procedure 130" (PDF).
  15. ^ "Business and Consumer Court: State of Maine Judicial Branch". www.courts.maine.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  16. ^ Humphrey, Justice Thomas (January 30, 2018). "Fiber Materials, Inc. v. Maurice Subilia, et. al., Business and Consumer Court, Docket No. BCD-WB-07-317" (PDF).
  17. ^ "Colby grad, Winslow resident Nivison promoted to federal bench". Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel. 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  18. ^ "Key Equipment Finance, Inc. v. Benjamin Hawkins, et al., Business and Consumer Docket, Docket No. BCD-WB-CIV-07-017" (PDF).
  19. ^ Chief Justice Superior Court Thomas E. Humphrey & Chief Justice District Court John C. Nivison (June 1, 2007). "State of Maine Business and Consumer Docket, Standing Order Regarding Transfers of Venue" (PDF).