Maine Court Case Lookup
A Maine court case refers to a legal action where one party approaches a law court to resolve a dispute between itself and another party in the State of Maine. It can also be an action where the court has to determine the guilt or otherwise of accused parties and impose penalties on guilty defendants. The above definitions describe civil and criminal court cases (the two types of court cases in Maine).
The State of Maine Judicial Branch comprises several courts that attend to these court cases, with the principal ones being the District and Superior Courts. While the District Court sits without a jury and hears civil, criminal, and family matters, the Superior Court sits with a jury and tries almost all criminal and civil cases. This is because the Superior Court is Maine's trial court of general jurisdiction. Jurisdiction means the official power the law confers on courts to hear or preside over a matter.
Parties who are not satisfied with the ruling of the District and Superior Courts may approach the State's highest court, the Supreme Judicial Court, for redress. The Supreme Judicial Court is the court of last resort and primarily handles appeals on questions of law arising from the Probate, District, and Superior Courts. This Court may also decide on appeals from some administrative agencies. Other courts in Maine include the Business and Consumer Court, Juvenile Traffic Violations Bureau, and Maine Treatment Courts.
Are Court Cases Public Record in Maine?
Generally, Maine court records are public under the Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA). FOAA gives the public the right to information about government activities and public records to foster accountability in the state. Administrative Order JB-05-20 (Public Information and Confidentiality) also reiterates this right for criminal cases.
As such, any member of the public can inspect or copy them at will. However, some court records that the State or Federal statutes designate as confidential, like Juvenile records, are exempt from disclosure to the public. There are also court records that may only be released for qualified research.
How to Conduct a Maine Court Case Lookup
Maine Rules of Electronic Court Systems (RECS) make electronic case records remotely accessible via their eCourts Odyssey Portal. It creates three broad access categories to guarantee both the privacy and accessibility of court records. While the first category grants remote access to court records to the public, the second category only grants such access at a courthouse with available eFiling. The last category makes the records accessible to only case participants like the parties and attorneys of record. RECS also makes some documents and data inaccessible to the public. Interested parties may visit Accessing Electronic Court Records Using the Odyssey Portal for more information.
It's important to note that while Maine's statewide Odyssey Portal provides access to many case types and court records, some of them require elevated access and account registration.
To search for a Maine civil court case online in the Bangor District Court and Penobscot County Superior Court, parties should visit the above public portal. Then, they may search the court case using the record number or names. Alternatively, parties may carry out an advanced search by entering the name of the plaintiff's business. They may also perform a wildcard search with a case number and a minimum of four characters of the number or a name, at least three characters before an asterisk for the last name, and the first name, by an asterisk following at least one character.
Parties or individuals who can't find a case online can visit the court where their case was filed to ask for the clerk's help. The court directory tool provides information about court clerks for most Maine Courts. Maine's Find a Court tool provides the contact information and physical addresses of courts in the state. Again, parties may visit the courthouse to look up their cases using the public access computers.
Can I Get Maine Court Case Documents Online?
Yes, parties, attorneys, and all court users can gain online access to Maine Court case documents through Maine eCourts. Maine eCourts is the state's judicial branch's electronic case management system that provides easy online access to digital court records and handles online payments and eFilings.
Anyone who wants to download or purchase Maine court documents through the Odyssey Portal must pay $1 per page. Only parties and attorneys of record with registered elevated access to their cases are exempt from this fee.
How to Conduct a Maine Court Search by Name
Parties who can't remember their case numbers can search for their Maine court cases by typing their first and last names in Maine's eCourt Public Portal. This will provide a list of possible cases that they'll have to filter through to find theirs.
Alternatively, they may visit Maine Supreme Judicial Court Clerk's Office where the case was filed for more information about their case.
What is a Court Case Number?
A court case number is a special number that courts assign to a case for identification, reference, tracking, or retrieval purposes. Court case numbers also provide essential information about a case including the case type and filing location. Note that these numbers typically appear on all court documents involving the case that they have been assigned to.
How to Read a Court Case Number
Every case number has a special format that they follow. In Maine, the court case number (docket number) comprises a two-digit number indicating the year of filing. It also consists of letters to indicate the case type, and the judge's initials following a five-digit number. Therefore, if a case number reads 09 Civ 5657 (DC), it is the 5,657th civil case filed in 2009 and assigned to the Honorable Dow Charles.
Here's the breakdown of the above docket number:
- 09- Year of Filing
- Civ- Civil Case (Case Type)
- 5657- Case Number
- DC- Judge's Initials
How to Conduct a Case Number Search in Maine
In Maine, the case number is the easiest and fastest way to look up a case. Therefore, without it, finding a case will be challenging. However, individuals who are not sure of a case number can find it using other parameters like the party name on the Odyssey Portal. They can do this by visiting the portal's start page and clicking on the "Smart Search" button. After inputting the search criteria, the system will display a matching case records list for the user to pick from. Once the user selects a record, the Registry of Actions (ROA) will pop up, and the user may find the case number in it.
Alternatively, individuals may contact the court clerk's office where the case held to provide information concerning the case number.
How to Remove Court Cases From Public Record in Maine
Unlike many other states, there's no expungement law in Maine. As such, no individual can destroy or erase their criminal records in the state. Even when a convict receives a pardon, the record will only become confidential instead of erased.
However, the State Bureau of Identification (SBI) is Maine's central repository of criminal history record information. The State of Maine allows anyone who wishes to challenge or review their criminal record information to approach the SBI.
How to Check a Court Case Status in Maine
Individuals who want to confirm a Maine court case status may do so by visiting the Maine eCourt Public Portal powered by Odyssey if the case was filed in Bangor District Court and Penobscot County Superior Court. Anyone who cannot access their case status online should visit the clerk of the court where they filed their cases.
How to Find Supreme Court Decisions in Maine
You can find Maine's Supreme Judicial Court's published opinions on the Court's official website.
What Percentage of Court Cases Go to Trial in Maine?
Maine Judicial Branch 2021 Annual Report records a total of 130,886 filed cases in the state for that year. This number includes cases filed in the Violations Bureau, Unified Criminal Docket, District, Superior, and Supreme Judicial Court. Unfortunately, it is unclear how many such cases made it to trial.
Generally, however, most cases in the United States of America don't make it to trial. Parties typically choose to resolve them out of court.
For more statistics on Maine Court Cases, interest parties can visit the Reports and Data Page.
How Long Does a Court Case Last in Maine?
There's no specific period for court cases in Maine as how long a matter lasts depends on numerous factors. For example, Rule 3 of the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure stipulates different time frames for commencing an action via distinct methods. If a case commenced through service of summons, complaint, or notice regarding electronic service, the court must receive the filed complaint within 20 days after service completion. Meanwhile, if the action began by filing a complaint with the court, the court should receive the return of service within 90 days after the complaint was filed. It is worthy of note that the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure stipulates different timeframes for various processes throughout a civil case.
Besides the time limits for filing processes, other factors that may influence the duration of a case include the case's complexity, how long the jury deliberates, number of witnesses to be called, etc. As such, a case may take some weeks to a few years depending on the specifics.
How to File a Case in Court in Maine?
Filing a civil case in a Maine Court begins with the plaintiff drafting and filing a complaint with the court and paying filing fees. The amount the plaintiff pays as filing fees depend on the court and what they're filing. For example, it costs $175 to file a General Civil or Real Estate action in the Superior and District Courts. Meanwhile, filing a motion to reconsider judgment in the Supreme Judicial Court costs $125. Interested individuals may look up Administrative Order JB-05-26 (A. 6-22) for more information about court fees. They may also consult their local attorneys or contact the court clerk for directions.
Plaintiffs can also file a lawsuit through eFileMaine where eMaine Courts are available. eFiling is available in Bangor District Court, Penobscot County Superior Court, and the Business & Consumer Docket for many civil cases and family matters.
Note that individuals cannot file criminal charges in Maine Courts.
What Does It Mean if a Court Case Was Resolved Before the Trial Date?
When parties to a case resolve it before the trail date, it means that they've decided to settle their dispute before trial commences. In other words, they've agreed to resolve their issues without further recourse to the court.
One of the common ways litigants resolve their case before the trial date is through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). The forms of ADR in Maine are mediation, arbitration, and Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE), and they're available for many civil cases. Other methods of resolving court cases before trial or court hearing includes negotiation, plea negotiation, and settlement. A judge may also dismiss a case before it gets to trial stage.
